DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MISSING?

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23:5-6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Why would anyone not choose to submit their life and follow God, accepting the eternal salvation promise offered in love through belief and trust in His Son Jesus?

Maybe it is because they would rather rule their own life and do what they want to do, balking at the restrictive commands and demands God places on His followers.

Or maybe it is because they are not knowledgeable about the benefits that comes with a life of obedience to God’s will and professing faith in His Son as Savior. In other words, they don’t know what they’re missing.

Thanks be to God for His holy word that instructs and guides us, that ensures we have no excuse to not know what we’re missing. Just look at the closing words from David in the 23rd Psalm:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

David, a member of the flock of the good Shepherd, realized that he gained more than direction, peace, and safety from his faith and trust in the Lord. Here’s what else he received:

1. Protection in the face of adversity: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

It would have been enough for the Lord to provide David with a meal to sustain him but that wasn’t enough. No, God would provide a meal for David in the presence of his enemies. In other words, David could feast in peace with his enemies watching on in hunger knowing that God was with him. Truly, as the scriptures promise, if God is for us, who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31)

2. Favor and honor: “You anoint my head with oil”

To be anointed by God is to be set apart, selected for His work. David knew well what it was to be anointed as he received the oil of anointing poured on his head by Samuel, the young shepherd boy chosen, favored, and honored by God to be king (1 Samuel 16:12-13). Today, God still sets apart people for special purposes, to lead and guide His people toward fulfilling His will and way. He “anoints” us with unique gifts and talents to do this and we are to be ever using them to His glory.

3. Blessings: “my cup overflows.”

My mother used to always tell me to “count my blessings and when I finished, start counting again.” Her point was that if we always keep account of how much God has blessed us, we’ll never lose sight of His goodness and provision. David realized how much God had blessed him and saw his cup as overflowing. We will see it that way as well if we truly consider all God has done for us.

4. Goodness: “Surely Your goodness will follow me all the days of my life.”

Who is good? No one but God. Jesus told us this (Mark 10:18). And so if we hope to be good in any way, it has to be through God’s goodness working in and through us. And when we submit our lives to Him and vow to stay obedient to His word and way, then something awesome happens. His goodness will follow us all the days of our lives, just as it did for David.

5. Love: “Surely Your love will follow me all the days of my life.”

We all have an innate desire to be loved. Sometimes it is hard to find in this world we live in. That’s why we need a love that will never leave us nor forsake us, a love that is always with us for the long haul. It’s a genuine love, a perfect love that comes from the Father who created us as His children. Indeed, there is no greater loving parent that God, our Father. If you ever doubt that then ask yourself this: Why would a Father sacrifice His only Son to pay the penalty for sinners like you and me, if He didn’t love us?

The fact of the matter is that God, our Father, did so love the world and all His children that He chose to sacrifice His only Son Jesus to pay the debt for the sins of the world so we wouldn’t have to bear the cost. And it is even better than just being spared. For all those who believe and trust in Jesus as their Savior, the One who died for their sins and then rose again on the third day, will not perish but will join Jesus and the Father in a life eternal. In other words, death is not the end, it is just the eternal beginning.

And this takes us to the final thing David knew he had in the Lord.

6. Salvation: “and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

David knew he would be with God for all eternity. You and I can be as well as long as we accept Jesus as our personal Savior and receive the inheritance promise and eternal hope He brings.

Friends, can the world bring anyone what the Lord can? David knew it couldn’t and it wasn’t even close.

My prayer is that you will see it too, especially now that you know what you would be missing otherwise.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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