By Stephen Leonard
“The Lord is MY shepherd, I shall not want. He makes ME lie down in green pastures. He leads ME beside still waters. He restores MY soul. He leads ME in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even 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.” Psalm 23:1-4
The Church of Jesus Christ is a group affair. It is made up of men, women, and children of every race, language, family, nation. A people who worship the same God, love the same Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fellowship with brothers and sisters, together, in Him. With all believers you ARE the Bride of Christ, the family of God, all born of the Spirit.
Yet, you are a solitary entity. A separate soul. An eternal person from before the foundation of the earth and to all eternity, in and of yourself. And if all loved ones, friends, family were stripped from you, you would still find your life in the God of all love. You and God!
If you do not have that intimate relationship which flourishes even when you are all alone, conversing constantly and intimately, solitarily luxuriating in His love, then you are not held in His bosom with His everlasting arms as His inseparable child. You must have a living relationship with Him which needs no others!
Others are a fact and truth of being a part of the family of God. But just as you have an intimate relationship with your human mother or father which doesn’t always require brothers or sisters, so do you have a give and take relationship with your Heavenly Father. In fact, His is more constant than theirs because He never leaves you or forsakes you. When you sleep He never slumbers!
He is always with you, in all your life, everywhere. He is with you in the valley of the shadow of death. Both in your life and in your death you are the loved one of God. You are never ever alone where God is concerned.
Insure your relationship with God reflects this precious truth. Insure it is vital and always increasing in its intimacy and magnificence. You, yourself, are the child of the Father, the redeemed of the Son, and the guaranteed of the Spirit. Such must be YOUR faith!
Encouragement
“What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.”
(3rd verse of Elisha Hoffman’s hymn, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” 1887)
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