BBD 09.12.03 All Tied Down
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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09.12.03
All Tied Down
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green
pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads
me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, 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
runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. - The 23rd Psalm.
While hospitalized I found myself facing a new situation. The last time I
had been in the hospital it had been 43 years ago when I was ten years old
and had my appendix taken out. It was a different world then with sheets
between the beds and one bathroom at the end of this large ward of beds. I
do remember though that I enjoyed the food with fruit juices and my uncle
brought me a comic book. They now have these six sticky things they stick on
your chest and hookup wires to them like having a continual EKG. Those wires
all flowed off to the right, as did the tubes for the blood pressure cuff
and the oxygen level placed on my right finger or taped on as it sometimes
was done. On my left side was a portal where IV fluids were dripped into my
blood. There was about three feet of leeway for me to stand and move on my
left side, which was enough to make it to a potty chair. My options for
movement were more limited then they had ever been in my life.
The words of the 23rd Psalm flow with words of comfort and peace which we
will never outgrow the need of hearing. I have always loved verse two, "He
makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still
waters." "He makes me lie down.." The shepherd would bring his sheep into a
place of good pasture and would make them stay in that good place. The
making of the sheep to stay where there was good food to eat and still
waters to drink was for their benefit. However, as I have been told many
times, sheep are not very intelligent. If the shepherd did not make them
stay in the place where they had protection, food, and water the sheep would
have wandered off. It was for their benefit. Most likely it was hard for the
sheep to understand.
It was hard for me to comprehend the inability to move but it was for my
benefit. It benefited me in that life-giving medicines flowed into my body
and that the condition of my body could be constantly monitored. If it had
been up to me, I would have just unplugged everything and walked out but I
was too weak and I knew it would only delay my healing. Like the sheep, I
was made to lie down in a place of "green pasture" and "still waters." Like
the shepherd of sheep, the Great Shepherd was constantly watching and
present the entire time. I think I had been sick for more than a year and
had not realized it. It was slowly growing worse until I had an acute
attack. It could have been much worse. I am thankful for a time of "green
pastures" and "still waters" that have helped to bring healing and renewed
life to my body.
Are you all tied down? You may not be tied down physically with wires and
tubes as I was - it may be something else. I will leave that to you to
consider in your own life but if you are tied down, it may be for your
benefit. The Great Shepherd may have reached down and given you "green
pastures" and "still waters" even though you did not want them. But it is
for your benefit. It is because He loves you and is caring for you. There
may come a time when He leads you on to new pastures and new waters - until
then remember you do have a Shepherd and He loves you. Can you feel your
soul being restored? I can feel mine.
Copyright © 2003. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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