He Refreshes my Soul
Psalms 23:1-3 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
John 10:1-5 1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
“What a day I’m having, what a day I’m having!” The 1984 movie, “Splash,” featured Eugene Levy in a supporting role in which there were several instances that saw him in precarious circumstances and he uttered the above lines. Well, this morning as we were driving to the dentist we hit a slick spot and, despite maneuvering, we plunged down a ravine. Thankfully, the car stopped less than a foot from a tree and we were surrounded by underbrush and other foliage.
My dentist drove to the site of the mishap, took me to his office where he completed the procedure, and Larry waited in the car for a tow-truck. Although Dr, Moudy was indisputably our hero, I was reminded that “The Lord is my Shepherd.” When we finally arrived home, we took a few ragged breaths and thanked God for His protection.
It occurred to me that even Christ followers are sometimes unaware of just how close we come to veering off our chosen path. Thankfully, our Good Shepherd is never far away, and we can always be comforted by His presence, even as we navigate the pitfalls of this life.
May we keep our eyes on the Shepherd and be grateful each day for His loving kindness.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
You are my Rock
Psalms 28:1-2 Psalm 28
Of David.
1 To you, LORD, I call;
you are my Rock,
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.
When we approach the time in our lives when all we can do is cry for mercy, to whom do we cry out? Regardless of the depth of my needs, I cry out to my God. For it is then that I know that He will answer me, it is then I know He will save me.
How can I be so sure of God’s salvation? Because He has not failed me ever. He is my inspiration, my actual heartbeat. He is faithful and He is constant.
When I feel like I have wandered away from the pathway of holiness, I need but one thing, and that is to hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit, drawing me back, welcoming me home. Do not be discouraged.
May we stay so in tune with God that we are one in the Spirit.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Memorial Day, 2026
John 15:9-13 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends .
Today is Memorial Day, a holiday established during the Civil War to remember those fallen during service to their country. It is celebrated by barbecues, picnics and parades. But more important than the festivities are the moments where we honor those who gave their lives to protect our freedom.
May we give our deepest respect to those whose blood was shed for our liberty, and may we never forget the blood shed on Calvary for our redemption from sin and shame.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. A
Call me Mara
Ruth 1:19-22 (NKJV) 19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest
I wonder when we began blaming all of our troubles on God. We can go all the way back to the Garden of Eden when Adam said in Genesis 3:12 (NKJV) 12, ( …The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
Naomi, instead of having some measure of happiness at being home, answered her friends’ inquiries by saying that God had dealt harshly with her. We need to realize that it is not God who causes suffering, but instead it is the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10), He works relentlessly to steal our hope, kill our joy, and destroy our witness. But we have the power to prevent this!
We have been given mighty weapons to fight against the enemy. First, we have the armor of God found in Ephesians 6:12-18 (NKJV) 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Secondly, God has placed people around us to stand in the gap for us when we are too weak to function alone. And finally, we each have the power of the Holy Spirit upon whom we can call night or day.
May we remain strong in the Lord and be of good courage as we go forward in the battle today and every day.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Loyalty of Ruth
Ruth 1:12-17 (ASV) If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons; 13 would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.
15 And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god: return thou after thy sister-in-law. 16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; 17 where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me
How much do I love this account of Ruth, the Moabite woman who accompanied her mother-in-law to Bethlehem after their husbands died? There is a stark contrast between Naomi and Ruth. Naomi was more than sorrowful at the loss of her husband and sons. She was forlorn and bitter thinking God had turned against her. But God had a plan.
Naomi’s daughter-in-law Orpah was convinced to return to her own mother while Ruth uttered some of the most beautiful words in the Bible. “..,for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;” Ruth demonstrates a loyalty that few can mimic, for this kind of love requires sacrifice.
When God calls us to sacrifice, may we do as Ruth did, without grumbling, but instead, may the joy of the Lord be our strength as we walk the pathway designed just for us. And may we share the name of Jesus with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 