Psalm 23 - He Has Your Back

I said to a friend of mine today as we sat down to eat, “I’ve got your back.” Do you know who really has your back? God does! The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23 NIV God is my Shepherd and He is always watching over me (lie down in green pastures). Nothing happens to me that He isn’t aware of. As a young man I was in places I shouldn’t have been at doing things I shouldn’t do (dark valleys) – still He watched over me. God is my shepherd and He always provides for me (He refreshes my soul). Not a day passes that He doesn’t provide what I need in the way of food, shelter and the necessities of life. God is my Shepherd and He directs my life (the right paths). His rod and staff keep me in line and on those paths. God has my back – well, He has all of my life. As Jesus said, “He holds us in the palm of His hand and no man can pluck us out of it”.

Can't Never Could

I tried to teach my son that a job worth doing was worth doing right. As I was teaching him this I never knew if it would take but years later – yep, he got it. And I can say I am proud of the work my son does. Our Father wants to be proud of the work we do for Him. 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15 (NIV) “let nothing move you. Give yourself fully to the work of the Lord” Let me urge you take serious the work God calls you to do. Let nothing get in your way and go at it whole-hearted. “Go ye therefore teaching, making disciples, baptizing!” this is the work God gives to each of us. You know the old saying, “Can’t never could no nothing!” Well, God has equipped you and prepared you and you CAN do it. Make Him proud of you for the work you do for the Lord.

Demons Are Losers

The largest creatures on earth live in the oceans. Blue whales grow to 90 feet in length and weigh over 80,000 pounds. Hard to believe but so are some of the things of the "supernatural". And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Acts 19:15 NIV Yes there are spirits - but - there are no ghosts. In the verse above an evil spirit that inhabits a human says to the false prophet, "Jesus I know and Paul but I don't know you." Think about that, the Bible declares there are "supernatural" beings that are evil. One thing that can never, ever, happen to you is to be taken over by an evil spirit. Believers (those born-again of the Holy Spirit) are protected from evil spirits. They can not harm you for the Holy Spirit is more powerful than all of them combined. You are safe if you are a believer - Amen! All around us every day there are battles between God's Heavenly host and the Devil's demons. Every battle is won by God's Heavenly host. All those movies showing angels losing are just the foolish imagination of non-believers. God never loses a fight. Do not be afraid because God is greater than any who oppose Him. God never loses! When you stand with God you stand with the Winner.

Books and Friends

Howard "Buck" Richardson wrote a book. His book MY LIFE RETOLD is a collection of short remembrances about events in his life. It is a wonderful thing to set down in print the moments of your life for members of your family. We are who we are because of the people in our lives and the things that happen to us. Every event changes us a little. Every person we encounter leaves an imprint. I was glad to put Buck's book together and to publish it for him on Amazon. You can order a copy by going to Amazon.com and searching for Howard Richardson My Life Retold. If you would like me to help you with a similar project you can go to my website perrycomer.com and click on the email address.

The Farmer

I've never desired to be a farmer. As a boy I experienced the hard work of the farming life and felt there had to be an easier way to make a living. I was wrong on two counts just as perhaps your are. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Mark 4:13,14 NIV To follow Jesus is to be like Jesus. Sowing seeds was His work on Earth and it is our work here on Earth. Like I said, I was wrong on two counts and I feel you are too. We are farmers, sowers of seeds, which is our life's work. As we follow the Lord we are to do as He did, sow the seeds but not just any seeds - The Word of God! Faith is not a possession to be held to one's breast like a precious talisman protecting one from evil. No, it doesn't belong to anyone of us but it is a gift to be shared - to be sown. As you go about your life today, count how many seeds you sow. Some will fall on thorny ground, some among weeds but just as Jesus sowed His seeds among the rocks, hard-headed people like me, so too are you to be sowing the seeds of God's Word - faith. We are to scatter the seeds not hold onto them and don't worry about if they spout or not - that's God's department. Our task is to sow seeds today and everyday.

