Psalm 23
"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. " (NLT)
- GOD IS IN CONTROL NO MATTER HOW THINGS APPEAR
"Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die. "
Have you ever prayed a prayer that, now, you are so grateful God didn 't answer?
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 (NIV)
"When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: "May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them. " 1 Kings 19:1-2 (NLT)
Have you ever felt let down by God?
"Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord, " he said. "Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died. " 1 Kings 19:3-4 (NLT)
Action Plan: Memorize Psalm 23 this week. Try memorizing parts of it while in different outdoor locations.
- GOD IS WITH YOU EVEN WHEN YOU CAN 'T SEE HIS PLAN
"Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, "Get up and eat! " He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. " 1 Kings 19:5-6 (NLT)
How does God respond when we 've given up?
"Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you. " 1 Kings 19:7 (NLT)
When we have given up on ourselves we receive, not judgement;
- A touch
- A meal
- Some rest
The Shepherd knows where to find you.
Action Plan: Set an alarm on your phone, watch, or computer to chime once an hour. Let the sound serve as a reminder in that moment to thank God for something and to surrender the next hour to him.
- WHEN YOU THINK IT 'S ALL OVER, WITH GOD IT 'S JUST BEGINNING
"But the Lord said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah? " 1 Kings 19:9b (NLT)
When God asks a question, He knows the answer. He wants us to look at the question.
"About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. " Luke 9:28-31 (NLT)
Elijah finally came face to face with The Rock who had always been his shelter.
Action Plan: Read Sheila Walsh 's new book, It's Okay Not to be Okay. Available for preorder here.
Doable Discipleship: This week 's episode of Doable Discipleship begins a Bible Crash Course series. New episodes release every Tuesday. To watch or listen,click here.
Talk It Over: Have you ever discussed the weekend message in your small group? Talk It Over provides weekly small group discussion questions as a way to bring the weekend message into your small group. To view this week 's Talk It Over,click here.
