Most of the bible isn't worth reading, study shows

The bible is too long.

Like, sure, it's God's word and all that. But sixty six books? We don't have time for that!

A book authored by He who made the universe is probably worth a glance or two, but at the same time God surely doesn't want us to compromise on our consumption of Plato, J.K. Rowling, or Netflix. It would be unreasonable of him to expect us to actually read the whole thing!

To save us all some time, I have taken the liberty of actually attending church for a year and noting how much each book of the bible is mentioned by the preachers. After all, if a preacher doesn't mention a book of the bible for an entire year, clearly God doesn't care if we neglect it too. Or even if He does, more importantly, our Christian friends wont think us under-read if we skip it.

This way we can come up with a ranking of the best books of the bible, and only read those.



The flat ranking

1. Psalms, 47                 6. 1 Peter, 19                        10. Ephesians, 13
2. John, 28                     7. 1 Corinthians, 17              10. Isaiah, 13
3. Romans, 24               7. Acts, 17                             13. Luke, 11
4. Colossians, 22           7. Philippians, 17                  14. Galatians, 10
5. Matthew, 21              10. 2 Corinthians, 13              15. Mark, 8

I only list fifteen as surely that is enough even for the most over-saved amongst us. As you can see, my research confirmed my suspicions; we really don't need to read the old testament at all, apart from the fun poem-y things and the feel-good bits near the end of Isaiah. 

As for the new testament, we can still afford to pick and choose a lot. We can certainly get away with just reading one of the gospels - in fact I'm really not sure why God chose there to be four in the first place, but I guess sometimes he makes mistakes.

And we can basically ignore the second half of the new testament as long as we skim through 1 Peter at some point - though having carved out the time to read it I'm not sure why it ranks so highly... it's all about depending on Jesus, abstaining from sinful desires, suffering, and living for God; not exactly my cup of tea!

But hang on. 

Those first four books on the list are all really long, and it's not that impressive to be mentioned in loads of sermons if the book also goes on for ages. What we want is to assess which books of the bible will contain the most useful nuggets per word we read, for maximum time efficiency. So let us try ranking by density of references. 

The density ranking

Aha, this is much more hopeful; now it's all about those short, juicy books!

1. Colossians, 111.1            5. 1 Thessalonians, 33.3              11. Titus, 22.2

2. Philippians, 77.3              7. Galatians, 32.3                        12. 2 Corinthians, 21.7
3. 1 Peter, 76.0                    8. 1 John, 28.0                            13. 1 Corinthians, 18.1

4. Ephesians, 43.0               9. Romans, 25.5                         13. 2 Timothy, 18.1

5. 3 John, 33.3                  10. 1 Timothy, 22.7                        15. John, 15

This is better news than I could have possibly have hoped for; we really can discard the entire old testament on this more sophisticated density model.

Though something's gone a bit wrong... 3 John is in fifth position on this ranking scheme, even though in an entire years' worth of preaches it only received a single mention, simply because it is extremely short. A new model that does not so reward brevity is in order; that way we can avoid wasting our time reading silly short letters. 

Let us try making the score proportional to the number of references and inversely proportional to the cube root of the length of the book, just for bants.

The weighted ranking

1. Colossians, 81.3               6. John, 44.1                              11. Acts, 27.3

2. 1 Peter, 65.2                     7. Ephesians, 41.8                     12. 1 John, 23.9

3. Psalms, 62.4                     8. 1 Corinthians, 37.4                13. 1 Thessalonians, 22.7

4. Philippians, 60.8               9. Matthew, 34.1                        14. Isaiah, 18.1

5. Romans, 52.8                 10. 2 Corinthians, 33.2                15. 1 Timothy, 17.7

Now that is more like it. The gospels are safely out of the top spots so we wont be confronted by Jesus (who makes me uncomfortable) too often. We still get to read some poetry occasionally but other than that it's just loads and loads of good old Paul.

I suggest you stick to simply reading Colossians when you have nothing better to do, though you really should read 1 Peter at some point. But feel free to skip anything that doesn't meet your fancy. Remember: man was not made for the bible, but the bible for man. And of course if ever you feel like reading some poetry, do check out the fun psalms - 16, 23, 27, 62, 103, 139, 145 -  but don't venture beyond that!

