As we begin this walk with our Shepherd, let me echo Mrs. George's first reflection. Where does life find you today? What season of life are you in?
~ Spring ~
"Are you in the early beginnings of life?
Are you tasting the joy of fresh starts
and taking your first steps as a Christian?"
~ Summer ~
"Or have you progressed along the way with the Lord to the place of wisdom,
of a blossoming knowledge of the One you walk with?"
~ Fall ~
"Or is yours a fast-paced, terrific season
of tremendous fruit-bearing, of harvest,
of reaping profusely from the benefits
that come from a close, sustained walk with God over time?"
~ Winter~
"Or are you experiencing endings
that for the first time seem to have no new beginnings?
Are you being pressed to adjust to a new path
that leads in directions you did not anticipate or choose?
Are you approaching the next bend in the path with some measure of fear?"
Sisters, isn't it comforting to know that whatever season we're in, we're blessed because "we have the Lord ~ and his promises ~ as a shepherd for all seasons!"
As you know, David is the main author of the Psalms. It's interesting to note that in his life, he experienced these seasons:
Refreshing seasons of youth and maturity
A season of rejection ~ He was expelled from his home and throne.
A season of fear ~ He had to flee from Saul's murderous intentions.
A season of discouragement ~ He had been anointed as King, yet was considered a fugitive.
A season of disappointment ~ God wouldn't allow him to build the temple.
A season of heartbreak ~ He suffered the death of his infant son and witnessed strife, division and death among his children.
Mrs. George writes, "What's true in music is also true of David: On any stringed instrument, it's the strings that are strung the tightest that emit the sweetest music and play the sweetest songs. Yes, only someone who had experienced life and its hardships could have written the Twenty-third Psalm."
David was a man of great faith. He is an ancestor of Jesus Christ, and beloved of God. In fact, God describes David as "a man after My own heart, who will do all My will." (Acts 13:22) David is also listed in Hebrews 11's "Hall of Faith".
David was also a man of great failure. We all know that he not only committed adultery with Bathsheba, but also arranged for the murder of her husband, Uriah (2 Samuel 11). He also directly disobeyed God by taking a census of the people (2 Samuel 24).
What is so encouraging to me is that no matter how bad David messed up, God never gave up on him ~ never wrote him off. Why is that? Here are lessons we can learn from God's beloved.
1. David admitted his failures. Once the prophet Nathan confronted David of his sin, David confessed it. He said, "I have sinned against the Lord." Psalm 51 is a beautiful prayer of his confession and desire to be forgiven to restore his relationship with God. After he confessed his sin, the joy of his salvation was restored and his sins were washed whiter than snow!
2. David suffered sin's consequences. Although God forgave David, he had to pay a price for his disobedience. His baby died, his son betrayed him and his family was divided. Although you can remove nails from a board, the nail holes ~ the scars still remain.
3. David went on. After the death of his child, "David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into to house of the Lord and worshiped... and he ate" (2 Samuel 12:20). It's interesting to see that David harbored no bitterness towards God, either. He accepted the responsibility for his wrong doings. (Read Psalm 51:3-4) He owned his sin and considered the Lord to be "gracious.. and righteous; yes... [and] merciful" (Psalm 116:5).
David shows us a pattern for our spiritual growth. Our role as a Christian is rise up and go on. God's role is to sustain us along the way... and He promises to do just that!
Sister, let's lift up our praise to God, rise up, and go on our journey with the Lord. Let's "taste and see that the Lord is good" as we see 12 of His precious promises in this brief psalm of encouragement and refreshment.
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