The Men of Sodom were Wicked

Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. Genesis 13:12

USA-GA-Atlanta-RandySanford1 — Atlanta, Photo by Randy Sanford

Cities, in my thinking, are just plain wrong. Abraham choose to settle in the land of Canaan, while Lot choose to settle near the city of Sodom. Eventually, Lot moved right into the city. A N D look what happened to him. A N D look what the Lord did to the city.

Nope. Humans were made for gardens, wide open spaces, even the vast deserts. Out in Death Valley, there is a military post, Fort Irwin, which has become important for troops preparing to depart for the Middle East. When I trained there many years ago there was a landing field called Bicycle Lake. Every year it flooded and became an actual lake, though very shallow. And just after the rain came the brine shrimp. They hatched. They lived. They reproduced. Then as water soon receded, they died. Wild flowers followed. The damp sand activated seeds that immediately sprouted. The plants grew and bloomed. The flowers dropped seeds. Eventually the flowers dried and fertilized the area beneath them, where the seeds remained until the next rain. Who’d have thought of such an incredible garden in the desert. There just isn’t anywhere on Earth that those who have eyes to see can call a “G-d forsaken” place. Unless it’s a city. A city like Sodom.

There’s nothing to argue about when you say that there are such beautiful buildings. When you travel to London, the sites include St. Paul’s, the Tower of London, Big Ben. When in 1962 the London Bridge was falling down, it was taken to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, for tourist trade. The thing that the cities have in common, including their beautiful buildings, is that they’re all creations of mankind. When we get too many man-made things in one place, I think we suppress the G-d-made wonders. When we forget G-d, we separate ourselves and fall err to pride and all the related sins.

Sure, there are some gardens in cities. New York’s Central Park comes to mind. I’ve not been there. I don’t have any desire to go there. I’ve heard about the bad things that happen there. I don’t have any desire to experience it. I’d rather spend a day on the lake, with the wind behind the sail, the sun warming my head. I’d rather look at the trees along the shore and the hills that surround the lake. I’d rather anchor near an island and enjoy the quiet, the peace, surrounded by things that G-d made.

There’s an exception, of course. Jerusalem. G-d had it in His mind long before it was settled. And G-d was part of the initial settling of Jerusalem. It’s rich in history, memories of past times, some good and some bad, seem to ooze from the stones of the Via Dela Rosa. And the Western Wall of the Temple is sacred. There’s a small road leading down out of the city. Old Roman stones are still seen here and there. Walking along the road, one can hear among the trees and rocks the whispering of its story; day after day for two thousand years the story has been told over and over.

. . .two of them [Apostles] were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24:13-35.

Perhaps the problem with modern cities is that the sacred is not there, never was. And even most of the ancient cities that remain have lost too much of the sacredness that G-d seems not to be there.

More Dreams & Treasures

Early, one morning about six months ago, my dreams came in several stages or developments. In the first segment, i am wearing field gear and am on a train. The train is on a large track, almost like it were a model railroad. Going too fast around a final curve before a station, the last car, which is an open gondola car with two people in it, nearly tips over forward. The two people are not injured but we are all concerned about the incident. The train’s operator and seemingly our leader is not bothered at all.

Next, I am getting my remaining gear and going through the train. Another person is with me. It is apparent we are getting ready to leave. There are two boxes I’m picking up. These boxes are similar to other boxes in another dream from the previous night.

I don’t know if it is me in this next segment or not, but the two people who were in the gondola that nearly overturned are captive in the desert. They are able to subdue their captures, and destroy their bodies with acid and the remains soak into the sand. They flee by day, though hide when satellites are overhead. They come to a village and hide there gathering stuff to equip a vehicle.

From there, the two set out by vehicle to the coast where they trade the vehicle for a boat. They outfit the boat and sail away.

There is something about the two boxes. There is something about the way I wrapped my rifle’s sling around my left forearm. I recall doing this sort of carry once before. Only once before. And I remember once, long ago, wanting a box to collect up my various remnants, left overs, of a life I’d been living.

