Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Psalm 23 is an incredible piece of Scripture, literature, encouragement and even a gift from God.  Psalm 23 is a gift from God.  I need this kind of treat and long for it.   Have you come to love Psalm 23?  It is quoted in so many places and references in countless sermons and devotions.  There are many passages in the Bible that come to mind when I think of my favorites.  Few that are as well known as Psalm 23.     The beauty of chapter of Psalms gets our attention in many different translations.  Today I share with you The Message translation of the Bible.  It is a powerful reminder.  This is good stuff.   Psalm 23  The Message  God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. 4  Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk a...

  What a week it has been.  Our mission team is coming to the end of their time with us.  Our trek through Psalm 23 also comes to an end, and we move toward the weekend.  God has some things in store for each of us. Psalm 23 is an incredible piece of Scripture, literature, encouragement and even a gift from God.  As I shared early this week Psalm 23 is a treat from God, as our friend David Palmer shared at church Sunday.  I need these kind of treat and long for them Have you come to love Psalm 23 as I have?  As I said yesterday there are so many passages in the Bible that come to mind when I think of my favorites.  Yet there are few that are as well known as Psalm 23.   As we close out the week I give you the entire chapter from The Message translation of the Bible.  Some times it is a powerful reminder of what we might look over too quickly because it is common or typical.  This is good stuff. Psalm 23:5  The Message  God...

  Have you come to love Psalm 23 as I have?  There are so many passages in the Bible that come to mind when I think of my favorites.  Yet there are few that are on public display as much as Psalm 23.  Maybe John 3:16 and the Lord’s Prayer top it and a few others.  But this chapter is incredible.  It sticks out.  Literally. This week has brought lots of thoughts, and this chapter continues to find its way in to my mind.  We have a mission team in town working with us that is doing great things and a real blessing.  Pray for this team, the new campus and all the impact our church has.  It really is like Psalm 23 and its impact in the places it is shared. This week’s e-devotion come from Psalm 23.  We have talked through many of the themes and actually share the last bit of truth that makes us stop and look at what we are experiencing.  Check this out… Psalm 23:5  NLT   You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my en...

  God is up to so many things around us.  Are you seeing Him work?  Keep watching and listening.  His plan really is amazing. We have a mission team in town working with us.  Please pray for this team, our new campus, back2school and all the impact this team will have. I continue sharing in this week’s e-devotion from Psalm 23.  We have talked about God being our shepherd and pursuing us with His incredible love.  Further, we talked about how God guides and leads us.  Today’s verse is one that we hear often, especially in the darkest of times.  The hard fact of death brings us a reminder that God has a plan, God is with us and our need is for Him one and over.  That is why we need the reminder that verse 4 gives us whether it is here are when the dark day comes our way. Psalm 23:4  NLT   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 com...

  This is going to be a great week as we have a mission team in town doing several mission projects as well as helping us get ready for back2school 2024.  Please pray for this team, our new campus for The Community Fellowship, back2school and all the impact our church and community will have from God. I am also sharing in this week’s e-devotion from Psalm 23.  Yesterday we looked at verses 1 and 6, the first and last of the chapter, where God gives us the reminders that He is our shepherd and is pursuing us. The first verse reminds us that He is our shepherd that guides, is gracious and loving present with His kids.  A shepherd leads His shepherd.  A shepherd makes sure that His sheep are fed and have waters.  A shepherd protects His sheep.  You can go further, but God is our shepherd.  It is personal as David wrote that the Lord is my shepherd.   Psalm 23:2-3  NLT   He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful stre...

  We are headed home soon from our family vacation, and it has been a great time together and making memories.  Thank you for understanding and thanks to our church for the time away. As I have shared before we are using Psalms each Sunday at The Community Fellowship during our prayer time un something we are calling “creating a culture of prayer” which is help from Pastor Daniel Henderson’s Praying the Psalms .  This last Sunday David Palmer who leads our recovery ministry shared from Psalm 23. One of the best lines I have heard in a long time of this Psalm is this, and I am quoting David… “Psalm 23 is like a treat”.  What a great way to think of this chapter of the Bible.  We read it at funerals and other important times.  What a great thought! From the Lord being our shepherd to His mercy following us all of life we find truth about who God is, how He leads us and the interaction of our faith with every day life.  Over the next several days we will ...

It is not a simple day.  But I want to share with you something simple.   Often things get complicated, and we might even complicate what is not complicated.  That even happens with our faith. Thus, a challenge is ahead from this e-devotion.  Take some time today to simplify and think about connecting with God, trusting God, continuing with God and allowing His way to be yours. Two passages of Scripture stand out in my mind.  And then a closing verse.  So let’s get to it… Psalm 139:23-24  NLT   Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Pray this prayer.  Trust the answers God gives you.  Then walk it out no matter what God says. What did God say to you? Psalm 23:1-3  NLT   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...

One of the best known and loved passages of Scripture is Psalm 23.   I have used it in many different circumstances.   These have been used in prayers.   I’ve quoted them when life has been tough and when it has been excellent.   The words and concepts of this chapter continue to ring in my heart and head, and that will continue.   That is why I share it with you from a rarely used translation called the VOICE.   As you read it my prayer is that all of us find ourselves resting in the care of our Shepherd and allowing His best to overflow in our lives. Psalm 23   VOICE 1  The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always. 2  He provides me rest in rich, green fields beside streams of refreshing water.   He soothes my fears; 3  He makes me whole again, steering me off worn, hard paths to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name. 4  Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness, I am not o...

Psalm 23:1   NASB The Lord is my shepherd , I shall not want . Most of us have heard that verse many times throughout our lives.   In fact it has taken up a very important spot in my life because it teaches me about who God is and how God cares for me. Take a few minutes to read through and think through this first verse of Psalm 23.   It might change your view of God. “The Lord is my shepherd.” David said the above words.   David as well as Jesus put our understanding on the line.   He painted a picture to describe God for us.   He humanized God or gave Him characteristics that we can see and hold on to. But we have to be careful not to take this human view of God in a direction that removes the deity of God.   In the son, Jesus, God was completely God and completely man.   He lived to shepherd His people and brought so many truths in to our lives that we cannot miss how God provides in the way a shepherd would for His s...