I have been reading Psalms and a couple days ago I read Psalm 23. I have read this chapter before. It is one of those that you memorize in Sunday School as a child and it is one that you hear at just about every funeral you go to. But reading this chapter this time, I saw it in a whole new light. The chapter is about God and who He is. It is about what He gives us in the relationship we have with Him.
Psalm 23:1 identifies "The Lord is my shepherd." "Sheep are dependent on the shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection" (Life Application Bible, p848). That's what we are to do - depend on our Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20) or Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) for provision, guidance and protection. The second part of verse 1 is so important. It gives us hope when it says "I shall not be in want." So if we depend on God for provision, guidance and protection then we will not want. God will provide! What more could we ask for?
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields. They are ripe for harvest. (John 4:34-35)
"God ordains divine appointments for each of us who will let Him work through us. In God's planning, we will experience opportunities to witness to strangers and casual acquaintances" (The Local Church in Evangelism, p121). God sets up and gives us opportunities to share our stories, share His story and to pray with people, but we have to be sensitive to when those situations happen. We have to be aware that those situations are happening. We need to take that step of faith and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
There is an old saying - "Opportunity doesn't knock twice." This is so true. Every opportunity is unique because people and circumstances are different. Therefore we cannot get those opportunities back. I can think of three opportunities I have missed. Three times that I still think about today where the outcome could have been different. Three times when I could have reached out to someone else in their time of need.
There is another saying - "Hindsight is twenty-twenty." That is true for these three opportunities. I did not see them at the time or I was not confident in the prodding I received from the Holy Spirit. But I saw them after. I felt the lost for not reaching out. I have also learned from these that "we need to be spiritually alert to seize opportunities" (p121). Colossians 4:2 says "Devote yourselves to prayer being watchful and thankful." We need to be watchful for those opportunities to seize. We need to work on our foresight being twenty-twenty instead of our hindsight. We also need to pray for those opportunities. "Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ (Colossians 4:3).
So slow down and be watchful for those divine appointments to seize so you will not carry those regrets later.
This week in class part of what we read and talked about was motivation for evangelism. The opening question of the chapter was "Why don't more Christians tell others about Jesus Christ?" The answer was "For most people, the problem is lack of confidence" (The Local Church in Evangelism, p135). I can understand that answer. I am not a "people-person," an extrovert, outgoing, or whatever else you want to call it. I am afraid to step out there where people are concerned. I am afraid of standing out; I want to blend in. I am not sure where it comes from but it is there. Talking to people (strangers especially), making small talk is something I rely on God to help me with - to get me through. I feel inadequate and intimidated about talking to people, let alone sharing Christ with them. I fear not being an effective witness for Christ.
The confidence with which the first Christians shared the message of Christ was not based on their own persuasive ability. It came from knowing who Jesus is, their understanding of what God was doing, and the power of the Holy Spirit (p135).
I am confident in who Jesus is, I understand what God does and the power of the Holy Spirit. I am confident that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. That He died for me. That He loves me and wants the best for me. He gets me through every day, every minute and every moment. He gives me the strength and power to do all He has for me to do.
So if I have confidence in Jesus and I rely on Him for everything that I do, why do I lack confidence? Why am I afraid? We talked in class about being politically correct. We talked about how we become afraid because we might offend. I think this is were my lack of confidence comes from. Not only am I afraid of embarrassing myself, I am afraid of offending others. But aren't I offending Jesus when I do not share? Don't I offend Him when I am not obedient to His leading to share?
One thing that I have learned through this study is that all I have to do is share who Jesus is and what He has done for me. Those are my thoughts that people can take or leave. They are not given to offend but shared to encourage. My part is not the hard part. I am not the one who has to persuade or convince - that is the Holy Spirit's job. My job is to be confident in Him, to share, and to be obedient to Jesus Christ.
Above all, believers need to be reminded that God is the One who saves people. The Holy Spirit is the One who convinces of sin. Jesus is the One who builds His church. We simply take part in the work God is doing in people's lives (p149).
