Dear Church Family,
Recently I have been considering the importance of peace in one’s life. There are so many things in this world that will try to rob you of living in peace. For those who trust Christ, we have no reason we cannot live in the spiritual realities of having “peace with God” which enables us to live in the “peace of God.” But we must live the reality of those truths in our daily lives. If you are anything like me, I struggle to faithfully live in the reality of the peace that I have provided by my Savior. Recently I preached on the Good Shepherd found in John 10. It was so helpful to me to consider my Savior as the Good Shepherd who knows me and cares for me, despite my struggles, worries, fears, and failures.
Psalm 23 is so personal and so encouraging to consider as we live our daily lives. Charles Spurgeon once said… “We have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because the Lord is my shepherd.”
It is our Good Shepherd who we are to depend, and trust upon. He leads us His sheep, and we are to simply follow. We all know that this is the wise choice in our lives. But then we find ourselves looking at life with all its unknowns and fears and we start looking at our circumstances instead of our Good Shepherd. And if I am honest that is not only unwise, but also immature on my part. As we are informed by scripture, we of course should heed its truth and walk in it in our lives. We can understand that, but the reality is that we do not always do that. We know we have a Good Shepherd, but we allow our thoughts and feelings to get away from us and we find ourselves not following Him. I pray to continue to grow in my faith so that my thoughts and feelings are informed and led by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. I came across this extended quote by R.C. Sproul that I found helpful as we consider living in spiritual maturity as we follow our Savior:
“Maturity is, in large part, that process by which we grow in our ability not just to have our feelings match our thoughts, but to have both match reality. We do not allow our feelings to run amok, to seize the reins, to paint our reality. Instead, we instruct our wayward feelings with the truths of God’s Word. When I am afraid, I will call myself to trust in Him. I will recall to mind the innumerable deliverances by which He has rescued me and those who have gone before me. I will meditate on His promise that He loves me, that He will never leave me nor forsake me. I will sing of His grace flowing out of the side of my Redeemer. I will hide in the shadow of the wings of these truths - He is able, and He is for me.
Maturity, however, isn’t something I always have. It is something I work toward, something I mature into. It’s a process, not a destination. The fiery darts of the serpent come at us from all directions. Economic uncertainty, health scares, power grabs, relational strains, devious plots, besetting sins. To enter the fray, first I must be girded with the belt of truth. I must guard my heart with the breastplate of the righteousness of Christ. Then I will walk into the valley, into the darkness, into the battle, my feet shod in the gospel of peace. Then I will follow in His steps, for the Sower leads us.”
And I would add that meditating on the truths of Psalm 23 about my relationship with my Good Shepherd helps me to live in a way where my feelings and thoughts match the reality of my life as I follow Him every step of the way.
I love you and I love being your pastor!