I’m reminded of another dream some time ago. In it I approached a river I would need to cross to continue following the path on which I walked. As I was trying to figure out how to keep my backpack from getting wet, a woman came to me. She explained how to wrap my pack in plastic and said it would keep it dry.

This morning very early I dreamed that I was in a house that seemed to spring leaks all over. Water dripped from the ceiling, from pipes overhead, from the windows. Water was drenching boxes that were open. And the contents were being ruined.

It seems to me that in these dreams there are two different ways of looking at things that I have. First there are things that we use, daily, for which we must care. These are cooking utensils, bedding, and tools that we use in our trade. They are also gifts that we carry to give to people we meet along the way. The backpack I carried, that I was shown how to care for in order to cross the river, and the gear that I was collecting, and the boxes that would protect it, fall into this type of treasure.

These are treasures, however, in which we must not trust. For as the Lord spoke through Jeremiah (49:4):

Why do you boast of your valleys,
O faithless daughter,
who trusted in her treasures, saying,
Who will come against me.

The other treasures, like the ones in the dream that are getting ruined in the water leaking from seemingly everywhere in the house, are not ones kept and maintained for everyday use. These are the treasure in which I’ve put too much trust.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.—Matthew 6:19

There are things that the L-rd teaches me through dreams. There is the overview of the dream itself, and there is the various pieces of which the dreams are made. Sometimes it takes several different dreams with the same overall viewpoint to make sense. And then there’s the individual pieces, like the pieces of a giant puzzle, fitting together later on, when other pieces are put together.

My mother often said, “The L-rd works in mysterious ways.” May He work constantly in your lives, to bring you into His Peace and into the pure fellowship of His other children.

The Nine Principles

Do not think dishonestly
The Way is in Training
Become acquainted with with every act
Know the Ways of all professions
Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters
Develop intuitive judgment and understanding for everything
Perceive those things that connot be seen
Pay attention even to little things
Do nothing that is of no use

—Musachi Miyamoto, 1645

Mustache Minamoto, according to Wikipedia, was a swordsman in the 17th Century that epitomizes the legend of the lone samurai, and taught “the principle that all technique is simply a method of cutting down one’s opponent.”

Question: How do these principles hold up in light of Judaeo Christian Scripture?

I’d love to hear your answers.

Train ’til its right. . .

I’ve heard it said that some train until they get it right, while others train until they get it wrong. What’s that mean? Well. . .

Quite a while ago, while bumming around India, I was blessed to contract a persistent stomach bacteria, which came and went in varying degrees of severity for a number of months. I was just a day ahead of the monsoon rains, which made my travels especially hot and humid, with little relief. Despite this I was given the grace to take it all in stride.

On one particular adventure/trial, I travelled in last class on a train with two Brits and two Sweds. We ran into each other while trying to find a few feet of space in a crowded train car. One of them gained access to the overhead baggage shelf that was empty, and we all clamored up to join him. There we rode for twenty-three hours and twenty-three minutes. At the time, I hadn’t known where I was to go, only that I was to be on that train. I’m not sure which pair of guys, the Brits or the Sweds, was headed to Kashmir, but we all thought that a good place to visit. We deboarded the train and hopped a bus north into the mountains of Kashmiri. As the bus arrived, local rental agents boarded suggesting houseboats to stay on. I, along with the Brits and Sweds and a Jordanian man, teamed up to rent a houseboat from one of the rental agents. We deboarded the bus and were led across a path to the lake and a large houseboat.

"Dal LakeVR2" by Basharat Shah - Flickr: Dal Lake. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dal_LakeVR2.jpg#/media/File:Dal_LakeVR2.jpg — “Dal Lake” by Basharat Shah

Everything was perfect. Well, sort of. The picture-perfect houseboat turned out to be moored by a sewerage outlet from the town. But it only stunk during the day. While the rental included three meals a day, my stomach issues returned with a vengeance, and I could barely eat. But atop the houseboat in the cool of the evenings we all sat around and talked. Despite everything, I was apparently successful at displaying my faith in Messiah Y’shuaJesus, and they saw and leaned something that was meant for them. At the end of our weeks aboard the houseboat, we all went different ways. I hopped the bus south, connecting to a train bound for New Delhi. As always, the train was packed. I found a foot of space in which to place my backpack and kneeled over it and slept all the way to Delhi. The training of these trials was going well. I seemed to be getting it right this time. That seemed to be the point of the trails, to get through them all and to do so while getting it right.