There you go. A perfect formula for getting that balance between feeling religious, and not actually wanting to spend much time reading the bible.

You're welcome.

**END OF SATIRE**

We are eager to hear from God, yet we neglect to read what he has already spoken.

We say that we live for God, yet we conform to culture more than to scripture.

We say that we delight in God, yet we enjoy fiction more than we enjoy his word.

We say we preach the whole gospel, but we neglect most of the bible in our sermons.

Do not add to what I command you

and do not subtract from it,

but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you    - Deuteronomy 4:2

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for 

teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

so that the servant of God may be

thoroughly equipped for every good work.                                 - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

  Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

but whose delight is in the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

  That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither - 

whatever they do prospers.                                                          - Psalm 1:1-3

My intention in writing this post was to point out, and help us to think about the fact, that most of us prefer some bits of the bible to others. Also, I aimed to analyse and gently critique the 'pick and choose' sermon style that is prevalent in many churches.

A lot of churches are not covering the books of the bible at all equally in their sermons, and this 'cherry-picking' attitude filters down into the way we view the bible in general. This results in comfortable sermons, a theology catering to church leaders or to the fancies of the individual, and a lack of exposure to much of the bible for those who are not vigilant in their personal study of scripture. 

In the experience of my own reading of scripture and of those whom I know, it seems that we leap on the nice 'memory passages' like Romans 8, and with equal enthusiasm leap away from the trickier books, like Micah. This is something I am manifestly guilty of; my previous fifteen blogs were on Psalm 23! 

I would like to challenge everyone reading this to try reading a book of the bible you haven't read for a while - perhaps try Micah. Read it the whole way through. Pray through it. Ask God for help understanding the tricky bits. Study and meditate on it. Ask yourself why you haven't read it for a while. Consider making this sort of venture a habit.

Perhaps it's okay to read some bits of the bible more than others, and that some verses stand out to everyone. But is it okay to only occasionally mention anything in the old testament outside of the psalms, and is it okay that no-one knows what happens in Zechariah?

Do we trust that the whole bible is God's word, or do we put it through the filters of our common sense, and our sense of how 'relevant' things are, before we decide what to read? Do we really delight in all of scripture, or just the bits that sit nicely with us? Most importantly, do we find that all scripture increases in us our delight in Jesus Christ?

Perhaps it needs to be stressed that a more balanced approach to personal devotions is needed than is possible in church sermons. But perhaps we should also make sure that our sermons are more 'evenly spread' throughout the bible. And perhaps we should also make it a habit to do sermon series that go through a single book of the bible in detail, lest we get too pre-occupied with our own motives to grasp all that God has said to us.


I have not written much in this section because I want this to be the start of a conversation.
I genuinely would love to know your thoughts on this!

God bless,

Jeff

P.S. The figures and bar chars above were genuinely taken from a years worth of my sermon notes. A lot of these notes were taken from my 'home' church in Coventry, my 'university' church in Cambridge, and the Christian Union I attend, so no single person can be held accountable for the unbalanced nature of the results.

Furthermore, I am fully content in both the churches I attend and am on the executive committee for my CU; it is hopefully clear that this post is in no way an attack on any of these (or any other) churches or organisation. I wish only to ask questions and provoke thought.

Psalm 23 - And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever (15)

David concludes from his current blessed state that he will dwell with God eternally.


Eternal perspective

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward
to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.            - 2 Peter 3:13

This is the crescendo of the psalm, the "one great lesson taught us by all the vicissitudes of life" [Alexander Maclaren]. It provides us with a lens through which we can correctly view the rest of life. All of the tables of blessing and valleys of despair of this life are to be understood in the light of seeing how they prepare us for an eternity spent in communion with God.



On the road

Our citizenship is in heaven                             - Philippians 3:20
We are therefore Christ's ambassadors             - 2 Corinthians 5:20

As those who follow Jesus in this life, we are already on our way to our eternal home. Once we ascend to eternity our souls will cease their journey and be in an everlasting state of rest. But even now we are not spiritual wanderers, but those already granted citizenship in heaven. As Vance Haver puts it, "Christians are not citizens of earth trying to get to heaven but citizens of heaven making their way through this world."  

