The House of the Lord

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever. (Psalm 23:6b)

The final promise of the 23rd Psalm neatly wraps up the narrative of the Good Shepherd. The quintessential "Happily Ever After," Psalm 23:6 tells us the end of our journey is not the end of our story. It serves as a reminder that, after God has kept us all through this life -- after He has led us through the Valley, after He has provided for us and kept us safe and found us rest and refreshment -- He will finally lead us to an eternal home with Him. 

What a promise! It is in this verse we learn that, though He is the shepherd, we are not merely sheep. Indeed, we are family to the Shepherd -- children of the King -- and He has prepared us a place in His own house!

This verse also implies another promise: that we do not wander in vain. That we have a destination. Sure, God promises to keep us safe in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, but why walk through it at all? Because, as we find in verse 6, we're going somewhere. We're not not merely walking around, grazing from field to field, but our Shepherd is guiding us to a permanent Home -- a place where there are no enemies, where still waters abound, where the shadow of death cannot reach. 

And we know that, once we get there, His home -- the House of the Lord -- is OUR home forever. 

Your Goodness And Love Will Follow

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.. (Psalm 23:6)

It can be easy, as a Christian, to spend a lot of time looking forward to the Afterlife. To Heaven. What could possibly sound as appealing, to those who love God, than the prospect of spending Eternity with Him? But you know, the first part of Psalm 23:6 reminds me that we don't have to wait for death to enjoy life with our Lord.

The NIV translates that section as "Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life."

When you commit to a life following Christ, you're inviting Him to dwell with you, to share your life. That's what Christians mean when we say we have a "relationship" with Him. It means He is there. It means we can talk to Him. We can enjoy His presence. 

So often, we get so caught up in our day-to-day lives, it's easy to forget He is literally with us. Because we can't see Him by our sides, it's easy to think of Him as being far away; as being someone we can only reach during our devotions or those quiet moments of prayer. But if you allow yourself to see, you will find His goodness and mercy follows you.

You can live an abundant life, filled with the goodness, love and mercy of Christ, right now. You don't have to wait for Heaven. He is there with you, if you just look for Him. 

Let this be an encouragement. No matter what's going on today, no matter what you have to do, your Lord walks by your side. He is with you in that meeting you've been dreading at work. He's with you in the crowded grocery store, when all you want to do is pack up your kids and go back home. He's with you as He nudges you to talk to that lonely person at school or work.

He is with you, once you find Him, with all His goodness and mercy, all the days of your life.

My Cup Overflows

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows. (Psalm 23:5)

We've talked before about what an interesting, amazing picture is painted in verse 5 of the 23rd Psalm: Sitting amongst your enemies, dining comfortably in the presence and safety of your Lord. This last phrase completes the picture: "my cup overflows." 

It is here that we begin to understand the glory of God's blessing -- how His grace is in His every act. It's enough that He is our Shepherd. It's enough to know He is wish us even in the valley of the shadow of death. Enough that He not only protects us from our enemies, but prepares a table in their presence. But now we see that when God blesses, He gives above and beyond mere need. Indeed, He so delights to give good things to His children, that He just continues to do so. 

But note here: He doesn't make the enemies disappear. He doesn't pluck us from the Valley. He could, but does not. Jesus promised in John 16:33 that we would have trouble, and we see that, even in His presence, the trouble remains all around us. But just look at the rest of what Jesus tells us!

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

I believe this is the meaning of the overflowing cup of Psalm 23:5: that you and I and the whole world might get a glimpse of God's power and authority over the evil on earth. Here is the big, bad world, controlled for a time by darkness. And here's God in the midst of it, blessing His children beyond measure. It's a poke in the eye of the evil one that makes me smile, but it's also a reflection of God's glory and greatness! And of His grace.

Grace is when we get what we do not deserve, and in verse 5, we see a filling of what we don't deserve, beyond the limit of even the cup He has placed before us.

You Anoint My Head With Oil

You anoint my head with oil (Psalm 23:5b)

In Scripture, anointing with oil carried two purposes: to heal, both spiritually and physically, and to set apart for God's use. David, with his unique place in history, must surely have been referring to both uses when he sang of the Shepherd anointing his own head. David, who would be King, but who felt wounded physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It hadn't been that long ago, after all, that David was literally anointed by the prophet Samuel to become King over Israel. 

It makes sense that anointing oil be used for the purpose of both healing and calling, and speaks to the way God chooses and cultivates those who will serve Him. 