As the train pulled into the station in New Delhi, my stomach was acting up again, and I need to find a loo, as the Brits call it. I managed to stand up. But try as I might I just couldn’t make any headway to the door, as crowds of people tried to push their way into the already packed train car. Al of a sudden I stood to my full six-feet-five-inches and roared. I must have looked to the Indians as a giant bear about to attack. They pulled themselves out of my way. And. . . I’ll not soon forget the old man that was just steeping up onto the car as I barreled through the doorway. His hat fell from his head onto the step. I nearly ran him down. I nearly crushed his hat beneath my feet. I don’t know, but think I did at least retrieve his hat for him. As I walked down the platform, I felt horrible. I’d been doing so well. I’d been getting it so right. My trials took me to that point of success and beyond, until I broke. I found myself realizing exactly what I was capable of. I had it in me to be the worst of the worst. I was overwhelmed. At the same time, I realized that I liked myself. I Liked Myself. I’d trained to get it right, but went beyond and got it wrong. To The Point That I Broke Me. Now I could see myself as G-d sees me, saved through the salvation of Messiah Y’shuaJesus. He and only He experienced a life on Earth getting it totally right, without sin. He died that I might live. I’d known that. But as I walked the platform in search for a loo, I Knew It. And I knew it in a much more pure way.

Train beyond getting it right; train until we get it wrong. Then understand our condition on Earth and the Salvation from G-d.

Faith and Works

The Apostle James wrote (James 2:14):

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him?

This statement has been a subject of controversy. For Martin Luther, it isn’t just the idea of faith and works that is rejected, “Luther made an attempt to remove the books of Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation from the canon (Bible).” —Wikipedia

King David didn’t have a problem with the whole Faith and Works thing. In Psalm 61:7 he wrote:

My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God.

In the same Psalm, 61:12, he wrote:

For You repay each according to his works.

This is one way of explaining how Faith and Works compliment each other: “People in desperation are often prepared to resort to criminal activity such as theft and extortion (verse 11) as means of extricating themselves from the crises they confront. David’s message here is that this tendency results from a lack of faith in the Almighty’s power to rescue and support. If a person truly believes that, as David declares in this Psalm’s final verse, God “repays each man in accordance with his conduct,” then he would never resort to unlawful tactics during times of need. He would instead appeal to the Almighty for salvation and trust in the assistance God extends to His loyal servants.” —Tehillim

Psalm 55

Cast your burden on the Lord,
and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
God, You will bring them down
to the Pit of destruction;
men of bloodshed and treachery
will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in You.
v22,23

This Psalm is explained and its lessons addressed at Daily Tehillim: “. . .according to the Radak and other commentators, was composed during the rebellion mounted by Avshalom, David’s son. Specifically, this prayer was written in response to the news that Ahitofel, David’s skilled and renowned advisor and strategist, had sided with Avshalom. We read in the Book of Shemuel II (15:31) that upon hearing of Ahitofel’s support for Avshalom, David prayed, “Foil Ahitofel’s plan, O God!” David was well aware of Ahitofel’s brilliance and experience in military strategy and thus realized Avshalom’s distinct advantage in this campaign. It appears that Psalm 55 presents the complete version of the prayer David offered in response to Ahitofel’s siding with Avshalom, to which the verse in Shemuel II only very briefly alludes.

“Although David makes no explicit reference here to Avshalom or Ahitofel, speaking generally about the “enemy” and “wicked man” (verse 4), the context of this chapter can be inferred from a number of verses in which David describes his current plight. Firstly, he speaks of the turmoil and chaos that has gripped the “city” (verses 10-12), which likely refers to David and his followers’ frantic departure from Jerusalem and Avshalom’s takeover of the capital city. Even more revealingly, David describes his adversary as somebody who has not been his foe, as a person whom David had actually always admired, to whom he had looked for guidance, and with whom he would frequently confide (verses 13-15). Later, he describes a person who betrays his comrades and speaks in false and deceitful flattery (verses 21-22). These descriptions accurately portray Ahitofel, David’s longtime loyal advisor and confidant who has now committed himself to David’s destruction.