When we die we will experience no change in identity, citizenship, or company. We will remain children of God and inheritors of his kingdom, dwelling in the house of the Lord. For now we are ambassadors for Christ; his representatives in a foreign land to proclaim the good news of Jesus, but soon we will be coming home, and home we surely shall stay.

Coming home

My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so would I
have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?       - John 14:2

David is persuaded enough of the endurance of God's favour towards him to say with confidence that he will remain with God forever. How much more can we, with full knowledge of what Christ has done for us, be sure that we too will partake in this everlasting communion?

And who is welcome to stay at someones house indefinitely, a servant or a son? What a wonderful reminder we see here that we are children of God, for if we were anything else we could not be sure of our eternal welcome. Knowing that we are children of God gives us a basis for the assurance that our stay in our fathers house will see no end.



Delight in the Lord

We are to live in preparation for eternity now. One thing this meant for David was to live utterly content with his lot in life. How petty squabbles and anxiety about what role God wants us to have in his plan seem when we know that we are to dwell in his house forever! May we declare proudly with king David that, "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." [Psalm 84:10].

I wonder whether we are among the religious who only pop into the house of the Lord to appease him, or like the prophets who longed to dwell in the house of the Lord. Do we linger at the throne of grace longer we feel we need to, or are we quick to get on with our busy lives?

David (shepherd, giant-slayer, song-writer, fugitive, king of Israel, adulterer, father,...) had his share of doubts, hardships, and shortcomings. But he knew God. My prayer is that as we too experience the ups and downs of life, we would be able to say with David

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.       - Psalm 27:4

Psalm 23 - Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (14)

The forgiveness and favour we enjoy now is eternally secure in Christ.

Goodness and mercy

As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!       - Psalm 40:11

In verse 1 David says "I shall not want", and here he restates this but with renewed joy and confidence. He is not alone through the darkest valley and so he fears no evil, but more than this God prepares a feast for him, anoints him with oil and fills his cup to overflowing. God works everything to the good of those who love him [Romans 8:28] and delights to show mercy [Micah 7:18], so we who follow him enjoy his goodness and mercy.

Surely follow me

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you.        - Deuteronomy 31:8a

How sure we can be that this goodness and mercy will be with us! Why would God send his precious Son to die for our sins if he was not sure he would bestow mercy on those who accepted his atoning work? And why would God, having done this for us, then hold back on sharing his good inheritance with us, his adopted children?

And these things will follow us "into all places and all conditions" [Matthew Henry]. God's love and compassion never fail, and are new every morning [Lamentations 3:22-23] so we know that even in the darkest valley and even in the presence of our enemies God will go before us and will be with us. His goodness and mercy will follow us wherever we may go.

Eternally

He will never leave you nor forsake you.                                 - Deuteronomy 31:8b

Is this wonderful condition of ours a temporary one, here for now but ultimately fruitless? Surely not, for our God is eternal [Malachi 3:6] and his plans are unchanging [Psalm 33:11] and he makes perfect the good work he has started in us [Philippians 1:6].

We can know that the safety of soul we are granted through Christ, and spiritual gifts and blessings we inherit as God's children, are not something bestowed upon us merely for a season, but are things that foreshadow and prepare us for an eternity spent with God. 

Therefore

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.                                  - Deuteronomy 31:8c

This last verse is in part a conclusion drawn from earlier revelations in the psalm, but it also goes back and reinforces when David says "I will fear no evil". Not only are we sheltered by the Spirit and hidden with Christ in the darkest valley now, but we also have no fear of God abandoning us; our current state of safety is eternally secure, so truly we have nothing to fear.

Psalm 23 - You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows (13)

God gives us his Spirit and in him an abundance of blessing
so that we can enjoy him and share him with others forever.



Oil of love

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; 

she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. 

And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.                      - John 12:3

In some parts of the East it is customary to anoint visitors with fragrant perfumes as a sign of love and respect. We see something like this in the above passage from John, and something akin to this tradition is probably what David refers to here in this verse.

One might expect a masters' name to be written on his servants hands as a sign of ownership, but never the other way around, yet Isaiah 49:16 says that God has marked us on his hands. Similarly here where we assume it our place to love and adore God, he anoints our heads.



