My Personal God
Notes
Transcript
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
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.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
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.
Introduction
Introduction
How many of us are living a life of complete luxury? One where we have someone waiting on us hand and foot - literally and figuratively? One where we don’t have to want for anything, but have everything at our fingertips? Yeah, me either. But even in this old world, most of us still live a very comfortable life. In the United States, we only see a poverty rate of around 10.5 % according to a poll conducted in 2019. But still, even at THAT rate of poverty we are blessed compared to our contemporaries in many other countries. According to Pew research, on a global scale, the majority of Americans are either upper-middle income or high income. Even many deemed “poor” by the U.S. government would be middle income globally - or living on $14,600 to $29,200 per year. We can think of all the many reasons why this is, but simply put the Lord has blessed the United States abundantly. We have not really ever had to want individually or as a nation.
So then, if God has blessed us abundantly, why is major depression one of the most common mental disorders in the United States? Research shows us that approximately 17.3 million people have had depressive episodes in the United States - 7.1 % of all adults in America, and shockingly depression was highest among those aged 18-25. But let’s also look at some of the trends among this age group - while 51% say they are absolutely certain there is a God, only 27 % see attending church once a week as a priority, only 17% attend a prayer meeting or bible study at least once a week, and 47% think our guidance on right and wrong comes from “common sense” compared to only 24% that think religion guides us morally and ethically. Even more surprisingly, only 23% feel there are clear standards for right and wrong, while 76% think it depends on the situation, and 43% feel scripture is not the Word of God. And we wonder why we have surprising liberal thinking and increasing depression in this age group. They have no hope in the one who provides hope! They do not look for guidance for the one that created them. They look for other things to guide them. They talk a good talk, but their walk is not with God. Folks, we have let our young people down by NOT instilling the Word of God and their relationship with God as a priority in their lives. We as a CHURCH have let our students down by turning bible study into social time. We have let our young people down by trying to entertain them instead of trying to educate them. We have let the next generation down by allowing it to be “their choice” as to whether or not they choose to attend church. We have failed as a whole.
How do we break this trend? How do we turn these numbers back to a reliance on God? We must realize that God is not some heaven dwelling ruler with an iron fist, waiting to punish us every time we do something wrong. God is not a God only of a group of “religious people”. God does not only serve Baptists. Even when we see the picture of the God of the Jews, as giving commands to the whole of believers, we are given very specific insights into the personal relationship each of us have with God. David, here in Psalm 23, gives us a wonderful picture of - not a vengeful and wrathful God - but a personal, loving, caring, providing, forgiving, and restoring God.
My Shepherd
My Shepherd
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
David, being a shepherd himself, realizes that all he has and is comes from God HIS shepherd. But, why sheep? Why not cattle, why not donkeys, why not cattle? In the ancient Middle East, sheep were a symbol of wealth. Their wool provided yarn for clothing, their milk provided drink and cheese, and their bodies provided sustenance and were preferred for sacrifice. But, sheep are extremely dependent - to be fed, watered, cared for, and protected they must solely rely on their shepherd. Let to their own, we find disastrous examples. In 2005, a Turkish newspaper reported “Turkish shepherds watched in horror as hundreds of their sheep followed each other over a cliff.”
First one sheep went over the cliff edge, only to be followed by the whole flock, according to the reports.
More than 400 sheep died in the 15-metre fall - their bodies cushioning the fall of 1,100 others who followed.
In 2010, again a Turkish newspaper reported “More than 50 sheep commit mass suicide by jumping off cliff in Turkey” More than 50 sheep on their way to slaughter in Turkey beat their executioners to the punch and jumped to their deaths in an unexplained and unprovoked mass suicide.
Herder Mejmet Gana saw his animals, and his money, vanish into thin air when one sheep suddenly leapt off a cliff, only to be followed by the rest of the flock.More than 50 sheep on their way to slaughter in Turkey beat their executioners to the punch and jumped to their deaths in an unexplained and unprovoked mass suicide.
And in 2017, More than 200 sheep fell to their deaths after being chased off a cliff by a bear.
The sheep belonged to a farmer in Couflens, France and were frightened off when the predator attacked one of its flock.
After the predator attacked the first sheep, the other 209 ran away in a panic.
As we see in these examples, without an attentive shepherd, destruction is inevitable - even when it seems completely strange and outlandish or by when pursued by a predator.
This, to me, is a perfect example of us - as humans. Left on our own, we ramble, wander, and straggle away. We follow the crowds, even when it leads to destruction, and even find ourselves prey to the predator IF we are not under the watchful care of the Good Shepherd.
