Richard Wurmbrand and his wife Sabina founded Voice of the Martyrs. Both were horribly misused and abused in Romanian Communist prisons for proclaiming the Gospel. If you haven’t read his book Tortured For Christ, I highly recommend it. Richard once said the Bible tells us not to fear 366 times; one for each day of the year with one left over. You think maybe God doesn’t want us afraid??? Whole books have been written about the following Psalms, so I’ll just share some insights I’ve gleaned, starting with Psalm 23-one of the most beloved Psalms-He is our Shepherd:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
I have everything I need; every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights through Christ Jesus.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
He doesn’t want us to be restless and stressed, so Father God leads us to rest, stills and refreshes our souls.
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
In God alone can my soul be restored; it’s for His sake that He leads us in the paths of righteousness; we don’t/can’t find them ourselves.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
It’s only a shadow; those in Christ will never taste death. I do not have to fear because He is ALWAYS with me; His rod corrects me and His staff rescues me, which brings me comfort.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Our good, good Father in Heaven prepares a banquet for us even with our enemies surrounding us; the oil soothes us and wipes out the little niggling things that try to cling to our head (mind). He bountifully provides more than enough so we can minister to others with the overflow.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Remember, He is always with us. His goodness and mercy truly follow us all the time! The reward for choosing to trust Him is dwelling in His house forever, taken care of for eternity!
Psalm 91, also known as The Soldier’s Psalm (I have been sharing it with you as I go through it with Peggy Joyce Ruth so I won’t include it here)
Let’s end with Psalm 139:
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.
God’s sign of promise
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.
Verses 19-22 describe the evil, blood-thirsty men David wants to hate because they blaspheme God (I won’t include it here), then David writes:
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; 24 and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Next weekI’ll resume sharing my Psalm 91 lessons with you.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Musings along life's journey 