Oil of priesthood

But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. - 1 John 2:20

Oil was also used in the Old Testament to anoint the heads of the high priests to set them apart for the Lord. But now we are "a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" [1 Peter 2:5], and so we are continually anointed by the Holy Spirit, given knowledge and courage and gladness. We must remember that this priesthood is only possible through Christ, because he intercedes for us before God.



Cup of abundance

And my God will meet all your needs
according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.           - Philippians 4:19

Along with being anointed with oil, a visitor in the East may well also be given a cup of wine, filled until it runs over as a sign of being offered an abundance of all the host can offer them while they are guests. The same offer God makes to us, and what an offer - our host can offer everything, and moreover he expects us to stay forever!

Truly we lack nothing, because we know that the God of the universe loves us enough to not spare his Son for us, and therefore surely will freely give us all things. Our cup overflows.



Cup of blessing

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down,
shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.                - Luke 6:38

Why would God give us too much for our own cups to contain? Surely so that our cups can overflow into the cups of others who lack. "The showers that fall upon the highest mountains, should glide into the lowest valleys." - William Secker. We are called to show the same generosity towards other people that God has shown us in sharing the fullness of his kingdom with us. Our cup overflows that we can fill others' as ours has been filled.

Psalm 23 - You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (12)

Enemies surround us but the Lord is with us, fighting our battles, so all is well.



Enemies surround us

Everyone will hate you because of me,
but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.      - Mark 13:13

In his time David had many enemies; lions and bears after his sheep, Goliath and the philistines, and at times Saul - to name a few. This may feel like a reality somewhat divorced from our own, but Jesus is quite unequivocal on this point: his followers will have enemies. After all, they are following a man who was killed by the roman state for blaspheming.

Let us not be surprised then, when we encounter opposition from people. It is not a sign of being right, for fools are often despised. But neither is it a sign of wrong doing, for any persecution we may suffer was also endured by Christ, and countless martyrs after him. 

But the Lord is with us

Many times David faced enemies stronger than himself, and saw the hand of God deliver him. On one striking day when God rescued him from the hand of Saul, he said "the LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge" [Psalm 18:2].

It is not because he lacked enemies or failed to feel their imminence that David could say that he had a safe place of dwelling and a deliverer. Rather, because he knew God's nearness he could be sure that despite the closeness of his enemies, and their apparent strength, he was safe.

Safety comes in our nearness to God,
not in our distance from our enemies        - Dillon Burroughs

Fighting our battles

For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you 
to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.      - Deuteronomy 20:4

In 1588, upon being informed of the approach of the Spanish Armada, Sir Francis Drake reportedly replied that he had time both to finish the game of bowls he was playing on Plymouth Hoe, and to defeat the Armada. While this likely had more to do with knowledge of the tides than assurance of victory, this is similarly curious behaviour to what we see in this verse.

How strange, in the midst of enemies, to have a table laid out for you to eat. A soldier in the midst of battle is lucky to snatch any food at all; much less will she manage a three course meal at a local diner. Yet we are afforded this luxury in the midst of our battles, for they are not truly our battles at all, but the Lords - and he has already secured victory on the cross!



So all is well

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning - Psalm 30:5

It is remarkable that David can move from talking about his death in verse four to talking about the feast that awaits him here in verse five. But this is the journey of every Christian, both in our daily lives and once for all as we die to wake in eternity. We are always travelling from darkness into light.

We may rest in Christ through our current struggles because we know that God is working all things to our good. And we may rest in Christ as we think upon our eternal destination, because we know that God is preparing for us a feast in heaven.

We may enjoy the same peace that enabled Peter to sleep so soundly even in prison facing his execution in Acts 12. Spurgeon says of Peter, "he was ready to die [for the gospel of peace], and that made him able to sleep" - may that be true of our lives also.

Psalm 23 - Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me (11)

Like a shepherd for his sheep, Jesus ensures that we follow him and protects us from harm.




Rod of holiness

A rod was used by a shepherd to count his sheep. In Leviticus 27:32 we read, "every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod will be holy to the LORD." and so it is with us; God chose his children before the creation of the world [Ephesians 1:4] and those he chose will be counted as holy before God in the day of judgement.

Rods were also used to quicken the pace of dormant sheep; so too God encourages us in faithful obedience and in passionate worship of him, leading us on to more blameless and holy lives. What a comfort this gives us; that God both counts us as holy and causes us to walk in that holiness.