“This Psalm expresses the sense of fear, loneliness and dejection that results from being betrayed by one’s loyal peers. Ahitofel’s betrayal leaves David in a state of such anxiety and disorientation that he wishes he could just fly like a bird to an uninhabited wilderness where he could seek refuge, as if entering an insulated building during a rainstorm (verses 7-9). Having always depended upon Ahitofel’s wise counsel and guidance, David now feels particularly lost, vulnerable and powerless.

“We all encounter situations where a condition to which we have grown accustomed suddenly changes, leaving us disoriented and with a feeling of lonely helplessness. David here advises, “Cast your burden upon God, and he shall support you” (verse 23). When left in a state of loneliness and vulnerability, a person must remember that the Almighty has not left him, and whatever basis for support that has been lost can be replaced by God Himself, who is capable of rescuing an individual from even the most difficult and seemingly insurmountable predicaments.” (emphasis added)

Dreams and Why I don’t usually Dwell on Them

Dreams come easily to me during the night. While I rarely sleep during the daytime,when I do I’ll dream then too. Mostly I don’t dwell on my dreams, letting them alone to have their way, and be forgotten. Some, though, are so vivid, so intense, that I have to write them down so that I can later return to them to take a closer look.

Early one morning recently, I dreamed two interesting dreams that persisted in my mind for some time. In one, I am on my touring bicycle, in the left lane of a road. I am about to turn left on to a highway that rises sharply upward into the mountains. A car that might be a Land Rover with a large pipe grill guard appears from my left, and looks like it is going to force me to move right. I desperately want to stay in the left lane, and I refuse to move over. As the vehicle comes up next to me, I seem to know now what the driver is going to do; he’s going to let me catch a ride with him. I grasp the front grill guard with my left hand and the Land Rover powers me up the hill. All is going well until we come to an overhead bridge crossing the highway. It looks like I won’t be able to make it underneath it. This doesn’t make sense, of course, as I am riding next to the man. We do make it beneath the bridge, and I see that there is plenty of room. Then we come to another bridge. I am not going to make it under this one. Some how I am now on top of his vehicle and I must ride on to the overhead bridge. I do so, and stop. I look around and I see that this isn’t a normal bridge, and that I’m stuck up on what appears to be a roof across the highway with no way done.

In another bicycle dream the following day, I was on same stretch of highway. The other vehicle was going the same speed as I was, and we came to the top of the mountain at the same time. But apparently the other vehicle was in need of a rest, or its occupants. I offered to take them to my grandparents home, which in the dream was close to that mountain pass. We arrived and were sorting out where we were going to sleep, when I saw my grandmother sleeping on the deck. She got up and I thought it odd that she was there, as I’d thought my grandparents were away. Then my grandfather came in and we spoke for a minute. I left the room and the people I’d brought to the house began to speak with my grandparents in either Norwegian or Dutch. I thought that odd, as I didn’t think my grandparents spoke any other language except English. At some point we were all getting ready to leave, and I had a plant I was going to leave with my grandparents. I also was leaving some stuff in a locker in their house.

Looking at these dreams, I discover that the highway is Highway 101, the old 101, from back in the early 1970s, where it ascends from San Luis Obispo, CA, to a pass near Cuesta Peak. The highway continues north along the Salinas river, past Atascadero and Paso Robles, then onward to San Miguel and Camp Roberts. I am very familiar with this highway. I lived in the area many years. Back to the dream. It seems that in the first dream someone is trying to help me, and ends up getting me into a mess. In the second dream, the people are alongside, but later at the summit I help them. The end of the dream is okay.

This morning it occurred to me why I don’t immediately mull over my dreams when I arise. The day begins too quickly; the clock alarm sounds, I rise up to awake the dawn. . .

My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth.

—Psalm 57:8-11

. . . though certainly not as King David describes.

