“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

— Psalm 23:1

On a scale from one to ten (ten being the highest), what is your daily level of stress? Do you cruise through life at level two? Or do you constantly run on all cylinders at level nine? Seventy-five years ago, the only people who used the term “stress” were engineers talking about the physical pressure placed on objects. But now we use the term to express the pressure we feel mentally and emotionally as we live through each day. Many physicians and researchers spend all of their time dealing with stress-related disorders, as hospital beds fill up with businessmen, bricklayers, housewives, and children. There’s no question about it—this is the Age of Anxiety.

But God never intended us to live stress-filled lives. The Bible states that worry is a sin, commanding us to “be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6). Yet we don’t live in line with this command. Instead, we worry and fret about our jobs, our families, our financial status, and everything else under the sun. Many of us don’t know how to cope because we don’t have the internal strength to withstand the pressures from without. Many seek solutions in drugs and alcohol. But God has given us a far more effective tranquilizer: Psalm 23.

This jewel of Scripture can so effectively take away our fears and worries that I commend it as a prescription from the great physician Himself, Jesus Christ. Psalm 23 is God’s tranquilizer. Take it regularly, and you’ll find what the world is desperately looking for and finding: the peace that passes all understanding. Grasping even the first sentence, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” can do wonders for the human heart.

Author Thomas Carlyle made this astute point, which can reduce our stress: “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.” Thus, with God’s help, we should live one day at a time, trusting God to take care of our daily needs.

Do you feel stressed today? Then remember that the Lord is your shepherd who will take care of every concern you have. Turn your worries over to Him today, and allow His peace to guard your heart.

“Peace is such a precious jewel that I would
give anything for it but truth.”
Matthew Henry

“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”

— 2 Corinthians 11:30, niv

How well do you do when an occasion calls for going above and beyond the call of duty? If you need some encouragement in this area, then consider George Wishart, a sixteenth-century Scotsman. You may have never heard of Wishart, but he is one of the great heroes of our Christian faith. Even before the Reformation came to Scotland, he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Wishart lived in a time when a plague decimated great numbers of people on the continent of Europe. As that plague drew near to one of Scotland’s cities, the people panicked and raced to call for the most godly and saintly man they knew. The man they chose was Wishart. Wishart answered the call and went outside the gates of the city. There he knelt on his knees and prayed to God to cease the plague’s onslaught. History reports that the plague spread no further.

After this tremendous victory, Wishart went immediately to one of the cities that had already been hit by the plague. Those who had contracted the plague huddled outside the city gates, locked out of the city, while those untouched remained inside, cringing in fear. Wishart climbed on top of the city wall and began fearlessly preaching the Gospel to those who were dying without and those who were cringing within. Yet, in spite of his courage, his willingness to venture all for Christ, the people declared him a heretic in those dark days and condemned him to burn at the stake.

Outside the gates of the castle, the people erected the stake and piled up the wood. As Wishart approached the stake, he knelt down, lifted his face to Heaven, and prayed, reciting parts of the psalms. Then Wishart stood, took the executioner by the shoulders, and kissed him on the cheek, explaining to him that the kiss was a token of forgiveness. Once they had bound Wishart to the stake, they lit the timber, and the flames carried George Wishart’s soul into Paradise.

Wishart remains an example to us of prayer and courage. If you face a situation that requires you to go above and beyond the call of duty, let Wishart’s story encourage you. Trust in God to give you what you need to make it through, and go forth willingly to fulfill His call for your life.

“Christianity has made martyrdom
sublime, and sorrow triumphant.”
Edwin H. Chapin

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

— Mark 8:35

When, at the end of your life on earth, you look back over your life, what do you hope to have accomplished or experienced? I think we would all like to “go for the gusto,” pursuing life with a capital “L”. But many pursue this goal in the wrong way. Sadly, even many Christians seek life with a capital “L” in a way that will prevent them from ever attaining it.

