From Darkness to Light

I Will Fear No Evil?

Written in Guatemala

July 16, 2006

Two weeks ago in Guatemala, I woke up one morning thinking about the 23rd Psalm. But I couldn’t get past the first verse:

Ps 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. It just sounded too simple. The Lord is the shepherd and I am one of his sheep. I follow him; he takes care of me. I follow him. He leads me and I simply follow. I don’t plot the course or make the plan. That’s the shepherd’s job. And he does it well. So I don’t need to be concerned. I shall not want. I have food and I have water; he sees to it. In Spanish the translation is, "I lack nothing." Because he sees to it.

I thought about this over and over and was struck by the simplicity of the statement. But what’s new? It’s like Proverbs 3:5– "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding." We just don’t do this very well. But we should. We should trust without the need to understand how and when. It’s like the story of David and Goliath.

1Sa 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine (Goliath), Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD…

Let’s say, you’re going up against a 9 foot tall giant. Would you rather have a sword and a spear and a shield or… the name of the Lord? Here’s how I wrote about it on the web site:

The story is simple. The Israelites were on one side and the Philistines on the other. There was to be a great fight. But on the Philistines side was a champion named Goliath, who just happened to be a giant. And rather than fight army against army Goliath issued this challenge:

1 Sa 17:10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

So here’s our first decision using human wisdom. Who do you select from the Israelites to fight Goliath? Your choices?

1) SAUL?
…Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites– a head taller than any of the others …Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. He fought valiantly and defeated all ….

2) DAVID?
…David is … the youngest son …is tending the sheep… He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features…who knows how to play the harp.

Conventional wisdom answer? Of course, it would be Saul. But not with God. He wants David.

Read about it here: http://guatemalago.org/id64.html

Anyway, David relied on the Lord and the Lord delivered him. You know the rest of the story. Young boy defeats warrior giant. Impossible? Yes, by our way of thinking. With God? No problem.

Trust in the Lord…

I shall not want…

Here’s another verse to solidify this thought:

Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

Who can possibly walk in the dark with no light? Those who trust in the Lord and rely on him. As Proverbs 3:6 tells us, "in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." Even in the dark when we can’t see, when earthly wisdom doesn’t know how to proceed. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

But what about those who say God gave us a brain and we should use it. What about our personal responsibility to act? Shouldn’t we try to figure things out and fix them? God’s instructions in Isaiah chapter 50 verse 10 above is, "let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord… “ Read the verse below, verse 51 which describes those who take care of "themselves":

Isaiah 50:11 But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.

Follow the shepherd, trust in the Lord? Or provide ourselves with flaming torches so that we can walk in the light of our own fires?

It’s not good to play with matches!

From our darkness to His Light!

Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

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