However, when we are cared for and tended by the Good Shepherd, we will never want. All our needs will be plentifully supplied and we are protected from the enemy.
Notice the change, though, in verse 2 “He makes me lay down in green pastures”. As a ruminant animal, sheep rely on green pastures for their source of food. It primarily provides for their nutrition.
When pasture grasses get short, we must rotate them to other fields with an abundant source of food. However, some sheep will defy this move - maybe they think they have plenty of food left in the field, maybe they know where their favorite tasting grass is located in the field and are comfortable there, and maybe, just maybe, they’re stubborn and just defy the shepherd.
Sometimes being led into the places of great abundance are difficult - we may not see the need, we may be comfortable where we are, we may try to defy the Shepherd. But, in His desire to do what is best, He forces us from our own desires, our own comfort, and our defiance and takes us to a place where we will prosper and grow.
Not only does He provide us with nourishment - physically and spiritually - “He leads me beside still waters”. For a sheep, water is a necessity of life, just like for other animals. While they are not inherently afraid of water, how many sheep have you ever seen swimming or standing in water? In most cases, if sheep are in water it is out of necessity, not enjoyment. In fact, fast moving water can be a hazard. Slow moving, bulky sheep can be swept away in fast moving water, the mud and rocks can cause them to get stuck or lose footing leading to physical injury, and their wool can become water logged, weighing the sheep down leading to drowning.
Because of this, sheep are more confident and relaxed around slow moving, quiet water. Knowing this, a good shepherd will take his sheep to quiet and slow moving water to drink. Our Good Shepherd also knows that we need water. Not wanting us to be strained by the fast moving waters of life, God leads us to areas where we can be confident and relaxed, also. But I don’t want it to be lost the personal nature - My Shepherd, He makes me, He leads me - even though God rules and reigns over all believers, He is still a personal God who is concerned for each of us individually - and He personally sees to our needs, and our restoration.
My Restorer
My Restorer
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Have you ever gotten to a place in your life where you are just so mentally and physically tired that you don’t know how you are going to continue the pace you are on? Not only is our Shepherd concerned about our nourishment, He realizes the need for our soul to be restored and refreshed.
Think of the things that lead to mental and physical exhaustion - we are so caught up in the hustle and bustle that we do not take the time we need to personally find peace and rest. Can I tell you we can get the same exhaustion spiritually? Continually being in spiritual battles will lead us to not take the time for spiritual peace and rest. Less bible reading, less time in prayer, less time in church - all as a result of the hustle and bustle of life - leading us to a weak spiritual immunity, not able to fight of the disease of sin in our lives.
If we allow our Shepherd to restore our soul - we can find physical, mental, and spiritual rest. When we are following our Shepherd, then He leads us to places that bring spiritual rest. It is important for us to follow Him, as He will always guide us in the right way - because He is our protector.
My Protector
My Protector
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.
When you think back to old westerns, where did most ambushes take place? Usually in deep valleys with little in terms of protection. Those who stood on the high ground had the advantage - the light would illuminate shapes within the valley, they could see for a long ways, and they could find areas of protection and hiding before they made the ambush. Oh, how many times do we feel like we are in a spiritual valley - like everything around is is closing in - like evil has the high ground advantage.
I can confidently tell you, life will bring us to dark times - times where we feel overwhelmed. Life may take us into darkness when we are concerned about our physical well being - illness or disease may have entered our lives, maybe all things we know as “normal” may collapse around us, leaving us with the feeling of darkness closing around us, or maybe we allow circumstances in our lives to allow our minds to wander in dark places and away from God. But we are told, when we find ourselves in these dark places, we can confidently fear no evil - our Shepherd has us under His watchful eye of protection.
Not only is our Shepherd just watching over us, He has come prepared for battle with His rod and staff. In biblical times, a shepherd consistently used both a rod and a staff to tend the flock.
Both were used to protect the sheep, each in a very specific way.
The rod was used to fight off wild animals and to count the sheep and direct them. The rod prodded them during the day in the fields and at night into the sheepfold. A willing sheep would respond to the prodding, but a stubborn, strong-willed sheep would not.
While sheep might not be as dumb as often suggested, they do have characteristics that give some merit to that claim. They’ll indiscriminately eat just about anything, regardless whether it is something that could harm or kill them. They endlessly wander, seemingly without direction. And many sheep stubbornly resist the shepherd’s prodding. That’s why the staff, with a crook at the end, is needed. The shepherd uses the staff to more strongly exert his authority and to gently, but firmly, pull the sheep back to the fold and keep the sheep moving in the right direction. He can also use the crook of the staff to pull the sheep from harm.
