Living by Faith

This devotional comes from a book, Heart of the Matter, and is written by David Powlison. As a side note, several weeks ago David Powlision was diagnosed with 4th stage pancreatic cancer. Based on his more recent writings, he is still relying on the Lord, even with this dire diagnosis, trusting the Lord for comfort and strength. I took a course with Powlison 15 years ago. A three hour class went by in what seemed to be minutes. His wisdom about the human condition was mesmerizing. He's a wonderful, godly man.

This devotional is based on a reading of Psalm 23:

Whatever your future, you are called to live by faith today. Jesus says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34). Jesus wants you to depend on him one day at a time. Learn not to worry about tomorrow. To do this you must meditate on who Jesus is.

More than any other passage, Psalm 23 brought Jesus to life for me in my struggles with fatigue. The psalm is full of promises - he provides, he restores my soul, he is with me, his goodness and mercy pursue me all of my days. Make this psalm your own. Jesus, your good Shepherd, will fill you with confidence. God doesn't meet us the way we want, but he does restore us. No matter what you are facing, you have a Shepherd who is with you, restoring you, and bringing good things - himself - into your life. Learn to trust him, and you truly have something worth living and dying for.