Up at 5:30. First things first, letting out the dogs, feeding the cats. Making a salad for my wife to take to work, and coffee in a travel mug for her to sip during her commute. Wishing her well as she leaves the house. Asking of the Lord His blessings upon our family, to watch over us, to work in and through us—all while cleaning up the kitchen mess. Doing dishes left from the night before. Adding to a list kept handy things to buy from the store on the next trip. Thinking of things to be done during the day. Letting the dogs inside, giving them each a biscuit.

Whew! Deep breath. . . fix a bowl of oatmeal, add honey, pour a cup of coffee. Open Daily Tehillim and find the day’s Psalm. Today it’s Psalm 39. King David is writing the Psalm “To the Chief Musician; for Yetoodoon.” I switch over to another web page to search on Yetoodoon, wanting to know to whom King David refers. I’m easily distracted. I look at an email. I think of something that I want to do tomorrow, that needs some preparation today. I push my head back to the Psalm. It’s a Psalm about the fragility of humankind. According to one commentary (Jamieson, Fauset, and Brown), “. . .depressing views of his frailty and the prosperity of the wicked, the Psalmist, tempted to murmur, checks the expression of his feelings, till, led to regard his case aright, he prays for a proper view of his condition and for the divine compassion.”

Behold, thou hast made my days as handbreadths; And my life- time is as nothing before thee: Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity.

Psalm 39:6

“David composed this chapter while suffering from a painful and debilitating illness, which caused him such discomfort and distress that he had to restrain himself from speaking harshly against God.” — Daily Tehillim

I recall a sermon in which the preacher explained that King Solomon was severely depressed when he wrote Ecclesiastics, and declared Vanity, Vanity. All is Vanity. The sermon attempted to counter this depressing notion; it echoed the theme, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Huh! I suppose depression ran in the family then, as King David says it too. Or perhaps there is another way of looking at life here on Earth. “In our greatest health and prosperity, every man is altogether vanity, he cannot live long; he may die soon. This is an undoubted truth, but we are very unwilling to believe it. Therefore let us pray that God would enlighten our minds by his Holy Spirit, and fill our hearts with his grace, that we may be ready for death every day and hour.” — Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary.

Psalm 39, while somber, teaches “the proper approach to suffering. David does not purport to give a definitive explanation for suffering, and he acknowledges the instinctive drive to challenge divine justice during periods of pain and anguish. He demands, however, that a person overcome this natural tendency and approach suffering as a call to introspection and repentance. Rather than insist on his righteousness and cast allegations against God, one should instead recognize his frailty and shortcomings and appeal to the Almighty for compassion and forgiveness.” — Daily Tehillim.

It’s almost nine o’clock in the morning. There are people to pray for, things to do, maybe even places to go. And I still want to watch the rest of a YouTube video of a sermon by Pastor David Wilkerson, “Moving your Mountain.”

And what of last night’s dreams? I have yet to take a complete look at the two bicycle dreams, let alone the many that I’ve had since. Are dreams meant to be examined, explained? Or do they operate on us without intervention?

Wait. I return to Daily Tehillim commentary on Psalm 39 in which the author says, “David does not purport to give a definitive explanation for suffering. . .” Here’s the rub, as the expression goes: good people and children suffer. Who can watch shows about St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and the kids it treats without feeling so badly for the children with cancer. Children. Suffering. Dying. We question why bad things happen. We question why bad things happen to good people. The Lord Y’shuaJesus was asked about a man’s disabilities and what sin was it that caused it. Job’s wife, responding to Job’s suffering, told him to curse G-d and die. It’s G-d’s fault. He’s to blame. Should we raise our fists toward Heaven, cursing G-d for the suffering of good and innocent people?

The lesson from King David is that despite suffering, whether ours or others’, we must hold our tongues, restrain ourselves, from speaking harshly against G-d. We must learn to find some contentment—as Apostle Paul did—in all things. The question may not be why people suffer, why we suffer, but rather are we so righteous, so good, that we shouldn’t suffer. Isn’t that vanity?

Fear of the LORD

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. (Psalm 111:10)

Matthew Henry commented that: “No man is wise who does not fear the Lord; no man acts wisely except as influenced by that fear. This fear will lead to repentance, to faith in Christ, to watchfulness and obedience. Such persons are of a good understanding, however poor, unlearned, or despised.”

