Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: the LORD keep the city, the watchman except waketh but in vain.Psalm 127:1
Daily Meditation
I will make with them a covenant of peace
And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 34:17-31
Think on These Things
And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out. (Deuteronomy 33:18)
The blessings of the tribes are ours; for we are the true Israel who worship God in the spirit and have no confidence in the flesh. Zebulun is to rejoice because Jehovah will bless his "going out"; we also see a promise for ourselves lying latent in this benediction. When we go out we will look out for occasions of joy.
We go out to travel, and the providence of God is our convoy. We go out to emigrate, and the Lord is with us both on land and sea. We go out as missionaries, and Jesus saith, "Lo, I am with you unto the end of the world." We go out day by day to labor, and we may do so with pleasure, for God will be with us from morn till eve.
A fear sometimes creeps over us when starting, for we know not what we may meet with; but this blessing may serve us right well as a word of good cheer. As we pack up for moving, let us put this verse into our traveling trunk; let us drop it into our hearts and keep it there; yea, let us lay it on our tongue to make us sing. Let us weigh anchor with a song, or jump into the carriage with a psalm. Let us belong to the rejoicing tribe and in our every movement praise the Lord with joyful hearts.
C. H. Spurgeon
Hymn
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1
Though beneath the drifting snow,
Summer flow’rs have been laid low,
I am safe in the tender Shepherd’s care;
Tho’ the sunbeams hide away,
On the dark and cloudy day,
I am safe in the tender Shepherd’s care.
Chorus
Safe, in the tender Shepherd’s care,
Safe on His bosom He will bear
Those who trust His mighty love,
Bear them to the land above,
Safe in the Shepherd’s tender care.
In green pastures I’ll be fed,
By the quiet waters led,
I am safe in the tender Shepherd’s care;
He will guide me to the fold,
Sheltered from the wint’ry cold,
I am safe in the tender Shepherd’s care.
Through the valley dark and deep,
He will comfort, He will keep,
I am safe in the tender Shepherd’s care;
Happy in His saving grace,
Till I see His blessèd face,
I am safe in the tender Shepherd’s care.
Consolation
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Psalms 33:6
Exhortation
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Ps 19:13
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