In our theme “let me tell you about my Jesus,” I was reminded this past weekend of a very familiar passage, Ps 23:

Psa 23:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psa 23:2  He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

Psa 23:3  He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Psa 23:4  Even 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.

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

Psa 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

David makes a very profound and impactful statement in verse one: “The LORD is my shepherd.” In that short statement, he makes the declaration that there in only one LORD by the use of the article “the.” He does not state that “Many LORDS are my shepherds,” but the LORD is my shepherd. Making this
statement clears the field of all the possibilities but one. The next key word is the word “is.” In math the word “is” mean equals. So, in this statement, “The LORD = my shepherd.” In the study of English grammar, the word “is,” is a linking verb which causes the following predicate nominative – shepherd, to
point back to the subject – LORD. Either way you get the picture. The next word “my” is of utmost importance as it demonstrates whose shepherd David is talking about and in doing so, makes it very personal. There is a one-to-one connection between the shepherd and David. Lastly, David’s use of the
word shepherd to describe the LORD is apropos given the context of David’s life. David understood the role of the shepherd in herding and caring for the sheep. In the next verses, he gives some indications of
what the role of the shepherd is in relation to the sheep, and the total dependence of the sheep upon the shepherd.

Making the application to the spiritual life takes on a whole new dynamic. Do we/I allow the LORD to be a spiritual shepherd to us/me, accepting His commands when received/known, allowing Him to provide restorative measures for our souls, and providing the strength when the going gets tough? Do we/I as sheep have our/my spiritual ears tune to the Shepherd’s voice? (Sheep have poor eyesight, so they have to depend on hearing the shepherd’s voice to know where to go.)

Putting this all together David states that “I shall not want.” He understood that when he was totally dependent upon the LORD, that the LORD would supply what is needed. So, the question is, “Are you equally totally dependent upon Him?

Thanks to all of you who took the time to participate in the parent teacher conferences, but do not let the conferences be the only platform or time for communications to take place. Please reach out to your teacher or the office if need be.

The students that went on the Creation Museum trip had a terrific time. Thanks for praying for them/the trip.

In an effort to spread the word about VCS, you can help by leaving a review of the school at this address: https://www.niche.com/k12/school-survey-sweepstakes/  You have the chance to win up to $1000.

Wanted: One or two more individuals that could sub teach when needed. A bachelor’s degree is needed.

Operation Christmas Child – shoe box packing will take place on Nov. 14th . Please plan accordingly to have appropriate items ready to be packed – elementary, or permission slips and money for the secondary students.

The Christmas program is on Dec. 15 @ 6:30pm here at the school. The program will consist of two parts, “A Celebration of Nine Lessons and Carols” and “Believe!” For the first part of the program, I am asking all students to wear a white button-down collared shirt, black slacks/pants, and black shoes.
Those of you who were at the program last year saw how professional the students looked when performing.

VCS is now hosting a ski club with Mrs. Jonelle Maddock as the club sponsor. The club will meet on Thursdays, beginning Dec. 8. The participant will be responsible for equipment, lift ticket, and transportation to and from Trollhaugen.

The next regularly scheduled VCS Board meeting will be on Dec 6th . Please forward to me any items for the agenda by Nov. 22nd .

I was reminded a couple of days ago that VCS has a RightNow Media account that you can join for free. If you do not know about that organization, use this link to check it out:
https://app.rightnowmedia.org/join/valleychristianschoolosceola

Continue to pray for God’s holy fire to rain down daily.

Pressing forward for His glory,
Ron