The Fear of the LORD is also addressed in Psalm 34 verses 12 through 15. “Since David speaks in this Psalm of the extraordinary care G-d grants to those who fear Him, David saw fit to advise us how we can achieve this stature. He instructs that fearing G-d requires discipline and discretion in speech, action and thought: avoiding inappropriate or hurtful speech, refraining from misconduct, performing Mitzvot, and pursuing social harmony.

“This chapter thus speaks of the benefits of Yir’at Hashem (Fear of G-d), and of what it means to live a life of Yir’at Hashem. David reminds us here that fear of G-d guarantees a person protection and blessing, and that fear of G-d is well within the reach of every individual who is prepared to commit himself to the values and laws of the Torah.” Daily Tehillim.

As I think about discipline and discretion in speech, action, and thought, I think about not only refraining from the negatives in each area, but also of the positives. Take speech for instance. While in the book of James, we are instructed about controlling our tongues, we are told by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (4:25) “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” This means that we are obligated to not only refrain from hurtful speech, but to speak out based upon our love of G-d, and truth.

For some of us, it is difficult to hold our tongues, to not say what is on the top of our minds. It is easy, then, to let loose an uncontrolled tongue, to lash out. This is the tongue that James says needs to be controlled. This is the tongue that spews forth venom. But for some of us, it is easy to hold our tongues, to control them and not speak. We are the doormats. It is to those of us that Paul speaks. For we too easily withhold truths from people that maybe necessary for growth.

Balance. The Fear of G-d results in wisdom, a wisdom producing the balance necessary for righteous speech that speaks the truth in love.

Goodness and Mercy Follows Believers

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. Psalm 23:6

King David experienced the goodness and mercy of G-d and, according to Rabbinic tradition, “composed this Psalm upon arriving in the Charet Forest during his flight from King Shaul (Shemuel I 22:5). This was a particularly arid and barren region, which offered David no hope at all for survival. According to tradition, G-d miraculously provided David with “the goodness of the world to come” to sustain him during his stay in the otherwise uninhabitable forest. David responds by giving praise to G-d for His ability to provide a person’s needs under even the harshest conditions.” (Daily Tehillim)

In his commentary, The Reverend Matthew Henry wrote “Past experience teaches believers to trust that the goodness and mercy of God will follow them all the days of their lives, and it is their desire and determination, to seek their happiness in the service of God here, and they hope to enjoy his love for ever in heaven. While here, the Lord can make any situation pleasant, by the anointing of his Spirit and the joys of his salvation. But those that would be satisfied with the blessings of his house, must keep close to the duties of it.”

Experience. Both Kind David and Rev. Henry experienced hardship during their lives. Like King David, Rev. Henry knew G-d as Shepherd as well as Father and King. I suppose that they each, as they aged, were able to look back upon their lives and see the signs that G-d was ever presence. They testify to all Believers that despite how we may feel during what we perceive as a crisis in our lives, G-d sustains us, will take us through times that seem devastating, yet when we look back upon them later, they were but shadows of death.

Point One: “Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow. . .” shows boldness and intimacy concerning the LORD. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” wrote the author of Hebrews in 4:16. Confidence is displayed in King David’s bold proclamation. It is no simple prayer requesting goodness and mercy, but a statement that it goodness and mercy not only do at the present time follow, but have followed King David in his walk with the LORD, and will continue to do so.

I did a quick web search on “building confidence” and came back with 28 million results in .38 seconds. The first page contained links that all dealt with having self-confidence and boosting self-confidence. King David was a fine leader and military commander, yet his confidence was not in himself, but in the G-d of Israel, our G-d. King David was quick to point out that there was someone greater than he, to Whom his knee bowed. “Surely mercy and goodness shall follow me. . .” declares that the King of Israel was not greater than the least in the nation, for all are sheep in the Shepherd’s flock.