People miss out on abundant life because it is a paradox. The way we truly gain life runs 180 degrees counter to the way we think we gain life. Jesus tells us, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Yet most people frantically do all within their power to save their lives by heaping upon themselves all manner of comforts, pleasures, delights, and securities, not realizing that everything they do destroys the very thing they want to save. As they attempt to gain life, they lose it.

Jesus’ words are difficult. Many people read them, shrug them off, and go on their way, hoping that somehow those words don’t apply to them. For many, those words seem beyond understanding. But let me make it clear: If we focus all our attention and energies upon our material well-being, upon our lives in this world, then we shall lose that higher, greater, and more abundant life that we can have in Christ. Only when we release our lives to Christ, allowing Him to do whatever He wishes through us, do we gain life and gain it abundantly. Live for Jesus every day, including today, and you’ll experience life with a capital “L”.

“Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in;’
aim at earth and you will get neither.”
C. S. Lewis

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

— Philippians 4:13

What would you try if you knew you could not fail? Would you climb a mountain? Learn to fly an airplane? Share the Gospel with your family? The Scripture promises us that we can do “all things.” Have you claimed that promise? A person who professes to believe he or she “can do all things through Christ” and does not exercise that belief is like a miser who has a hundred million dollars in the bank but goes hungry day after day.

For many of us, our belief is more like this: “I can do a few things through Christ, who gives me a little help.” Why do we sometimes believe that we can do only “a few things?” We believe this because we listen to the lies Satan speaks through his voice of discouragement. We believe this because we allow persecution to stop the Lord’s work.

But if we want God to use us, we have to bank on that verse. Those who have turned the world upside down—Hudson Taylor, Adoniram Judson, and William Carey—believed God could do mighty things through them. They made this verse their life verse, and it transformed them. And even though the apostle Paul was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and left for dead, he attempted great things for God because he expected great things from God. He lived by the verse he had penned—“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

If you let the truth of this verse permeate your thinking, it can transform your life. We achieve only a fraction of what we could because we don’t take God at His Word. Are your expectations too low? Do you dream big dreams but never act on them? Then ask God to plant this promise deep in your soul and help you live in His power.

“Man, with God’s help and personal dedication,
is capable of anything he can dream.”
Conrad Hilton

“… to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever …”

— Revelation 1:6

How blessed we’d be if we could give ourselves over, body and soul, to the glorification of our Savior Jesus Christ. John Milton, England’s most profound poet, did precisely this. He was a man molded by the Scriptures, and many consider Milton one of the highest examples of Puritanism. Though he lived much of his life in blindness, God granted him the vision to see things in the vast universe that lie beyond what the rest of humanity can see.

John Milton saw the power of sin that, left unchecked, brings death. He saw the reality of Jesus Christ, the Second Adam. His masterpieces, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, involve two principal characters: the first Adam, by whose disobedience all of humankind plunged into sin; and the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, the beginning of the new creation. Milton’s epic poems describe the tremendous power and deception of sin that had come into this world, wreaking havoc and misery upon the earth. They also contain another reality—Jesus Christ, who gave thirty-three years of perfect obedience to God’s commands, who regained the kingdom for those of us who trust in Him.

Milton was a poet of the invisible. He splashed on a vast canvas the history of the world from eternity to eternity, painting with his pen the greatest panorama of all time. He saw things that no one had ever seen before. And he has shared that vision with others, opening the eyes of millions. Milton believed that humankind has a high calling—to glorify the living Christ—and he fulfilled this calling in all he wrote. May we all have that same vision to be a blessing to God, to open the eyes of others by glorifying Jesus Christ in all we do.

“Beyond compare the Son of God was seen,
Most glorious; in him all his Father shone,
Substantially expressed, and in his face,
Divine compassion visibly appeared,
Love without end, and
without measure grace.”
John Milton

“Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

— Ephesians 5:19

Do you ever find yourself, without even realizing it, humming a praise song? Did you know that as the Holy Spirit fills you, the joy you experience will express itself in song? The Bible makes it clear that God is bound up with singing. When God created the world, the morning stars sang together for joy. The seraphim and the cherubim praise God around His throne forever, not because God has commanded them to do so, but because in Paradise their song inevitably rises like a wellspring from their hearts to their lips. Even the birds continually sing their praises to God.