What I have is mine and nobody can have it! Sounds childish don't it? There are so many adults who think this way and live this way. They don't acknowledge the verse below. The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. Psalm 24:1 The verse reminds me, and hopefully you, that all that exists is here because God created it. He owns not just the cattle on a thousand hills but all the hills, valleys and the seas. He owns me. Ownership might bug you and you want to to own yourself but think about that for a moment. If you owned you, then you would be so terribly alone. You would spend eternity isolated and alone. Many times I have written that we are made for eternity for God has placed eternity in our souls. Being alone is a terrible thing. It is better to belong to God than to belong to self. When you belong to God then you belong to a vast family. Your church family is more than a gathering of people it is the gathering of brothers and sisters who love each other, pray for each other and desire each other's company. I belong to God and to His family and I am never alone. It is my choice and nobody makes me. It is far better to be in the hollow of His hand than to be fearful of His hand.

When is enough enough? That all depends on what we are talking about. A high school basketball game of 8 to 88 is a bit too great a difference to brag on. A baseball score of 1 to 0 means a boring game. But what about when is enough as enough living for Jesus? 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:12-14 Are you where you want to be in your walk with the Lord? Paul said (after seven years of study and all that he had been through) "I have not attained and I still press on". He was actively engaged in pursuing to be more like Jesus. He was not contend to follow at a distance or to say, "well I'm saved and that's enough". No, he pressed on, he was enthusiastic, he was searching for that peral of great price; that lost coin. Let us not become complacent and not settle for what we have attained. There is so much more joy and more life waiting for us. Press on. We can never get "enough" Jesus.

I Belong To God

What I have is mine and nobody can have it! Sounds childish don't it? There are so many adults who think this way and live this way. They don't acknowledge the verse below. The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. Psalm 24:1 The verse reminds me, and hopefully you, that all that exists is here because God created it. He owns not just the cattle on a thousand hills but all the hills, valleys and the seas. He owns me. Ownership might bug you and you want to to own yourself but think about that for a moment. If you owned you, then you would be so terribly alone. You would spend eternity isolated and alone. Many times I have written that we are made for eternity for God has placed eternity in our souls. Being alone is a terrible thing. It is better to belong to God than to belong to self. When you belong to God then you belong to a vast family. Your church family is more than a gathering of people it is the gathering of brothers and sisters who love each other, pray for each other and desire each other's company. I belong to God and to His family and I am never alone. It is my choice and nobody makes me. It is far better to be in the hollow of His hand than to be fearful of His hand.

Where is the power, is it in the thunder? Or is it in the lightening? The true power is unseen and unheard for it is the interaction f tiny particles - electrons and neutrons? What of God? 15 Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. 16 All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. Isaiah 45:15-16 English Standard Version (ESV) There are those who refuse to believe for they say if God existed there would be scientific provable evidence. One as powerful as the God proclaimed by the Hebrews and those foolish Christians would make Himself known with indisputable fact. He would have no need to hide for He would be no match for the mere mortals He created. Why does God hide? For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Rom. 1:17 (KJV) Which does God desire, to be feared and hated or loved and adored? God does not reveal Himself in these days as He did in times past because in those times past (before the flood, during Sodom and Gomorrah, the exodus) He was feared and hated for He dared to show His power. In these present days He has come to us as a baby to grow up among men and show men as well as teach them that He loves and desires love. He says we should trust in His love and not in His power. His kingdom is of the heart (soul) not of His arm (might). Is He the God who hides? Is He weak? No, He reveals His power in His love for you. You are more precious to Him than conquered worlds or slaves bent by the lash. It is for this reason that He died for your sins. Every time that you see the flash of lightening or the roll of thunder, think of the unseen power of God who loves you.