Point Two: King David wrote that the LORD “makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters,” (Psalm 23:2). Green pastures and tranquil water. We, too, as followers and believers, are led across green pastures; we walk beside tranquil water. We don’t always see these pastures. We don’t always notice the still water. We look with our physical eyes, rather than with the eyes of our hearts. Are we not myopic? We become obsessed with the valley of darkness that looms over us? Our immediate crisis takes over our lives, seemingly trying to possess us. The Lord is our refuge: He’s our ever-present green pasture offering the solace of still, untroubled waters. We need only seek Him, and with the eyes of our hearts see the green pasture in which we may reveal. In Him we are drawn into the peace of tranquil waters. “Surely goodness and mercy” follow us all the days of our lives.

Point Three: Daily Bread. Daily Sustenance. The goodness of the LORD follows us daily. This is a principle that drives our journey with our Lord: we must look daily for the sustenance He provides. “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not,” (Exodus 16:14). Y’shuaJesus reiterated this principle when He taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” (Matthew 6:11). Our Shepherd knows us. Too little and we are tempted to steal, too much we are tempted to ignore our Provider.

“After the things of God’s glory, kingdom, and will, we pray for the needful supports and comforts of this present life. Every word here has a lesson in it. We ask for bread; that teaches us sobriety and temperance:and we ask only for bread; not for what we do not need. We ask for our bread; that teaches us honesty and industry:we do not ask for the bread of others, nor the bread of deceit, Proverbs 20:17; nor the bread of idleness, Proverbs 31:27, but the bread honestly gotten. We ask for our daily bread; which teaches us constantly to depend upon Divine Providence. We beg of God to give it us; not sell it us, nor lend it us, but give it. The greatest of men must be beholden to the mercy of God for their daily bread. We pray, Give it to us. This teaches us a compassion for the poor. Also that we ought to pray with our families. We pray that God would give it us this day; which teaches us to renew the desires of our souls toward God, as the wants of our bodies are renewed. As the day comes we must pray to our heavenly Father, and reckon we could as well go a day without food, as without prayer,” wrote Rev. Henry.

Summing it up, We display in our lives boldness and confidence in Y’shuaJesus, so that like King David, we may declare that goodness and mercy follow us. Look again at the words of Rev. Henry, “experience teaches believers to trust that the goodness and mercy of God will follow them all the days of their lives.” We learn to trust through the lives of others who have experienced the way of G-d. We gain this experience our selves, as we live and walk with the Lord. In both these ways we set aside the physical eyesight, to see with the eyes of our heart, to walk at peace with the Lord. Finally, we walk with the Lord, like the cliche, “one day at a time.” He is our Daily Bread, the Bread of Life.

Another View of Jesus

In his blog In a Mirror Dimly: An Imperfect, Sarcastic Perspective on Following Jesus, Ed Cyzewski began a post saying: “With all of our talk about gender roles and the place of men in society and the church, I think we tend to overlook Jesus.” He suggests some areas we overlook when considering Y’shuaJesus: “Jesus Was Homeless; Jesus did not provide financially; Jesus was single; Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.” Take a look at what he says about each area here.

Mr. Cyzewski goes on to ask, “Should we imitate Jesus’ version of manhood?” He says “the complexity of the biblical story that presents us with a series of paintings that illustrate what it looks like to be followers of God in a particular time and place rather than nailing down a specific way to meet with God at all times and all places.” So perhaps you and I can follow Y’shuaJesus while having a house, a job, a wife, a few kids, and not have to wash the feet of those that enter our houses. Mr. Cyzewski does point out, however, that “in our rush to fit in with our Christian and Western culture, it’s easy to lose sight of how counter cultural and even revolutionary Jesus was in his own time and would be in our time. His ministry would not be the kind hailed at conferences and his manhood the model we’d think of imitating.”

What I really like about this particular blog by Mr. Ed Cyzewski is his closing paragraph: “There is no blueprint for a “godly” home, ministry, or man. There is God’s calling on our lives, and obedience to that calling is what Jesus modeled for us and expects us to imitate. The details are incidental—home or no home, job or ministry support checks. When Jesus says, “Follow me!” We obey because there is no other source of hope or life.

Mr. Cyzewski is an echo of a distant voice:

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God. John 6:68,69