Do you have a song of joyfulness in your heart today?

The great saints of the faith expressed their God-given joy in song. Moses wrote songs. The Bible contains a whole collection of prayers and praises written by that sweet psalmsinger of Israel, David. Jesus and the apostles sang. When they partook of the Passover, they sang a hymn. Before his conversion, St. Augustine heard Christians singing songs of praise to God, and because those praises filled his heart to overflowing, he wept for joy.

Christianity is a singing religion more than any other. We have the great hymns of the Reformation, such as Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Wesley wrote hundreds of hymns, and many other Christians have given us hymnals filled with songs of praise. Other religions may have their sad and mournful chants, but only in Christ do people find joy that rises in song. Christians, therefore, should be a singing people. A gentleman of the Church recently told me, “The most exciting day of my life was one day when I was home fixing my dinner. I was just thanking God for everything. I was thanking God for the food, for the pan to cook it in, for the stove, for the hands I had to hold the pan. And I just broke forth in song.” God wants us to have that kind of overflowing joy.

Do you have a favorite song that expresses your joy in Christ? Then sing it today. Sing it as you go about your business, letting your joyfulness overflow in musical praise to God.

“I sing because I’m happy! I sing because I’m free! For His
eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”
Hymn

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”

— Ephesians 5:18

God gives every Christian the Holy Spirit when he or she accepts Christ as Savior, but not every Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit. Do you know whether you’re filled with the Spirit? Perhaps you wonder how you can know. Paul gives us some answers. In his Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul lists three results of being filled with the Holy Spirit. First of all, we will sing and make melody to the Lord in our hearts as God fills us with His joy. Second, we will give thanks for all things. We will know that the Omnipotent, sovereign God holds us gently in His hands. Nothing can come to us that does not first pass through the filter of His love. Nothing happens to us that He can’t make good. Therefore, by faith, we can give Him thanks for all things. A third result of being filled with the Spirit is that we will submit ourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord. Why does that indicate being filled with the Holy Spirit? Because when we draw close to Jesus Christ, we see our sins clearly; we see how unworthy we are of the least of His favors. Our pride diminishes, and we become filled with humility. We, therefore, willingly submit ourselves to one another.

Do you see those results in your life? Whether or not you do, invite the Holy Spirit to fill you today. Some suppose they can be filled with the Holy Spirit once for all time, but such filling needs to occur daily, moment by moment. Ask God right now and each day to fill you with His Holy Spirit, that the Spirit may empower you to serve Him with joy.

“By ‘riches of grace’ the apostle means all the spiritual resources
that are at the disposal of Christians through the redeeming
work of Christ and the gracious presence of his Holy Spirit.”
Henry W. Dubose

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

— 2 Timothy 2:15

When you receive a letter from someone you love, you open it right away and read it again and again, right? Well, in your Bible you have sixty-six love letters from God’s heart to yours. What a tremendous profession of His undying love. Don’t you want to read them again and again to get every last nuance of His dedication to you?

We need to read our Bibles daily. When God gave manna from Heaven, He told His children not to store it up, but to go out and collect it each day. In the same way, we need to feed ourselves daily on our spiritual food—God’s Word. But despite our good intentions, we often find it difficult to remain dedicated to daily Bible reading. Let me make a few suggestions that may help you delve into God’s love letter to you.

First of all, develop a plan for your Bible reading. For example, read from both the Old Testament and the New Testament on the same day, perhaps from the New Testament in the morning and from the Old Testament in the evening. Then take time to meditate on what you just read. Ask yourself, “What did this passage say? Does it communicate a theological doctrine? Is it a command I should obey? A promise I can claim? A warning I should heed? An example I should follow or avoid? How is God trying to speak to my heart?” Then resolve to live by the truth the passage shows you. If you need help understanding what you read, get a good commentary, such as Matthew Henry, which has stood the test of time and blessed thousands of lives. When you interact with other Christians, make a habit of sharing what you’ve learned from your personal Bible reading, and invite your friends to share, too. You can also benefit greatly by studying the Bible with other believers. Sometimes group interaction helps you see a truth you would have missed if you had studied alone.

