Courage in Following God’s Will by Benjamin Grimm
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness:
for his namesake
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I WILL FEAR NO EVIL:
for You are with me
Your rod and your staff they comfort me
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oil
my cup overflows
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
FOREVER
Which rebellious sheep ever benefited from defying the Shepherd? Which sheep was ever harmed by lying down in good places or drinking in safety? Why are we brought to good places to lie down and given safe places to drink? So we may walk in paths of righteousness that lead through the valley of the shadow of death.
The road is not easy. It will bring you to a decision point requiring you to choose what it is you actually believe. Will you trust the Lord with your life or will you turn away when it counts? Will you fear evil or will you fear the Lord?
The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Pr 1:7), wisdom (Pr 9:10) life (Pr 10:27, 14:27, 19:23), and deliverance from evil (Pr 16:6). It is valuable to consider these truths in light of a discussion about Submission. To fear the Lord is to follow His statutes and seek His face. Submitting to His ways requires one to trust in God enough to die. The words of the Psalm are not ambiguous on this. Courageous enough to submit in the face of certain death, even in the presence of your enemies. The answer David gives in the midst of these circumstances is to recognize the blessings that God has bestowed upon him. When death is certain and hope is gone, a table is prepared before him in the presence of those enemies. Not only that but his hair is rubbed in scented oil as an honored guest. His cup overflows with wine; not a stingy portion but more than he can hold.
David submits to the authority of God as a guest under His roof. He will have the high honor of being a permanent guest living in the Lord’s house and under His authority forever.
Submission is about courage. Submission is about knowledge of the Divine. Submission is about Trust. Do you have the courage to Submit? Do you today have the knowledge of the Lord? Do you Trust the Lord with your life today?