Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valey of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely good ness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

In today's hectic world, how could anyone not love that psalm? It talks of peace, security, fulfillment...all the things that to many, seem so elusive and out of reach. An unknown author once said,

"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."

That is the peace that God gives. Isaiah calls Christ the "Prince of Peace."

God knew way before man what stress does to the body. Many of the laws given to Isreal were not intended to keep them from evil, but rather to improve their health. Want to lower your cholesterol...lose weight...at risk for heart attack? Seek out a healthy spiritual diet as well as a physical one. As Jesus said to the devil, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Let God fill you with His peace.

Jesus, Take the Wheel

Jesus take the wheel Take it from my hands Cause I can't do this all on my own I'm letting go So give me one more chance To save me from this road I'm on Jesus take the wheel

While I was driving down Interstate 8 this morning on my way to exchange the little Nissan rental car that got rear ended on Shelly's way to work, I was in a pretty bad state. I was frustrated, angry, sad, disappointed, and many more. On top of wrecking my car last night, why had this now happened today?

It was at this moment that Carrie Underwood's new song, 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' came on the radio. It was a gentle reminder that in the midst of all our trials and tribulations, God is in control.

Just like the woman in the song, many people reach out to God in their most desperate times, but in my own personal experience, I've learned that those are the times that God reaches out to me. Everytime I feel defeated, burdened or at the end of my rope, God reaches out to me to remind me that He has a plan and it's all in His hands.

God reaches out to you, too. Paul calls Him "the God of patience and consolation." When you're in your deepest, darkest moments, He'll be there. Encouraging and uplifting you. Sometimes, you just have to know where to look. Who knows...maybe all this happened just so God could remind me that He is in control?