ManageYourEmotionsBook8.5x5.5_RevJULY.indd

I thought I would arrive five minutes early to an important appoint- ment but got there 15 minutes late due to traffic.The weather was supposed to be sunny for my daughter’s outdoor wedding this week- end now they’re predicting heavy rain Fortunately, Scripture has a great deal to say about the sub- ject, with King David being one of the main contributors through his prolific writings, particularly Psalm 23, our central text in this chap- ter. As we work our way through David’s crown jewel, first allow God to supply. Any hope of moving from stressed to blessed rests upon God being our main source of strength. David had his faults, yet, as a “man after God’s own heart,” he eagerly sought God for the following: Provision. Israel’s King acknowledges God’s sufficient supply by writing, “I shall not want . . .You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies . . . My cup overflows” (Psalm 23:1,5). Have we not already seen numerous times so far in this book that God takes care of His children? In fact, He “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Ephesians 3:20). His table reference brings to mind a good old fashioned church covered dish meal where a myriad of home cooked meats, casseroles, salads, veggies, and desserts abound.Also, we have a cup, not empty, or even partially full, but spilling over with spiritual and physical blessings. Protection. As a powerful public figure, David had his share of enemies including some who wanted him dead. Nevertheless, he could say, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, forYou are with me,Your rod andYour staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). No doubt David reminisced about his days as a shepherd when he used his staff to guide sheep to pasture and keep the wild animals away. Perhaps he reflected back in Hebrew history to that time when Moses stretched his staff over the Red Sea, causing it to

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