It’s Freedom Friday.  We celebrate the compelling reality that life in not on our shoulders, but on God’s!  First, “The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need.”  This is healing to Shawna’s soul because most days she feels like she’s not enough.  In fact her first thoughts of the day can be:  “I didn’t get enough sleep. I won’t have the clarity of mind to do my job well today. I’m gonna tank before the day ends. I don’t have the capacity to handle anything unexpected with grace. I need a nap.” Maybe you can relate.  So Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need,” reminds us that what we lack is the perfect portal for God’s provision. What we need, He provides. What we need, He is.  Hear God gently whispering to you...”I am all you need, exactly when you need it.” 

Then, Perry admits that he can fall into obsessing about his past sins.  Ancient sins, decades ago.  And because that’s his reality (and maybe yours), he’s learned to practice self-forgiveness.   Self-forgiveness is choosing to accept what God has already declared to be true about us.  It’s a way to experience the power of the gospel when you get stuck looking in the rear view mirror.  And finally, you may very well feel it:  There’s a growing anxiety in our country with Covid cases on the rise, events being canceled, greater restrictions, hostility, division.  It can tempt us to think:  “What if everything gets worse?”  When we’re tempted to freak out we need to move from “What if,” to “Even if.”  Even if the worst happens, God is in control and we can trust him

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