Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

April 28
Sunday


TERRIFYING
MOMENTS

READ:
Psalm 23
_____________________________________________________________________

Yea, 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 23:4
______________________________________________________________________

When our first child was born, my wife, Marlene, was in labor for more than 30 hours, creating tremendous stress for both her and the baby. The doctor, a fill-in for her regular physician, was unfamiliar with her and her pregnancy. As a result, he waited too long to make the decision to perform an emergency Caesarean section, and the resulting trauma put our infant son in the neo-natal intensive care unit. There was nothing they could do to help our baby to overcome his trauma-induced condition.

By God's grace, Matt recovered__but I cannot remember any moment in my life as terrifying as when I stood by his crib in intensive care. Yet I knew the Lord was near as I talked with Him through prayer.

In the terrifying moments of life (and all the other moments as well) nothing can bring comfort to the hurting heart like the reality of God's presence and care. The psalmist David wrote, "Yea, 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" (Ps. 23:4).

When fear is overwhelming, the Lord is there. His comforting presence will carry us through our deepest trials.

__Bill Crowder

```````````````````When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,`````````````````````
``````````````````````When sorrows like sea billows roll__`````````````````````````
`````````````````Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,``````````````````````
````````````````"It is well, it is well with my soul." __spafford`````````````````````
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Peace is the presence of God.

**********************Today's Bible Reading __ Psalm 23***************************

1 The LORD is my
shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down
in green pastures; He leads
me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul; He
leads me in the paths of
righteousness for His
name's sake. 4 Yea, 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.

5 You prepare a table
before me in the presence
of my enemies; You anoint
my head with oil; my cup
runs over.

6 Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life; and I
will dwell in the house of
the LORD forever.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

David was not the first to use the shepherd-sheep metaphor.
Hundreds of years before, Jacob testified that God had been "my
shepherd all my life" (Gen. 48:15 NIV). Psalm 23, although the most
famous, is not the only psalm that has the shepherd-sheep metaphor.
Many other psalms speak of God as a shepherd who leads His
people. The prophets also speak of God in this way (Isa. 40:11; Ezek.
34:12,31). Hundreds of years later, Jesus declared Himself to be
the Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14). He is also the Great Shepherd
(Heb. 13:20) and the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). John envisioned
the Lamb of God as a shepherd leading the sheep to "living
fountains of waters" (Rev. 7:17).