Rod of discipline

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.
For what children are not disciplined by their father?                         - Hebrews 12:7

A rod was used by a shepherd to beat his sheep into obedience. The experience, though unpleasant for the sheep, was to train them to follow the shepherd and was ultimately for their safety.

It is similar in the Christian walk. In hardship our dependence on God becomes more evident. In wandering astray we learn that God is our source of safety. Whether we are on the mountaintop or walking through the darkest valley, we know that God is working to our good.

God does not withhold suffering from his children, but disciplines us in various ways in order to train us to depend on him and to recognise that Jesus is our only true guide in this life.



Staff of protection

The LORD will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life    - Psalm 121:7

Yet in all of this hardship, we will be kept from all harm. God protects us in the primary sense from his wrath against our sin by sending Jesus to pay for it on the cross, but he also protects us from harm in that he ensures that there is no temptation we face that is too strong for us to bear [1 Corinthians 10:13] and in that Jesus continually intercedes for us at the right hand of God [Romans 8:34].



Staff of comfort

For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,
so also our comfort abounds through Christ.                                         - 2 Corinthians 1:5

Though wolves and bears and lions were out to ravage the sheeps pens, the sheep need not fear provided they had a good shepherd. How much more can we be comforted by God as our shepherd! Christ has already won the victory over sin and death and so we who have the eternal God as our refuge [Deuteronomy 33:27] can be certain beyond all doubt that we are safe in his fold.

Psalm 23 - I will fear no evil, for you are with me (10)

What, then, shall we say in response to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?                                    - Romans 8:31



God is with us

Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the LORD.                          - Psalm 144:15

Though we may have to pass through many dark valleys we can be fearless, for God is with us. He has ransomed us by his blood on the cross, and he holds us completely safe in the palm of his hand. Our good shepherd will not let us wander too far from him, and so we can rest in him knowing that our souls are secure and that all things that happen are for our ultimate good.

God is enough

Even if a mother were to forget the child at her breast, still our God would not forget us [Isaiah 49:15]. Therefore, if a young child can rest secure in her mother's bosom in the midst of calamity, how much more we can rest in the shadow of the Almighty [Psalm 91:1].

Christ's blood shed for our sake on the cross is sufficient to credit us with righteousness through faith, which demonstrates our Father's desire to protect us. And we know that if our Father so desires he is powerful enough to protect us from all the arrows of the evil one. Therefore we will fear no evil.



God is satisfied

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.                 - Hebrews 6:19-20

How is it that God can afford us this security of soul? Through the blood of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus died on the cross the curtain separating the holy of holies (where God dwelt and where the high priest would offer sacrifices once a year) and the rest of the temple tore from top to bottom. This symbolised that Jesus had become our Great High Preist, who now eternally intercedes for us before the throne of God. God is satisfied with Christ and his righteousness is imputed onto us.



God is just

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just

and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.   - 1 John 1:9

If it were not for us being in Christ, and his spirit being in us, we would have much to fear. But because he is with us, God judges us according to Christ's perfection and not according to our own short-comings. For God to condemn us for our sins when we are in Christ would actually be unjust, as Christ has completely paid our debts for us. Truly, we fear no evil because he is with us.

O, to feel as David did the security of soul that Christ has bought us! Let us pray earnestly that we would truly believe the gospel of grace, lest we forget and drown in the strains and hardships of life. 

"I want to talk to you about heaven," said a dying parent to a member of his family.
"We may not be spared to each other long.
May we meet around the throne of glory, one family in heaven!" 

Overpowered at the thought, his beloved daughter exclaimed,
"Surely you do not think there is any danger?" 

Calmly and beautifully he replied,

"Danger, my darling! Oh, do not use that word! There can be no danger to the Christian, whatever may happen! All is right! All is well! God is love! All is well! Everlastingly well! Everlastingly well!"

[John Stevenson]

Psalm 23 - Even though I walk through the darkest valley (9)

The dark valleys we walk through in this fallen world as sufferers with Christ are for his glory.



The dark valleys

In the days in which David wrote this psalm, people would avoid walking through dark valleys where possible as they were prime places to be attacked by robbers [Luke 10:25-37] or by enemies with arrows. But sometimes situation would necessitate travelling through the valley.