As humans, we are inheritors of the Fall, broken at birth. We are born into sin, into a world of disease and pestilence and death. We are, in short, born wounded -- physically and spiritually dying from Day One. 

When we recognize we are the Shepherd's, and that He is our Lord, He anoints us for His use. Through His Spirit, He anoints us first for healing -- a balm and salve for our naturally broken state -- and then to set us apart. As David discovered, this is a part of the Joy of belonging to the Good Shepherd.

When we work for the World, we are used up and discarded. The world will take the best of us and, when it's through, leave us to die. But God isn't like that. God prepares us with a healing, and then marks us as one of His Own. So marked, the end of our walk on earth isn't merely death, but a homecoming. "You are mine," God says in His anointing. "Not just My sheep or servants, but my children." 

Anointing, then -- in both its healing and sanctification -- is inclusion. Inclusion into the service, and the Family, of the Almighty.

You Prepare A Table Before Me

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies... (Psalm 23:5a)

As David continues painting a picture of a Good Shepherd, the first part of verse 5 finds the narrator still in the Valley. Still in danger, with enemies nearby, the sheep, however, remains unworried. 

Mealtime is something I tend to take for granted. Whether I'm secure in my own home, or even out on the town, I can sit down to a meal and not really be concerned about potential enemies surrounding me. I have a feeling this is true for most of us -- which means that we, perhaps, can't quite grasp the enormity of what's being promised here in verse 5. 

I have a friend, a war veteran, who suffers post-traumatic stress. I didn't know how deeply this was affecting him until recently. I didn't know, for example, that he was unable to even go out in public without his nerves being on edge. If he went out to eat, assuming he could, his eyes were on the door, on the windows, on everyone in the restaurant. His back was to the wall to give him as much control over his surrounding as possible. He didn't feel safe. He didn't feel secure. He didn't feel at leisure to simply enjoy his meal. Physically, he wasn't at war anymore. But nobody told his nerves. 

I think about my friend, and I try to picture myself on edge, constantly wary and on the lookout for potential threats to my safety. Most of us can't even imagine living like that, but my friend can't forget it. Now, when I read Psalm 23:5, I think of my friend. I think of a man knowingly surrounded by enemies -- by people who want nothing more than to kill him.

This was, for a long time, David's life as well. On the run, hiding where he could from the king, always looking over his shoulder. Yet, in trusting that God had more for him, he knew he wouldn't be let down. He knew the Shepherd would never let anything happen to him. And so, feeling safe and secure, even as the eyes of enmity stared down on him, he could sit at the table prepared by the Shepherd Himself, and enjoy.

Chances are pretty good, your enemies in this life are not people who want to literally kill you. Chances are, your enemies are not even people. Ephesians 6:12 says we "do not wrestle against flesh and blood..." but against spiritual forces. In every way, these forces are actually worse than what we could ever face physically, because their goal is an eternal death. Yet, David reminds us, don't be anxious. Don't worry about these forces. They can't do anything do you that the Lord has not allowed.

He's in control. He's got it covered. That's the thing about following the Shepherd: when He sets the table, no matter where you are, you are safe to enjoy it.

Rod and Staff

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

Two simple tools of a shepherd, and yet in them, David finds comfort even in the darkest times. 

The rod is in part a weapon, keeping at bay the devouring enemy. And in part, it is a symbol of the shepherd's authority over the sheep, used to mark the tenth sheep for tithe and to guide them through the entrance of the fold. There is evidence that the scepter held by Eastern kings had its origins in this tool, signifying protection, power, and authority. 

The staff was also useful as a weapon, but even more importantly, was used for balance on difficult terrain, allowing the shepherd to rightly lead his sheep, and as a corrective tool to gently guide the sheep where they needed to go. 

In short, as long as the sheep kept to the shepherd, they never needed to worry about anything. He would lead them and protect them, finding them good grazing ground and making sure they were safe from predators. No wonder this was such a comfort for David!

Surrender isn't something that comes easily to many of us. But isn't it easier knowing the Shepherd has our well-being at heart, and is more than capable to lead us right where we need to be?

Through the Valley of the Shadow

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me... (Psalm 23:4a)

The reality is, the world we live in offers much to fear, and precious little comfort to go with it. The average person is left with only a few choices for how to live in this world, then. We can ignore it -- that is, pretend the trouble isn't as great as it is. We can choose (because it IS a choice) to live in fear. We can become fatalists, believing that whatever's going to happen will happen, and there's nothing we can do about it anyway. Or, we can believe that whatever does happen, we serve a God who can make it to work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Following the Shepherd isn't about ignoring the trouble around you; it is about acknowledging that He is greater than whatever the world can throw at us. Evil will do what evil does. Evil men will behave in an evil manner. 