A little sin makes a person human. At least that is what some people believe. Even some preachers say that a little sin is necessary to keep you humble. Sin has become an out-dated thing to be pitched from modern society like blue-laws. Mis-deeds, mistakes are better words than sin. Even the old standby of “everybody” does is are preferable to labeling moral failure sin. So, just how bad is sin? 1 Pet 2:24 (ESV) "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness." If sin is NOT so bad, then why the severe punishment of Adam and Eve? Banishment and the SIN nature past to posterity…for disobeying one rule? If sin is NOT so bad then why the concern about Cain’s murder of Abel? …he was just “acting out” in response to God’s dissatisfaction with his sacrifice? If sin is not so bad, why did God give Israel the Law? Why did Israel wander for 40 years in the wilderness? …perhaps the 10 spies had a low self esteem...hence their fear of the Canaanite enemy? If sin is not so bad, then why did Achan’s whole family perish with him? Why did God take the kingdom away from Saul? …it was just some extra sheep they took for sacrifices… If sin is not so bad, then why the DEATH of Ananias and Saphira for misspeaking? Why the countless animal sacrifices in the OT? Sin is so bad that an innocent man died on a tree to remove it from your life!

New York Giants fans are very pleased tonight because their team won. Each fan feels like a winner but not a single fan played in the game. You are part of a winning team, you aren’t sitting in the stands eating hotdogs, but you are engaged in the action. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Cor. 12:27 (NIV) We are the Body of Christ, the Church, and we share in the victory of Christ over death and sin. The scoreboard shows us as the winner. Jesus rose from the grave and defeated death and the penalty of sin. He gave that hard-won victory to those who will believe in Him, the church. As the New York Giant fans celebrate let us remember that every Sunday is our celebration day. We share in the victory and therefore celebrate with each other in God’s house. “See what God has done! Amen!” Today may be one of the worst days of your life and you may have tears. Just remember that the score is already posted, verified and in the record books – The Lamb Wins. Your Heavenly Father loves you and has your home prepared. Today is just a day in the journey so pass through it with your head high and your faith intact for you share in the victory of all victories.

Do you know what muscle memory is? Professional athletes are what they are because they train their bodies to do the same motion without thinking about. Take a tennis player, they swing the racket the same way every time they serve the ball. They pitch the ball the same height every time, the racket meets the ball the same every time. The only way this is possible is for them to do the same motion hundreds of thousands of times over years of practice. They do have natural ability but their muscles have to “remember” those motions. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:17 (NIV) Jesus told us what we needed to know about doing God’s will. He taught His disciples. He set the example. He taught them how to pray. He explained what we are to do in Matt. 28:18-20. (Look it up it you don’t know it) Accepting Jesus is a one-time action in your life. Becoming His disciple is a life long training program. “Now that you know these things ….. you will be blessed if YOU DO THEM.” Believe it or not He has already told you what God’s Will is for you life and it isn’t some secret knowledge. In exercise it is called “repetition” or doing “reps”. Doing the same thing over and over until it becomes second nature. Hey, Jesus said, “Be born again” and Paul taught that that new birth brings a “new nature”. Doing the things Jesus told us to do over and over and over will make that new nature the one nature you live by. “Now that you know these things!”

There are many heart-warming stories about dogs that have lain on the graves of their owners. Loyalty is one of the most admirable qualities in not just dogs but humans. There is nothing that warms our hearts more than having a friend remain loyal when all others turn away. But the Lord stayed with me. The Lord gave me strength so that I could tell the Good News everywhere. He wanted all those who are not Jews to hear that Good News. So I was saved from the lion’s mouth. 2 Tim 4:17 “But the Lord stayed with me.” Paul’s comfort while enduring prison was “Jesus, the Lord”. We read in other verses where disciples and friends abandoned Paul. One, turned back into the world and I’m sure that was hard for Paul to take. “But the Lord stayed” with him. Of this we can be sure – “the Lord will stay” when others leave. You never have to feel that you are alone or that no one cares for your soul. Jesus will stay with you.