David uses this predicament as an analogy for dark moments in our lives we find ourselves having to endure; for death, physical and spiritual attacks, and any other hardships we may encounter. In these things, says David, there is nothing to fear. Not even the arrows of evil one, culminating in death of the body, for the Lord was with him. And He too is with us.



We walk through

Believers do not shy away from the valley, but neither do we hasten towards it. Rather, as in the rest of our lives, we simply walk with God through it. As Spurgeon says, "to walk indicates the steady advance of a soul which knows its road, knows its end, resolves to follow the path, feels quite safe, and is therefore perfectly calm and composed."

In some translations, "darkest valley" is translated "valley of the shadow of death". For those who are in Christ, death has lost its sting [1 Corinthians 15:55] and thus dying has lost its substance; a mere shadow remains. We go through physical death, but our souls have already passed from darkness into light [Colossians 1:13]. Therefore we can be sure that death for us is but sleeping to wake in glory.

In this fallen world

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  - Romans 5:3-5

No matter how privileged our lives may be on earth, our imminent deaths serve as the ultimate reminder that we are living in a fallen world. How important it is that we do not expect the Christian walk to be free of suffering. Not only does living in a fallen world necessitate our suffering, but God so works in it as to produce in us a hope that will not put us to shame.





As sufferers with Christ

For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. - 2 Corinthians 4:11

When we place our hope in Christ and are baptised, we enter into the death and resurrection of Jesus. But as we see above, as we live righteously in Christ we continually join him in his death so that even our dying bodies may reveal the resurrection life of Jesus. We have the treasure of Christ, but in jars of clay. This is so that it remains clear that all the power we have comes from God, and ensures that all glory this treasure attracts is given to God.



Are for his glory

So we are called to lives of suffering for the sake of the glory of Christ. This entails giving up everything to follow Jesus [Mark 10:21], waging war against our fleshly desires [1 Peter 2:11], and enduring persecution for the gospel [Matthew 10:22].

At these things we should not be surprised, for they are promised by Jesus and are a mark of true believers. Even though we experience darkness in our lives, we may rejoice and remain steadfast in Christ our redeemer. Let us say with Paul that, "to live is Christ; to die is gain." [Philippians 1:21]

Psalm 23 - For his name's sake (8)

God leads us in paths of righteousness with the ultimate end of the exaltation of his name.



His Name

I am Jehovah. That is my name; I give my glory to no one else. - Isaiah 42:8

In our culture, names are little more than labels we assign to people to distinguish them from one another. But the name of God holds far more weight than this. We are to call on his name [Genesis 21:33] and by his name we are saved [John 1:12]. We pray in his name [John 14:13-14] and gather in his name. [Matthew 18:20]. We suffer for his name [Acts 5:41] and will one day bow at his name [Philippians 2:10-11].



Made known

Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.    - Psalm 105:1

Though God is unchangingly glorious in who he is, at this present time he is not recognised as such. Though he is supremely glorious, he is not given the glory that is rightfully his. Though he is glorious, his name is not fully acknowledged.

We are to make Christ known to the world that they might honour him as he deserves. We are to exalt him with our words and our actions and our very lives. Every good and perfect gift comes from God [James 1:17] and he alone has rescued us from darkness into light [Colossians 1:17] so we are to credit him by proclaiming his goodness and mercy to all we encounter.


By righteous living

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. - 2 Corinthians 9:13

When we live in such a way as to make Christ look precious in our lives, we exalt his name. We do this by faithfully proclaiming the gospel and by living righteously.

Proclamation of the gospel fills up "what is lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, the church" [Colossians 1:24] in that it propagates the news that Jesus has died for our sins if we only would believe in him. And righteous living means our lives visibly authenticate the preciousness and sufficiency of Christ as we conform ourselves to him in humble dependence.



In his strength

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  - Psalm 23:3

Our lives bring glory to the name of God. But not because of good work we do in our own strength (for that would bring us the glory) but because of God leading us in lives of righteousness.

As we live according to his will, in his strength, we make him look precious which adds glory to his name. Even when we mess up, and he has to guide us back onto the righteous paths, this too brings glory to his name as it displays his sufficiency and his great love and care for us frail creatures.