The Bible is an amazing, unique, life-giving Book. If you have neglected to read God’s love letters to you, ask Him to forgive you and to help you become a student of His Word.

“The Bible is our only safe guide.”
Daniel Webster

“Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

— Proverbs 3:9–10

God offers us blessings in many different forms. He blesses us with peace, joy, love of family and friends, emotional stability, and a host of other things. But God also promises to provide for all our material needs “out of His riches in glory.” We don’t provide for ourselves from our paychecks, our abilities to make money, or our bank accounts; rather, God takes care of our needs from His riches in glory.

Have you (excuse the pun) banked on this promise? So many people worry about paying their bills, but God has promised to make ends meet for us. Yet because they lack faith, many people hold on tightly to what God gives them, and as a result, they rob God of their tithes and offerings. They don’t honor the Lord with their substance by giving as God has instructed. Instead, they withhold from Him the “firstfruits” of their income. Therefore, God withholds His blessing from them. Hear what God says through His prophet Haggai to the ancient Israelites who neglected to tithe: “You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it” (Haggai 1:6, NIV).

God doesn’t want us to tithe so He can have our money. He has all He needs. But He wants us to honor Him in this area of our lives. When we give tithes and offerings to God, we exhibit recognition that the Lord has given us everything we have. We give to Him because we’re grateful for all His blessings. Most of all, we give because He has commanded us to do so. We submit ourselves to His will by giving to Him first.

God promises to bless those who give faithfully (see Malachi 3:10) and invites us to test Him in this. If you haven’t already, give a tithe of your income, even if you believe you can’t afford it. As you obey Him by tithing, God will pour out His blessings upon you.

“Religion begat prosperity …”
Rev. Cotton Mather

“… those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them …”

— 2 Corinthians 5:15

Do you have a high and holy cause you’re working toward, one you’d like to see resolved before the end of your life? William Wilberforce, the model Christian statesman of all time, had a cause for which he fought most of his adult life. His dedicated service is an example to all who would reach for a seemingly unattainable goal, one worthy of a lifetime of effort.

Wilberforce was born into great wealth and comfort in England in 1759. After attending Cambridge University, he was, at the age of twenty-one, elected into the House of Commons. Wilberforce found life in Christ, and after his conversion, he dedicated himself wholeheartedly to freeing the slaves.

What drove a man of such wealth and comfort to give of himself so completely? To live for Christ, and thus to live for others, became his consuming passion. His friend William Pitt, the prime minister of England, declared his belief that Wilberforce was the man to lead the way toward the abolition of slavery. Wilberforce believed, after much prayer, that God had spoken to him through his friend, calling him to a lifetime crusade. After intense study, Wilberforce took the floor of Parliament and introduced a bill to abolish slavery. Parliament overwhelmingly defeated Wilberforce’s bill that year, but he didn’t give up. Year after year, Wilberforce fought relentlessly for the emancipation of the slaves, beginning with the abolition of the slave trade. Wilberforce’s bill didn’t pass until at least twenty years after he had begun his crusade. A few years after that bill passed, Parliament passed legislation freeing all the slaves held in all British territories. On that day, seven hundred thousand British slaves were freed. Wilberforce was greatly moved to know that his lifetime of effort had finally resulted in the end he had sought. He thanked God that he had lived long enough to see the final results of his efforts.

If you work toward a heartfelt cause, toward fulfilling God’s call on your life, allow Wilberforce’s life to encourage you. Don’t ever give up. What God has called you to, He will most certainly fulfill.

“O Heavenly Father, give me a heart like the heart of Jesus Christ,
a heart more ready to minister than to be ministered unto, a heart
moved by compassion towards the weak and the oppressed.”
John Baillie