...But God

Psalms 23: 1-6

Creators and Guests

Host
Chad McBeam
Business Leader, Foster Advocate and Fighter of Human Trafficking, Chad enjoys hosting this podcast channel as a way to spread and highlight the great examples of those who live out their faith daily. He can also be seen on occasion on your TV or Film Screen or be heard narrating one of your books as his love of acting has stuck with him since his childhood.
Writer
Aaron Marcarelli
After getting his under-graduate degree from Cal State University San Bernardino where he played college baseball and received all American honors. he was a graduate assistant baseball coach at both Trevecca Nazarene College in Nashville, Tennessee, and at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington.  He received his master’s degree in Teaching from Whitworth, with plans to someday be a head baseball coach at a university.  However, God had other plans.  Aaron started teaching English and History and coaching baseball and other sports at the high school level and found out how much he loves high school kids, and he has been doing that for the past 27 years.     Personally, heI has been married to his wife Sharon for 32 years, they have one daughter, Amanda Parrish, who has been married to Austin Parrish for 2 years. Aaron also has two grandsons Travis age 2 ½ and Aden who is 13 months and are blessed to have another on the way due in May. Aaron loves reading, golfing, and spending time with his wife and grandkids.
LC
Designer
Linda Cowen
Linda Cowen of San Antonio Christian School is our gracious and talented art designer for the But God, weekday morning devotional series.

What is ...But God?

A weekday morning devotional series written by Aaron Marcarelli and hosted by Chad McBeam

“The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.”
Psalms 23:1-6 NASB2020

Psalm 23 is one of the most quoted chapters in all the Bible. It is so filled with Thankfulness and praise, even though those exact words do not appear.
Giving credit to God as the good shepherd whose rod and staff give comfort. The juxtaposition of a rod and staff (both tools of a shepherd uses to correct course and to discipline) being a comfort to us is amazing. We must be thankful and take comfort in the fact that God gives us correction and discipline.
Walking through the valley of the shadow of death. God calls us to be uncomfortable and yet not to worry. Jesus says in Matthew 6:31-33
“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.”
The focus on being thankful for what we have. Which is eternal life through Christ’s saving grace.
God provides a banquet table so great and amazing, even in the midst of our enemies. Of course the physical enemies but also the mental ones such as: fear and doubt and despair.
We need to look back at the men and women who thanked God for the bounty of blessings in the midst of physical and mental enemies. William Bradford the leader of the Plymouth colony had a plentiful harvest and wanted to share it with his physical enemy, the natives, and thus the legend of the first Thanksgiving of this country grew. Then George Washington after the Congress finally signed off on a constitution in 1789. Asked for a day of thanksgiving and prayer. To think our country continued to thrive and grow for 13 years through a 5 year war for independence and 8 years without a constitution to govern the new country is a miracle in and of itself. Certainly Washington recognized that when he asked for a day of prayer and thanksgiving to God.
Then there is Sara J Hale who like the widow petitioning the judge in the parable that Jesus told. She too petitioned 5 Presidents from Taylor to Lincoln to get a national day of Thanksgiving and prayer. Finally Lincoln acquiesced to her request in 1863.
I would encourage all of you to read Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation. An executive order (not all those are bad) proclaiming the last Thursday of November a national day of Thanksgiving and Prayer. The year was 1863.
In my humble opinion 1863 was the worst in our country’s great history.
Lincoln faced political backlash for the Emancipation proclamation that was released at the beginning of the year. Military matters were not good, even though the union won at Vicksburg in the West and won at Gettysburg in the East. Death tolls continued to mount. The Union cities of Philadelphia, New York and Boston all had draft riots in the summer of 1863. Personally for Lincoln he had just lost his second son to sickness the year before. Yet the whole of the Thanksgiving proclamation is filled with gratitude to God for his amazing gifts and favor. He asks the country to pray for forgiveness for the sin of slavery and healing and reconciliation for the Civil War.
We are now 160 years later and our thankfulness and supplication prayers are the same.
Let us continue to pray for forgiveness, reconciliation and revival for ourselves and for this nation.
Lord we are so thankful to you and for your great gifts. Most of all for your gift of eternal life with you. We pray for healing for this country. Help us to love like you and encourage peace and healing. We pray all these things in Jesus name Amen…
Shalom Blessings and Press In and Press On!