Psalm 23 - He leads me in paths of righteousness (7)

By the Spirit's guidance we walk in obedience to the Father, in the footsteps of Christ.


Many paths

When David was writing this psalm, there were no highways in the desert, but simply the visible tracks of previous travellers. Several of these trails of footprints would run parallel; many paths, but one destination. So it is with the Christian walk; as those around us follow Christ they leave trails for us to follow. As we are all running the same race, all these paths end at the throne of grace.

In our lives these trails are often barely distinguishable from the multitude of trails that sooner or later meander away to destruction. What a joy and a relief to know that we are led by God himself!



Led by God

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. - Exodus 13:21

In his immense love for us God does not leave us stranded in this world, but provides us many means by which we can live righteous lives. He has revealed himself in scripture and in Christ, and so as we meditate on these things we come to know the will of God. With our intellect and our conscience we can prayerfully discern his will for our lives, by his Spirit we can live this out faithfully, and by his grace he will lead us back whenever we should wander astray.



Escorted by Christ

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. - 1 Peter 2:21

Jesus is more than a teacher and a good example. He is also the lamb that was slain, and he is our great high priest. Nevertheless we are called to follow him, to imitate him, to join him in his death and resurrection, and to be conformed into his image [Matthew 4:19, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Romans 6:5, Romans 8:29]. 

We can walk in paths of righteousness because Christ first walked in them. And as we enter in his death by dying to self and picking up our crosses, we also participate in his resurrection life - with resurrected bodies in the age to come, and in obedient living until that day. 

We therefore were buried with him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life. - Romans 6:4

Guided by the Spirit

God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth - 2 Thessalonians 2:13

This participation in Jesus' life is realised in part now by the 'sanctification of the Spirit' that all Christians undergo. Spurgeon writes, "...to a thoroughly renewed heart this is one of the sweetest gifts of the covenant." 

On the cross Jesus absorbed God's wrath against us and we were fully justified and set free from the penalty of our sin. But there is an ongoing work of the Spirit in us that purifies our very beings, that we might be set free from our sin itself - and in the long run from even our desire to sin.

By the Spirit we are being made holy, so that we will seek out paths of righteousness. Praise God for keeping us on the narrow path, that one day we may be able to say with Paul,

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.    - 2 Timothy 4:7

Psalm 23 - He restores my soul (6)

As well as granting us rest and good works, God works in us to keep us steadfastly in him.



Restored by God

We previously saw that God gives us rest in his word and godly activity by his Spirit. Here we see a new level of intimacy; that God himself "restores our souls". It is not the words that we read or the things that we do that are sanctifying us; rather, it is God himself. Even when things are tough and the future looks bleak we can know that God is nurturing our very souls that they might flourish in the future. This restoration is to be completed upon Christs' return but it is clear that for David this was a very real and present thing. So it should be for us too, and we would do well not to shy away from it.



Restored body

"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."                                                                       - Isaiah 40:31

The result of a life spent resting in God and walking with God is not fatigue, but restoration. Because we are made to be in relationship with God it is the thing that edifies and builds us up the most. Thus even if we pass through busy or difficult times, we know that if we do so depending on God, our souls will not suffer but will be restored. So we will have energy enough to do his will for our lives. Even in times where we feel faint, even at the brink of death, God will sustain us.

"[God] will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."     - 1 Peter 5:10



Restored mind

"Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you
 and protect you from the evil one."                                - 2 Thessalonians 3:3

When we are low in energy and suffering physically or mentally, the result is often a perversion of the affections. We stop delighting in Christ above all, and begin to swap him for his gifts to us as the ultimate treasure in our lives.These could be prosperity, power, sex, respect, friends, knowledge, ...

For all of us though, at root it always comes down to plain ugly idolatry. But our ever-faithful shepherd restores our affections for him and rekindles our worship of him that we might be once again faithful to him. Our faith is a badge of grace and not of pride, for it too is a gift of God.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God"                - Ephesians 2:8



Restored soul

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!"     - 2 Corinthians 5:17

The restoration that God brings about in those who believe is much more than an enduring profession of faith. When we believe in Christ we cross over from death to life [John 5:24] which changes our very beings. God doesn't merely boost our feelings but completely transforms us into the likeness of Christ in a mysterious now-but-not-yet way; we are redeemed once for all time by Christ's blood and yet God continually nudges and steers us towards himself until the day this transformation is fully realised.

