Be Made New: Stress
February 18, 2024Pastor Patrick presented today's message, "Be Made New: Stress." A video of the message is here.
At the outset, while introducing the 23rd Psalm as the text for the day, Pastor Patrick mentioned peace as an overall opposite of stress. His message today is about getting rid of stress and moving toward peace. It may be helpful to review the fullness of the Old Testament word for peace, shalome. Click here.
Patrick outlined his message with six points:
1. Look to God to meet all needs. Psalm 23:1. Let's look at the Hebrew word for shepherd, ra'ah (רָעָה), which is the metaphor developed here. In addition to obvious shepherding as in taking care of a flock, some other concepts are also part of the meaning. One of these is to tend or to care for. God cares and tends for us. Another concept associated with ra'ah is teacher, including the notion of enriching. Letting God in grants you teachings (through his word) and the enrichment of your life. In yet other instances, the word can indicate a ruler, someone who shepherds through governing (e.g. Jer. 22:22). There's also a notion of feeding, as in he provided food for thought or fed on his faithfulness (Psalm 37:3). The last one I'll mention is friend or friendship (Prov. 22:24).
2. Obey God's instruction about rest. Psalm 23:2. Patrick spent a bit of time noting that even God rested on the 7th Day (of Creation) and also commanded that we do the same every week on the Sabbath. It's even in the Ten Commandments (TCs)! As we've discussed here before, the intent of this kind of rest is not sleeping all day. It includes reflection. What did I do the previous six days and did those things get me closer to what's important? I might add, "over the last 6 days, did I do things that added to or took away stress?" Observing the Sabbath is the only ritual commandment of the big ten. Ritual is a physical expression of a value, and in this case, the value is to get closer to your Shepherd by recognizing Him as Creator. Also, being the only ritual in the Ten Commandments makes it arguably the most important ritual of all Old Testament instruction. It's also the only one of the TCs that provides a reason (Exodus 20:11).
3. Go to God for guidance. Psalm 23:3. Let's look at the word lead, nachah (נָחָה). In addition to the common understanding of lead or guide, there are other connotations to this word. One of these extends guiding to treating others kindly (especially the helpless, often). When feeling helpless, which no doubt leads to stress, let God lead you. In a positive sense, one can be led into prosperity and righteousness. A text where God will lead/guide you into righteousness is Isaiah 58:11, "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." 4. Trust God in the dark valleys. Psalm 23:4. Valleys, as Patrick noted, can be any/many kinds of loss. It's interesting that the word for valley used here, gay (גַּיְא), is related to the word for pride, gevah (גֵּוָה). And isn't it true that following our pride gets us into deep gorges (another way to translate gay [valley]).
5. Let God be your defender. Psalm 23:5. Let's look at the word for enemy in that verse: tsarar (צָרַר). Just as Patrick mentioned that loss can come in many forms, so does the Hebrew word for enemy indicate or include lots of forces/situations that are bad. These include anything that could be described as adverse: being bound or tied up, restricted, narrow (confined/cramped), damaged, harmed, harassed, and scant (of resources). Any hostility. Anything that puts you in distress (originally from the Latin meaning to hinder, punish). Anything that vexes you. It can even refer to a rival, as in a rival wife (see Leviticus 18:18). How's that for covering the world of loss?!
6. Expect God to grant you His goodness. Psalm 23:6. The word translated as goodness is towb (טוֹב). This Hebrew word is used to describe about every goodness, pleasantness, or agreeableness you can imagine. Goodness to the senses, as in smell, sight, or taste. The pleasant shade of a tree. A good day, as in a festival day, or a prosperous year. The best part of something like an area in a house. Good tidings or a good report. Unity of brethren. It can mean good as in valuable. It is the word used when God said various parts of His Creation were good. It can suggest appropriateness. As you're no doubt gathering, it can mean lots of things and is used many times in the OT, about 562.
Almost all of the details for this word discussion came from BibleHub.com's Interlinear Bible, one of the items listed on the Credits tab. I don't always mention the resources I use in every essay. But, you may assume that practically all the info presented across this website was derived either from the items in the Credits tab or specific sources mentioned along the way. I'm simply sharing what I have found to be interesting.
Bonus
Vision Beyond Yourself
We often think that we must see something through to the end. It's far more likely that our lifetime is merely a piece of a bigger picture the fulfilment of which we won't see, at last not with our bodily eyes.
Abraham understood this. Abraham knew that he would not see the blessings that God promised his descendants. Similarly, Isaac would not see the fulfilment of the promise either. But they steadfastly stuck to God's plan.
Try not to see any fulfilment of God beginning and/or ending with yourself. You may simply be a piece of the puzzle for future aspects of God's kingdom on earth. Rejoice in that. Enjoy being that.
The Torah teaches how to have the long view of things through the stories of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, and are restated in Deuteronomy.
Bonus2
God Writes in His Own Hand (Four Times)
You might get a kick out of pondering these four times that God wrote in His own hand.
1. Law: Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 1-17.
2. Judgment: King Belshazzar feast, handwriting on the wall. Daniel 5. This is from where the expression "see the handwriting on the wall" comes. For more, click here.
3. Forgiveness: Accusation of the adulteress, Jesus writes on the ground. John 8: 1-11.
4. Life: The Book of Life, writes the names. Revelation 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27; 22:19 (Exodus 32:32-33; Psalms 69:28; Psalms 87:6; Daniel 12:1; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3).