CHN Newsletter May 2004

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” (Psalm 23:2)

May 2004

Dear Friend,

Trusting that all is well with you and your loved ones. We are all fine, and praising God for His marvelous works! I am sure that I can speak for everyone on the East coast, when I welcome in Springtime! Glory to God! Winter is past, and God makes all things new again.

This winter has been a challenge to us, aside from normal everyday events. When we turned on our TV, news reporters were quick to tell us about our record cold weather, snows, ice, earthquakes, world events, acts of terrorism, and war. Liberal politicians are fighting for laws to be made to fit the agenda of the ungodly; they are saying that what is right is wrong, and what is wrong is right. Surely, we can look forward to Jesus’s soon return!

I love the 23^rd Psalm. Whenever I feel overwhelmed by life, one of my favorite things to do is to make myself a nice hot cup of coffee with a dash of cinnamon, curl up on my favorite chair, and meditate on the Word of God. The 23^rd Psalm is calming as it reminds us that we are not alone when feeling anxious or weary.

Let us look at a shepherd, and how he tends his sheep. He will start the sheep grazing about 4:00 AM, and as they graze they are never still, they are always moving. Can you identify with this? I know I can. There are days when we barely say “good morning” to someone, and then we keep going about our day nonstop. By 10:00AM when the sun is strongest, the sheep get hot and thirsty, but the wise shepherd knows not to give them water when they are hot, or when their stomach is filled with undigested grass. So he makes them lie down in green pastures, where it is cool and soft. The sheep will not eat lying down, so it chews its cud, which is nature’s way of digestion.

Sometimes God will allow circumstances to occur that will force us to lie down and rest, and those times could be turned into wonderful experiences if we allow them to be. We are so bombarded with news and events, that daily restoration is a necessity in order to feel healthy in our spirit, mind and body. Unless we take that time to be still before Him, we can become anxious, worried, or even ill. As we rest, He tells us not to lose heart, that He is working everything out for our good, if we will step back and allow Him to do so. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing; yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor.4:16). We all need to be refreshed and encouraged as we walk this path of life.

When we hear about the events going on around us, we can call upon Jesus to help ease our anxieties, and He is always faithful to do just that. He will “make me to lie down in green pastures.” As we draw apart to rest and reflect upon Him, we will be refreshed. For a minute, think of a warm spring day, with gentle breezes, clouds gently passing by, and birds chirping their songs. Can you smell the fragrance in the air? The sweet smell of flowers, and grass, and trees? Take a deep breath, and enjoy the moment... This is what happens in our spirit and soul when we allow Him to make us lie down in green pastures. We find ourselves in another realm where there is refreshment, joy, love, and hope. Daily, quiet meditation helps us to enter into the joy of the Lord. It helps us to refocus our attention to the Lifter of our soul. It is a taste of what heaven must be like!

It is sometimes difficult to quiet ourselves enough to meditate, but with discipline, we can do it, and gradually it will become second nature to us. Praying the Bible out loud helps to focus in on the Lord. We can begin by praying the prayers in Ephesians 1:16-20, or 3:14-21, and place our name or the names of people we are praying for in there. If it helps, walk around while praying out loud. This will let you know when you have stopped praying, and will force you to refocus again!

I heartily recommend the book, “The Book of Prayers” adapted from the NIV version, Wesley & Stacey Campbell. This book will introduce you to praying the Scriptures, and will give you insights regarding how to pray for life situations, and it is directly from the Word of God. Doing this faithfully helps to get our mind off of ourselves or off our problems, because once we place our concerns in God’s hands, we can begin to relax and focus in on Who He is. We can quiet ourselves and be still. God says “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). Once we have reached the point of submission to God, we can sit, lie down, lie prostrate before Him, whatever position makes us comfortable, and just be still before Him. It is at this point that God can speak to us! He waits and yearns for this! He wants the attention of His children so that He can reveal Himself to them. Isn’t this what you want? Isn’t this what your heart yearns for too? To be still before Almighty God, and hear what He would have to say should be the innermost desire of every believer. It should be what we live for!

God created you and me for His pleasure. Our purpose is to know Him, love Him, serve Him, and enjoy eternal life with Him forever. It pleasures Him when we want that relationship with Him. It pleasures Him when we focus on our purpose, and when we choose to spend our life here, and in eternity loving Him. We can begin eternity now by changing the way we live, and making Him our All in All.