Week 2 – WORD IT!
Objective: The Greatest Treasure Hunt is to Seek to Know
God through the Bible with our eyes and minds.
Begin each day turning your mind, heart and eyes to God.
Enter into your time in the Word with a hunger and thirst for
His Presence.
Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. John 16:13
Do not rush the lessons or feel the need to complete a “task”.
This is your time to spend with “Daddy”. Enjoy, delight and
savor the Word.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
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Day 1 - Establish a regular quiet time (even if it’s 5 minutes).
Today, ask God to give you a hunger and thirst for Him!
Read Psalm 23 and take time to relish in your SHEPHERD!
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David. (NLT)
1 The Lord is my shepherd;I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
My study Bible says:
"In describing the Lord as a shepherd, David wrote out of his own experience because eh had spent his early years caring for sheep (1 Samuel 16:10,11). Sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. The New Testament calls Jesus the good shepherd (John 10:11); the great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20) ; and the head Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). As the Lord is the good shepherd, so we are his sheep - not frightened, passive animals, but obedient followers, wise enough to follow one who will lead us in the right places and right ways. This psalm does not focus on the animal-like qualities of sheep but n the discipleship qualities of those who follow. When you recognize the good shepherd, follow him!
When we allow God, our shepherd, to guide us, we have contentment. When we chose to sin and go our own way, however, we cannot blame God for the environment we create for ourselves. Our shepherd knows the "green meadows" and "peaceful streams" that will restore us. We will reach these places only by following Him obediently. Rebelling against the shepherd's leading is actually rebelling against our own best interests. We must remember this the next time we are tempted to go our own way rather than the shepherd's way.
Death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are entirely helpless in its presence. We can struggle with other enemies - pain, suffering, disease, injury - but strength and courage cannot overcome death. It has the final word. Only one person can walk us through death's dark valley and bring us safely to the other side - the God of life, our shepherd. Because life is uncertain, we should follow this shepherd who offers us eternal comfort.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, at a banquet it was customary to anoint a person with fragrant oil as lotion. Hosts were also expected to protect their guests at all costs. God offers the protection of a host even when enemies surround us. In the final scene of this psalm, we see that believers will dwell with God. God, the perfect shepherd and host, promises to guide and protect us throughout our life and to bring us int his house forever."
I love Psalm 23 because I can remember my grandmother reciting it every night before going to sleep. I never quite understood it as I listened to her speak the words as she knelt beside her bed (alot had to do with the translation..I think), but now that I'm older and can grasp the depth of what it is telling us...it's truly phenomenal what he offers us once we make the commitment to be one of his "obedient sheep". I can't think of anything I'd rather be more!!
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