Psalm 23 | Paula Wiseman

STT: Extremes

Something I've noticed in the course of reading and studying Scripture is how often we find extremes. By that I mean, when God says or does something, it is "all" or "none" or "every" or "never". Paying attention to those little words is tremendous food for the soul when you study.

Try it on familiar verses like Isaiah 53:6 - "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

All of us are sinners. I cannot justify or excuse what I think or do. I am part of that 'all'. All of us have rebelled and God laid the guilt, the consequences and the judgment on Jesus Christ. Not some, or even most. Every last one of us. No one is beyond the reach of Christ's blood.

Psalm 23:4 "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."

No evil. None. Not even the most terrifying, threatening, stomach-churning, heart-pounding evil. I will not fear it. That's mighty big faith… but He's a mighty big God who is there with rod and staff to comfort.

And one of my personal favorites- Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God"

Worry about NOTHING. Pray about EVERYTHING. There are no exclusions. Worry and anxiety are a sign that we don't believe God is in control. Of everything. Nothing has escaped His notice, and everything is part of His plan. But, none of our concerns are too small to bring Him. He is always ready and willing to hear our hearts.

So as you study and read this week, watch for extremes- all, nothing, everything, nothing, none, every … and be assured that God never does anything halfway.

(This is a re-post)

Study Tip: Like what?

Scripture contains dozens of abstract concepts and to help us understand them, the writers often use comparisons and contrasts with familiar items.

For example, Psalm 1 starts out describing how the righteous man doesn’t keep company with or follow the advice of the ungodly. Verse 3 says that he “shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither…” A tree planted by a river will have a steady source of nourishment. Therefore the plant can turn its energy into producing fruit. Then when the heat and drought of summer come on, the tree will be able to survive. By comparison, the righteous man has an abundant dependable source to draw his strength from. He’s productive and he’s able to withstand hard times.

In verse 4, the psalmist says “The ungodly are not so…” We could stop right there and have a good negative comparison. The ungodly have no source outside themselves. They can’t focus on being productive because they spend all there energy getting their needs met. When hard times come, they wither. However the psalmist goes on to say they “are like the chaff which the wind drives away.” Verse 5 gives us the key to the simile. The “ungodly shall not stand in the judgment.” The chaff is the husk that must be peeled away (beaten off) to get to the kernels of wheat. The chaff can’t protest, and its powerless against the wind. The ungodly won’t be able to protest God’s pronouncement against them, and must be driven away, leaving just Him and His wheat.

One of my favorite ‘like’ comparisons is Jeremiah 17 comparing the man who trusts in man to a ratty, scrubby bush in the desert. Jesus uses these comparisons in His parables- ‘The kingdom of heaven is like…’ Paul compares believers to a physical body.

Sometimes the comparison is made without the ‘like’. Psalm 23, for example, says the Lord is my shepherd. In other places, He’s called a Rock, a stronghold, and a shield.

When you see ‘like’ (or ‘as’) or if you see another comparison, stop and list some characteristics of the item in the comparison, whether it’s a tree, a sheep, a ship, a lamp or whatever. Then see how those insights apply.