No, not the sitcom which followed the lives of four teenagers at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive… instead, Mark spoke from Psalm 23 about this stage of our lives when we feel ‘in between’, ‘somewhere between who I was and who You’re making me’, to quote Casting Crowns!
Life is often likened to a journey. Being at one destination or another is fine: not all of us cope well with the journey in between, however! Yet much of our lives is spent ‘in between’. We have to realise that every stage of our lives is part of God’s plans, even those seemingly mundane, insignificant parts.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.”
God will lead us and guide us throughout every stage in our lives. He will care for us and will provide what we need.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside quiet waters.”
Our bodies are not designed to work non-stop. There is a time of calm and rest required for each one of us, and this verse speaks of the rest and provision God has for us. Sometimes we need ‘time out’ from the hustle and bustle of life in order to re-charge our batteries. Rest is an important Biblical principle we do well not to forget.
“He restores my soul and leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
God also provides spiritual rest for us. He renews our spirits and gives us the strength and vision we need to carry on. Many of His promises to us are yet to be fulfilled, yet we need to be aware that the ‘highs’ of great spiritual blessing and revelation often come from the ‘lows’ of ordinary spiritual life: prayer, service, and simple acts of charity. It’s a little bit like a tennis match, with long rallies between us and God as we wait for God to make the ‘ace’ or special shot which will define and shape our next steps.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Whatever valleys we have to walk through in life, God is with us. When our mortal bodies actually die, we pass from mortality to immortality. Then we will finally reach our destination, for God’s plan is for us to spend eternity with Him and this life on earth is simply part of that shaping. When we arrive at our destination, the time that seemed so important to us on earth will seem insignificant in comparison to the wonder of being with the Lord. We need not fear death, nor any dark valley in life, for God’s presence is always there to walk with us. We never walk alone.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
There are times in our lives when we feel oppressed by enemies (physical and spiritual enemies, perhaps!) Sometimes the enemy seems to have the upper hand, but this verse reminds us that even in those times, when we feel weakened and powerless, God’s provision is such that we have a feast spread out for us and an overflowing cup handed to us. God’s miraculous provision is one thing: the fact that He does this ‘in the presence of my enemies’ shows us that He has the upper hand in all situations, no matter how it may seem to us!
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
God’s goodness and mercy will always follow us and lead us to our ultimate destination. Life’s journey on earth is important in that it often shapes what we will take into eternity, but we need to remember that this ‘in between’ stage is not to be despised but to be embraced.
(A song which captures the sense of struggle and frustration which often come with being ‘in between’ is ‘Somewhere In The Middle’, Casting Crowns)