When David talks about the Valley of the Shadow of Death, we recognize that, on some level, we tread that same valley each and every day. Death always hangs overhead, to some extent or another. Even when we're not thinking about it. From accidents to ailments to the acts of men, the number of things which could rob us of our lives while we're not paying attention can, if we let it, be truly daunting. We needn't pretend those things don't exist -- but we needn't fear them either. 

You have two things the rest of this big, bad world does not have, and they are all the advantage you'll ever need. You have the knowledge that death is not the end for us, but merely a step back toward Home. And you have a loving Shepherd who, even in the valley of the shadow of death, stands with you, walks ahead of you, and leads you where He knows is best.

For His Name's Sake

He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3b)

Have you ever wondered exactly why it is that the Creator of the Universe loved us so much He would send His only Son to die at our hands, carrying the weight of our debt and guilt? Has it occurred to you to stop and wonder why this same Creator desires a personal relationship with people as tiny as we are -- and individually, at that?

It still amazes me to think about it. Why would this God be our shepherd? Why would He make us to lie down in green pastures, lead us beside still waters, restore our souls? Why would He deign to lead us in the paths of righteousness, which we are incapable of walking on our own? 

Why does He do these things? For His name's sake! To put it another way, because it's who He is. It is in His nature to love -- to truly love -- because Love is who He is. 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8) (emphasis mine)

God is love. Our salvation has nothing to do with who we are; it has everything to do with who He is. Love is His very nature. It is the core and fiber of His being. He is Love, and so much more! He is Just. He is perfect. He, therefore, doesn't merely save us. He doesn't merely lead us to green pastures and still waters... but once He's taken us there, He then shows us how to be righteous. Because He loves us. 

Because that is who He is.

In The Paths of Righteousness

He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3b)

Our God is marked by His grace and mercy. These two key traits are how we best know our Messiah -- they are manifestations of His great love for us. We, meanwhile, are known by our need for His grace and mercy. If you're a Christian, this is pretty basic stuff. You don't come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ without first understanding what it is you need to be saved from. 

One of the wonderful things about having a God who saves though, is that He knows our strengths and weaknesses. Take, for example, Jesus' admonition in Matthew 5:48 to "be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Does He really believe you and I, in our own strength, can come even close to that kind of standard? If He did, He wouldn't have needed to die. 

No. He knows you and I aren't capable of perfection. We take a couple steps toward Righteousness and are as completely lost as a ship in fog with no navigation. But He doesn't expect us to tread the path of Righteousness on our own. Instead, He leads us. 

This is part of what it means to be a shepherd. The sheep don't always know the way. They don't always have the destination in mind. They get distracted. But the Shepherd knows where He's going. He knows what the sheep need, and how to get them there. So He leads. 

And the leading, too, is a part of His grace.

He Restores My Soul

He restores my soul...
Psalm 23:3a

Have you ever been bone tired? It's that level of fatigue where you're not sure where you're going to come up with the strength to take another step. All your body wants to do is fall down and stay where it lands. It's that feeling you get when all your reserves are used up. There are no more second winds. There is, simply, nothing left.

The beauty of Psalm 23 is that it speaks to the soul in that same state of fatigue. The soul that is spiritually used up; when you feel like you've given everything you have, and then some. There's an old cliche that says God won't give you more than you can handle -- but, deep down, your soul knows it isn't true. We are constantly given more than we can handle on our own. With all the darkness in the world, with all those who use us, or abuse us, with all that we have to give of ourselves... it all becomes too much, until finally our souls want nothing else but to collapse in on themselves, to be tucked away into a dark corner, and kept safe and alone for the next several years.

I've been there. So have you.

But the good news is, God never expected us to do it on our own. We are given more than we can handle, because nothing is more than He can handle. He's in this with us -- even more, in fact. And when we're exhausted, He lets us rest in him. And He not only lets us rest, but restores our souls.

To restore means to renew; to bring back to a state of health and vigor. When we rest in Him, He doesn't merely lend us support enough to go on; He brings us back to full health. More, in fact, He makes us stronger, because of the trials we've already undergone.

When you're willing to let yourself be led -- when you recognize God as the Great Shepherd, and submit yourself to His will -- He will give you rest and restore your soul.