"For by one sacrifice he has made perfect
    forever those who are being made holy"                        - Hebrews 10:14

Psalm 23 - He leads me beside still waters (5)

Of first importance in the Christian walk is waiting on God, but from this naturally flows activity.



Led by God

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God - Romans 8:14

"He leads me"; starting our days with a 'quiet time' listening to God is good, but it by no means warrants us the rest of the day to spend how we like. Quite the opposite. Beginning the day with rest in his presence is the prerequisite to an entire day spent in intimate communion with him. Christians are not called to lives consisting merely of 'feeding' (i.e. receiving from his Spirit), but we are called to "press on toward the mark" as Paul did [Philippians 3:14]; to pursue holiness and to work hard for God's cause for the prize that awaits us in heaven.



Active for God

In everything you do, put God first,
and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.    - Proverbs 3:6

King David was led seamlessly from rest in the presence of God to activity under the instruction of God. This we must ask for and aspire to.

Some of us are quick to finish our quiet times and 'get on with our day', always far too busy to really spend any time 'dwelling in the house of the Lord'. Others of us are inclined to fill our lives with so many meetings that we never get around to doing anything; enjoying a comfortable church service but reluctant to care for the homeless, or even our own families. Which of these are you?

Resting in God

There is a gentleness in this verse. It says "leads", not "drives". As Elijah discovered, the Holy Spirit resides not in wind, earthquakes or fires, but in a still soul (1 Kings 19). The law drove us by our guilt; Jesus leads us by his example. And in all of this we are "beside still waters"; a life with God is an adventure and one that may involve great suffering, but one that is experientially pleasant and easy as ultimately we know that our souls are secure. Hence despite knowing all of the sufferings Christians would endure, in Matthew 11:30, Jesus could say, "my yoke is easy and my burden is light."



Filled by God

God leads us by water; he knows what we need and will lead us to it. More than we yearn for our daily physical nourishment he delights in providing us abounding spiritual nourishment. The "still water" he leads us by are the refreshing springs of his Spirit, the bottomless pools of his word, and ultimately the ever-satisfying living-water of his Son offered in full to us at the cross.

As the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’    - John 7:38

The water I give them will become in them
a spring of water welling up to eternal life              - John 4:14

Psalm 23 - He makes me lie down in green pastures (4)

Your job is to abide in my pasture
Eating sweet grass and drinking pure water,
And sharing both with others—
That is a lamb’s business.                                            - Jessica Coupe



Rest in the Lord

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. - Psalm 62:5

In this clause and the next we see that the Christian life has two components; the still, and the active. This one concerns itself with the former, which is in itself telling. We tend to think that first we do, and then we rest. But this is not the pattern laid out in Genesis. It was evening, then it was morning. So too the order here starts with rest and ends with activity. God works in us in our rest, and it is from that place of contemplating him that all of our activity should flow.



Meditate on Scripture

I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways.
I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.   - Psalm 119:15-16

Spurgeon takes these green pastures as direct reference to the Scriptures; "always fresh, always rich, and never exhausted. Sweet and full are the doctrines of the gospel; fit food for the soul, as tender grass is natural nutrient for sheep." Praise God that we are afforded such an abundance of spiritual food in the bible; not only good for the soul, but sharpening to the mind and delightful to the heart.

Rarely do we go a day without eating food, and if ever we do we feel the lack of it in our bodies. But do we notice the effect a day without time spent meditating on Gods revealed truths to us has on our souls? O, to have a conscience sharp enough to discern this! May we cherish this spiritual nourishment more than we cherish our daily physical bread.



Depend on God

What a humility we are afforded! Before we do anything - before we do even the Lord's work - we are to rest.  To live like this requires a total dependence on our Shepherd; it must not be our goal to maximise our productivity (which is idolatry) but to trust how God has apportioned our lot.

Yes, labour and work and hardship are integral to the Christian walk. But these flow out from a soul quieted by the grasping of the Lord's sufficiency and supremacy. Let us then pray for the courage to 'lie down' in a world that never stops, even when it costs us.

Thou hast created us for Thyself,
and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee            - Augustine