For His names sake"
Psalm 23:3
I awakened this morning thinking about this phrase "for His names sake". The descriptive phrase that came to my mind was "it is all about Him". The purpose of our lives is to glorify Him. The main message of these first three verses has been the Lordship of Christ. In order to glorify God we must allow Him to be intimately involved with our lives.
The Christian life is so much more than going to church on Sunday, and perhaps serving there in some capacity. It is a moment by moment experience of trusting Him. It is studying and memorizing His Word daily so that we might grow in our relationship with Him. It is praying without ceasing, a lifestyle of constant communication with Him about every decision we make and every situation we face. It is recognizing the needs of others and ministering to those needs.
We dont live that way out of necessity but because that is the way we are happiest and find true satisfaction. John Piper makes a statement in his book Let the Nations by Glad "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. And the supremacy of that glory shines most brightly when the satisfaction that we have in him endures in spite of suffering and pain in the mission of love."
We experience Gods love for us by allowing Him to be our Shepherd, by being willing to "lie down in the green pastures" and to be led "beside quiet waters", by letting Him restore our soul and guide us in paths of righteousness. Psalm 63:3 says that Gods "lovingkindness is better than life" itself. Psalm 16:11 says "You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forever."
I pray that you will realize that your moment by moment relationship with the Lord Jesus is the single most important aspect of your life because I know that as you truly comprehend that you will experience real joy and satisfaction.
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