Psalm 23
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Welcome...
Introduction…
Pray
Heavenly Father, please give me clarity in the words I speak.
Please fill us with the truth of your word and grant us
repentance where there is sin,
understanding where there is confusion, and
wisdom where there is foolishness.
Open our ears and our hearts,
Turn our affections towards you,
And make yourself our greatest joy and treasure.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Taking another break from the sermon series.
My heart is heavy.
I find myself reciting this psalm over and over...
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
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.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Introduction thoughts:
The Psalms give guidance on how to pray
The Psalms are real and raw
David is the author of this Psalm
David was a shepherd, so this imagery is near to him.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
The most powerful opening
This is both a confession and proclamation
This is to remind our spirit of the deep and true nature of God
Shepherd
Care
Leadership
Provision
Protection
I shall not want.
IF the LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing...
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
There is also the trust angle...
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Jesus calls himself the good shepherd...
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
God gives us rest and nourishment
Still waters are also “calm” or “quiet” or “peaceful”
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
God is the one who brings restoration and healing
God is the one leading your life, guiding you in righteousness
FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE
All for the glory of God
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.
Even when things are dark, I will not fear
WHY
Because God is with us
Rod = protection
Staff = direction
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
I read as many interpretations for “presence of my enemies” as I read commentaries
I think it likely means God provision is abundant even though we live among adversaries
It may also mean that God’s provision to us is seen by our adversaries
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
God is present in this life
God is present in the life to come
To be present with God is enough