Reckless Love

So where to start? ...

• Earlier this week I was driving to work and had Psalm 23 on my mind ... not surprisingly as it is a fairly well known Psalm.
  
• At work that afternoon I opened by Bible at lunch and found out that as I was re-reading through the Psalms, that I skipped 23 for some strange reason. Hmm.
  
• After I left work, I turned on a podcast and ... you guessed it ... was talking about Psalm 23.
  
• The next morning I wake up and grab my current devotional and it opens with Psalm 23.
  
• Later that day, and the following day, two more Psalm 23 references came across my life.
  

Wow ... OK God ... I hear you are trying to show me something, but what?

Well, let's rewind 18 months ... 

God took me from a spiritual desert, to deeper level of communion with Him than I've ever had. My journey started to spring forward, increase in momentum, and then we got to a place that broke me ... I went through some personal things, and had to shed ... God lovingly looked at me and said "I want you to come further - but that can't come with us anymore." ... and He proceeded to chisel me, sometimes painfully, into something closer to Him than where I was before.

So I started to move again ... but fear found me. The enemy arose in full force, and the father of lies placed in my heart a sense of fear that I had almost forgotten. Mind games tried to paralyze my walk ... and not just spiritually, but physically. I began to let go of things, including my health ... yet like Christian in the Pilgrims' Progress I kept pushing forward ... 

'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.'

That valley ... the shadow of death? I have no doubt that Satan wanted me ... well ... dead. Dead physically, dead spiritually ... whatever type of death he could inflict ... 

But you see ... my God? ... the Lord of Lords? The King of Kings? ... yeah well ... He had other plans for me ... and He knew very well this day was coming ... 

So while I walked in that valley, with wolves howling in the distance, I needed to learn not to fear again ... because in every step of that journey, He was indeed with me. His rod, His staff ... oh yes ... they prodded me, but they were indeed a comfort to me ... not just because they kept me on the proper path, but because I knew He also used that rod and staff to protect me from things I could and couldn't see ... 

I'm not really sure if I'm through the valley yet ... or if I'm just more aware of His sovereign rule and protection ... then again? What's the difference ... does it even matter?

I'm not on the scenic tour ... I'm just following my Lord ... 

So Psalm 23? ... I hear you God ... 

It was just a reminder wasn't it? Just a reminder ... of you're reckless love for me ... 

Yours,

~Matthew