Beside Still Waters

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2)

Is there anything as refreshing as a cool drink of water? Throughout the day, we consume a lot of different fluids. For some people, it's coffee or tea, juices or lemonade, adult beverages or soda. Yet, with all the choices the world offers, ultimately our bodies need -- our bodies crave -- simple, God-given water.

When you're going for a walk, or mowing the lawn, exercising in some way or simply exerting yourself more than usual, often the very first thing you want (after a breather) is pure, refreshing water.

Indeed, we love water so much, we find its very presence peaceful and calming. It's as though our spiritual selves long to be near it just as much as our physical bodies require it for survival. We build our homes next to it. We plan activities around it. We'll sit and stare at it for hours.

Maybe this need -- this physical, emotional, spiritual need -- is why Jesus talked about the Water of Life.

“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus knows our desires... but more than that, He knows our needs. It's our nature to drink. It's God's nature to lead us to the still, peaceful water of Life.

He Makes; He Leads

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2)

Sometimes, kids need a nap. 

As a parent, my job is to lead my children. Sometimes, I can lead them by example, or through suggestion. And sometimes, because I'm the adult and know what's best for them, I have to express my will more insistently. I have to tell them what to do, and expect them to obey it. Naps are like that. Very rarely will one of my 5-year-old daughters tell me they want to take a nap. Even when I can judge by their behavior that a nap is exactly what they need, their own will is to keep going, to stay awake. So I must make them lie down. I'm not taking away their autonomy; I'm helping them grow, because I'm giving them exactly what they need -- even when they don't know it. 

Sometimes, God works this way as well. Once we put ourselves in His hands, His expectation is that we will be submissive to His will. We are the sheep; He is the shepherd. 

What this means is that sometimes He will lead us beside still waters. He will guide us to refreshing water, and we will drink, because it is in our nature to do so. But it is also in our nature to keep going, long after our ability to walk straight, to think clearly, to follow well. We're not people who trust easily; who put ourselves fully under the authority of another. We're not people who willingly rest under the protection of another -- even when rest is exactly what we need. So, like a loving Father, He makes us lie down.

Many people have experienced this. Certain doors close; options are removed until all that is left is to shut down and to rest in His arms. 

Maybe this is what Jesus meant when He said,

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30)

He Makes Me To Lie Down in Green Pastures

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2)

There is something peaceful about green pastures and still waters. The whole scene, set in just those two sentences, whispers, "rest," for those weary enough to need it. Later in the psalm, we'll learn about a valley of a shadow of death, and about enemies being present... so this respite, this calm interlude, is made that much more important.

Indeed, in the busyness of our lives, in the day-to-day drama of living out our lives for Christ, in a world that increasingly values Self above all else, I find that I seek rest more and more. In the constant noise of our bustling age of electronic everything, how sweet it is to find that quiet place and relax in the presence of the Shepherd!

Jesus again echoes the Psalm when He says,

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

Yet, there's even more blessing in these pastures than simple rest. A shepherd himself, David knows that green pastures aren't merely bedding for tired sheep; they are also nourishment. A part of the rest offered here is the knowledge that their needs are being met. That they can rise at any time and partake in the abundant grass around them. 

This is what it means to rest in the abundant life of Christ: to lie down in green pastures, knowing the Shepherd is keeping watch, that He has met our needs, that He has it under control.

I Shall Not Want

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)

In the first verse of David's hymn, we learn of a Shepherd who supplies the needs of His sheep. "I shall not want." Or, in another version, "I lack nothing."

This first verse could be seen as an introduction to the rest of the psalm. In verses 2-6, David will tell us about many of the needs God is meeting. But it's also a more profound statement than that, because he isn't just saying, "my Shepherd will provide the following." He's saying, "I have everything I need."  And, to go further, the reason he has all he needs is that the Lord is his Shepherd.

Jesus touched on this very subject -- and in fact neatly paraphrased this first verse -- when He gave His sermon on the mount:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

It's easy -- and for many, tempting -- to turn this into a test of faith. To look at this verse and wonder why it doesn't seem as though our needs are being met. To wonder whether persecuted Christians throughout the world can take comfort in this Scripture. But they can! Much of this is about perspective.

Like the old song says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus / look full in His wonderful face / and the things of earth will grow strangely dim / in the light of His Glory and Grace."

The things of this earth are temporary, where God is concerned with the eternal. They are finite where God is Infinite. In Psalm 23:1, we learn that when we follow the Shepherd, He will take care of our needs, leading us where He wants us to be. And what He has in store is so much better than what this world can offer.

Like all of Psalm 23, this is reminder to rest. To not worry. And, most importantly, to trust that your God has things well in hand.

