Rush To The Nations

My imaginative interpretation of Psalms 23: 1

 

First let me unpack the first two words: “The Lord.”

 

Although my earthly father died when I was only 4, my Heavenly Father, “God Almighty”----Creator and sustainer of all things, the one in whom we all live, and move, and exist---- He has adopted me into His family.  Not because of anything good I did or will do, but because of His great love, mercy, and grace.  In my place Jesus took the punishment I deserve, past, present, and future. 

Jesus personally risked everything for us, for all eternity, when He became a fetus.  Jesus was born into this world as a human being, a fulfillment of God’s promises.  Having chosen from the beginning His biological mother and step-father, He grew up with a looming death threat ever-chasing at his heels. 

When Jesus, the Lord of the Universe started his earthly ministry, he lived a faultless life of service; He flawlessly loved God and his neighbors as much as himself.  His earthly existence as a man was devoid the things this world offers except the most basic elements of life.  Jesus lived poor, lowly, without a marriage and kids, and during his ministry he was homeless. 

He did everything exactly as His Father-God asked, and of course, he endured all things for all those whom He would redeem.  He never used His power to defend what was rightfully and forever His, even to the point of being contemptuously slandered, lashed, spat upon, ridiculed, and beaten with hands and rods.  He was tortured to death, stripped naked, had nails driven through his hands and feet, and He hung on a cross in agony until He died.  Ultimately, Jesus fell to a place of complete abandonment from His Heavenly Father because of the billions upon billions of layers of damning sinfulness He willingly took upon himself in our place.  He died in sin and utter separation from the Father, experiencing the human emotions of brokenness, emptiness, hatred, and the hopeless hell of abandonment from perfect love.  He went to the grave for me.

Almost completely bled out, Jesus pronounced from the only platform he had--- an old rough wooden cross--- the appointed time of his death.  His life had been completely used up, prophesy was fulfilled, He had finished the task that He willingly came to accomplish by handing over His life in my place.

Since the love of His Father would not allow His Holy One to decay, He was raised from the dead, and restored to a higher place of honor in Heaven.  He is Lord over all other lords and King over all other kings.  Because He made an all-inclusive peace with the Father for all of us who believe, He is called “Prince of Peace”. 

Now that he sits at the right hand of His Father, He invites all people who are burdened with their sins and who have been crushed by this fallen world, to come to Him.  From every ethnic group and nation; from the Mormon Church; From the Jehovah’s Witness Church; from the religion of Islam; from the Buddhist temples; and from the poorest of poor and sick: Jesus says “come, come and be part of my lavishly wealthy, eternal family where even the streets are paved with gold.”  He has been preparing a place for us since he departed the earth 2000 years age.  Can you imagine what it’s like?

He sent His Holy Spirit to me 35 years ago and asked me if I would come be a part of His family.  I had no more right to His rich heritage than Adolph Hitler.  When I asked Him to forgive me and gave over my God-given right to be god, when I died to my earthly rights to serve my flesh, and when I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life, the old Rush died and I was born into His family; not from a natural birth but through the miraculous gift of His Holy Spirit being released into my body, mind, heart, and soul.  At that very moment, and forevermore, I was raised from the dead to eternal life.  I became part of God’s family and was seated with Christ in the Heavenly realm; whereby, I cry Daddy, Lord, Father. 

Although daily I have to put to death the old person that shouts “what about me”, I am a child of the King because He lives in me; yes, I am a son of the Almighty God; I am free forever.

So, “The Lord is my Shepherd”.  He is the one who leads, provides, and gives me a new family name.  I have everything that I will ever need because He chose me 35 years ago.  Nothing in this fallen-world can ever completely satisfy me except the Lord.  I am here for my allotted time to be one of our Shepherd’s ambassadors.  I’m asked to share the good news of peace until He is finished using me.  And until that time, He invites me to rest in the security blanket of his completed work of salvation.  He is forever infatuated with his love for me, and rightfully, He will forever be the object my praises.