Psalm 23 cont'd

So I'm up to verse 5a - 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...'

This lets me know that no matter what my situation, even if I am surrounded by enemies, God provides for me in a bountiful way. He makes sure that I take time out to be nourished even in the midst of battle.

More of Psalm 23 book

The top two pages have cut-outs that allow each side to show through. I'm already thinking that cut-outs are a pain in the neck! However, I am pushing on with them and hoping that the pages don't look too samey when they some of the same elements.

The valley of the shadow of death

How do you feel when the walls are closing in?

       ...when everything has gone dark?

       ...when the pressure is on?

       ...when in danger?

Your 'valley of the shadow of death' might not be life-threatening, but it still produces stress, fear, and worry. How comforting to know that we do not have to go through it alone. A few lines on in this psalm we will find that 'You are with me.'

Difficult things are always easier to face if there is someone with you. I feel so blessed to know that whatever I am facing, not only do I have my husband and daughter with me, but God is with me, holding my hand and taking away the fear. And when the fear persists, giving me the courage to do it anyway.

Thank You, Lord.

Names

This follows on from the previous page which you can see peeking through the circle on the left which says, "He leads me in paths of righteousness..." This page tells you why.

Names in the Bible held a lot of meaning. Lots of people had their name changed because of something they had done or something God was going to do for them. Abram (exalted father) became Abraham (father of a multitude) because he was the forefather of the Israelite nation.

When it talks about God doing something for His name's sake, it is talking about God's nature. Just look at some of the names of God: Almighty, the Lord my provider, the Lord eternal, the Lord is peace etc.. Because He is holy, He cannot lead us in paths other than those which are righteous.

Of course, we can choose not to follow.

paths

I've been thinking a lot about paths lately. I'm approaching an ending of sorts and am looking for the next direction to go in. I think I'll have a better idea after Monday. On Monday I'm giving my testimony at a Gideons International dinner. This is a huge deal for me. I hate standing up in front of crowds and speaking - I blush, stammer a little sometimes, lose my place, and generally feel incredibly nauseous. But I have come to a place in my journey where I know I have to do this; that the Lord has changed something in me and I need to act on it. Monday's dinner will be a turning point. I just don't know what I'll be turning towards. 

Serendipitously, I've reached the verse in Psalm 23 that talks about paths of righteousness. It's a comfort to me to know that wherever God is leading me, it will be on a righteous path.

Where is life leading you at the moment?

close-up of sheep and a tree that I was particularly pleased with :)

He restores my soul

After being led into green pastures - fed - and beside still waters - being given peace and quiet - He restores my soul. (Psalm 23:3a)

What does that mean?

I like to think about it like a phone or computer. We personalise them with photos, ringtones, address books, but at any point we can return them to the factory settings.

It's a bit like that with life. We live it, we become damaged, we wander away from the path we're supposed to be on. Having our soul restored by spending time with God is like being returned to factory settings - being straightened out and lined up with Him again.

Take time to have your soul restored today.

green pastures and still waters

Green pastures and still waters. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

Green pastures are like a banquet to a sheep. And sometimes they don't know when to stop. God makes us 'lie down' when we have had enough. He gives us time to digest.

And then he gives us peace and quiet to reflect and listen.

There are times when we need to stop and reflect on how far we have come and wait to see where we are to go next.

Psalm 23

'Want' is an interesting word. In this psalm it talks about not wanting. It isn't to do with not desiring, but not being in want. God knows what I need and makes sure that I have it.

It's just that sometimes what I think I need is different from God's idea of what I need.

At times like this, I must let go of what I want, trust that God knows what I need and go with it. It's not always easy. Sometimes the grass looks greener on the other side. Often we have to make the mistake of tasting it several times before we realise that, actually, what we have is exactly what we need.

So when there is something that you want, let God be the judge of whether it is actually what you need.

Psalm 23

I've started on a book on Psalm 23 to try to remove some 'sameness' from my pages. Here I've used colours that are not usual for me and hand lettering rather than stamps. The background is made with masking tape laid on in torn strips and then painted over.

I like the shape of the pages, too. It's funny how something as simple as a different shape or dimension can break you out of a rut.

I've also been busy making hand-bound journals for the women's retreat I'm leading on Saturday.

Blocked!

What do you do when you're blocked?

I don't mean that I'm not creating anything. At the moment I'm knitting, writing the programme and preparing the elements for a women's retreat, preparing to give my testimony at a dinner (aaaagggghhhh!), and writing some stories.

I'm not blocked completely. I just feel that my journal pages have become a little samey - I reach for the same media, the same colours, the same shapes.

I've reached the end of a particular part of the journey and not found the beginning of the next bit.

So I'm starting an art book on Psalm 23. I'm going to deliberately choose techniques and colours that I'm not that familiar with. I'm sifting through my books for inspiration and moving out of my comfort zone.

So what would you do?