The LORD is my Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd... (Psalm 23:1a)

We often use the 23rd Psalm as a hymn of comfort. And it is. But more than that, it is a song of faith -- and of faithfulness. Faithfulness on the part of both the sheep and the Shepherd.

In this first verse, We learn the identity of our Shepherd. In Hebrew, the word "Lord" is written as YHWH, a name for God so Holy the Hebrews wouldn't even pronounce it (even in translation, the vowels are removed out of reverence and respect). In reading these manuscripts, Hebrews would instead see this designation and pronounce it as "Adonai," a word meaning "Lord." In a world of many cultures, celebrating many deities, David wanted no mistakes as to the God he worshiped. The Hebrew God, "YHWH," said David, "is my Shepherd."

This is a weighty distinction. And as much as it is a comfort to the Hebrews -- to those who claim YHWH as their God, it is meant also as a warning to the enemies of Israel and of God. Remember: David, too, was a Shepherd. Not only did he tend his sheep and see to their proper feeding, he protected them as well. He killed a bear and a lion with only his sling to defend his sheep.

Perhaps David, then, knew of what he spoke when he boldly confronted Goliath:

“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

He knew, as a shepherd, that as much care as he provided for his sheep, the God of Israel would provide that much, and more! 

Psalm 23 was written as a man who was a shepherd. A man who knew his shepherd -- the one who kept him safe -- was no mere mortal, but the Lord God!

Get Lost!

I hate being lost. Hate. It. There are few things more stressful to me than not knowing exactly where I'm going. I'm not even particularly comfortable with guessing.

It's a control thing.

It's true in general, and it's true in my life as well. I've never been somebody who always needs to have a plan, but I've always had the need to be in control. Even if I didn't know where I was headed, I had to know where I was. There's a difference, you see, in knowing where you are and actually having a destination. For me, the destination was never as important as simply knowing my location.

Yet, as I seek to follow God's Will, I find I sometimes don't even know that much. And I'll be honest: it's unsettling. This has been what might be called a "growth area" for me, as I learn and grow in Christ. Giving in. Giving up control. Recognizing that, even when I don't know where I am or where I'm going, He does.

Have you ever followed a friend to a destination, because you weren't familiar with the area? I still do that. Having lived here for over a year, I still don't always recognize where I am... and certainly have no idea how to get wherever it is we're going. So, I wind up following somebody. If you've been in this situation, you also know that knot of panic that settles in your stomach if, Heaven forbid, they go under a yellow light, stranding you at the red.

This is what it feels like to step outside of God's will. Speaking from the experience of years of wandering around lost, you find you lose that need to have control as soon as you hear His voice say, "Here I am."

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell^[a] in the house of the Lord

(For more on this topic, see my earlier 2-part post, Where To, God? Part 1 ... Part 2)

The Spirit of God: The Cultivator of Perfection

"Fruit of the Spirit," by Amber Hadden
Available thru Fine Art America.

I talk a lot about the Fruit of the Spirit. Even though Scripture only lists these attributes in this manner once, their importance is undeniable.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
 
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:18-23)

  
Part of the reason these things are, I believe, so important is because they are the attributes of God.  Right before Paul lists the forbidden acts of the flesh, Paul reminds us we are now under Grace, and living in the Spirit of God -- and are therefore not under the law. However, these two ideas are inseparable. You can't live outside the law -- that is you are still subject to punishment under it -- unless the Spirit dwells within you. How do you know the Spirit dwells within you? Because, through Him, you exhibit love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

These things are, if you like, the fruits of the seed the Holy Spirit plants in your life. God is a great farmer: if your soil -- your heart -- is prepared, He will cultivate His attitudes and attributes in your life. We have freedom in Christ -- that is, we are no longer penalized under the Law -- because these fleshly acts are no longer a part of who we are. The soil of our hearts has been stripped and churned and replanted with the Spirit. 

We are called, then, to "Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." God not only saves us from the penalty of sin, he calls us out of our sinful lives, and gives His spirit to live and work within us to make us more like Him. To love as He loves; to be joyful as He is joyful and peaceful as He is peaceful. We are called to be kind, good, and faithful -- just as the God who holds back nothing good from His children, and who indeed gave even His own son as a sacrifice. To be as gentle as the Shepherd who leads us beside still waters and restores our souls (Psalm 23), and as self-controlled as the God who stays His hand and gives grace instead of wrath. 

I love reading about the fruits of the Spirit, not only because they remind me who I ought to be, but because they are a picture of who our God already is!