Why do we find comfort with our protector carrying the rod and staff? He provides gently and sometimes forceful guide us and protect us not only as a protector, but as our provider and sustainer.
My Provider and Sustainer
My Provider and Sustainer
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
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.
We see a change from sheep in a pasture, provided with plenty of sustenance and slow moving pools of water, closely guarded and protected from the enemies that seek to harm us to a banquet hall with a lavishly set. Not only do we see this picture of our Shepherd just providing our basic needs, but there will be a time where we think it is all going wrong and life is just out to “get us”, when God sets before us a bountiful feast that has been lavishly supplied. Christians, there are times where this life will seem to beat us down to the point we wonder if God is even seeing what is going on or hearing our cries of help. If we remember to the picture presented from the time of the Last Supper up to Christ’s death, we see Jesus praying that God take the cup away from Him if it be His will, all the way to Him crying out to His Father wanting to know why He had forsaken Him. My question to you is simple - have we ever had to face a time when we knew God would turn His back on us? NO! And it was because of that moment when Jesus died and took on the sins of the world that we no longer have to worry about whether God WILL ever turn His back on us. “You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies” - despite the worst danger rolling around David, the Lord provided a banquet - he had been provided for. Not only that, but He had been anointed with oil. W. Phillip Keller, in his book “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”, makes this observation “Only those people who have kept livestock or studied wildlife habits are aware of the serious problems for animals presented by insects in the summer. Warble flies, bot flies, heel flies, nose flies, deer flies, black flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and other winged parasites that proliferate at this time of year. Their attacks on animals can readily turn the golden summer months into a time of torture for sheep and drive them almost to distraction. Sheep are especially troubled by the nose fly…an insect that buzz about the sheep’s head attempting to deposit their eggs on the mucous membranes of the sheep’s nose.
If successful, the eggs will hatch in a few days and a small, slender larvae work their way up the nasal passages into the sheep’s head setting up and intense irritation. For relief, sheep will deliberately beat their heads against trees, rocks, posts, or brush, and in extreme cases a sheep may even kill itself to gain relief from the aggravation. An attentive shepherd can identify the “fly time”, and applies a homemade remedy of linseed oil, sulfur, and tar to act as a protectant against nose flies. Gone is the aggravation, gone is the irritability and restlessness, and the sheep soon lies down in peaceful contentment.”
Many of us, too, are tortured by the parasites of life. Constantly trying to escape the irritation and discomfort they cause. But, there is a remedy - if we apply it. We must continue to apply the continuous anointing of God’s gracious Spirit to overcome the ever-present aggravations of life. Daily, we should ask the Good Shepherd to anoint us, and we are told in Luke 11:13 he will give to those who ask.
13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
But notice, we must be sheep in the flock of the Good Shepherd to have His guidance, His protection, His restoration, and His provision. It is when we have asked God for His forgiveness that we are given these luxuries in this life. It is then that we can be guaranteed the same comforts David speaks about when he says “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever” and we are assured we are being cared for by the same personal God as David.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The 23rd Psalm is a wonderful analogy of life. The picture of the pasture and sheep, giving us life-sustaining nutrition but also many dangers and temptations illustrates our life here on earth. We are provided for, but sin has made us thing the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. The only thing we forget, is the fence is there for our protection, and once we cross the fence we find ourselves in trouble. Oh Christian, how many times have we left the safety and comfort of our Shepherd to look for the things on the other side of the fence - the things of this world - and found ourselves in trouble? But our Shepherd is a personal and loving Shepherd and will do whatever it takes to bring us back to Him.
3 So he told them this parable:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’
7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Notice the Good Shepherd does not wait on us to come to Him, but He actively is searching for each lost and missing sheep. When even one lost sheep is found, He rejoices and prepares a table of celebration. Pay attention to this now…we have a promise of a great feast at the banquet table of God. I guarantee you that it will be filled with food like you have never seen before in your life! Not only will there be soup beans, corn bread, mustard greens, and all the trimmings, I am sure there will be filet mignon and prime rib laid out too.
We have all been invited to this banquet - this feast.
15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.
17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’
19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’
20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’
23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ”
But let me get real with you now. The guest can prepare the food, you can even be seated in a place of honor, but no one can force you to pick up the fork and eat. What excuse are you making to the Lord today for not following Him?
One of the things we haven’t talked about is what happens to the sheep that is stubborn and will not stay with the flock? Either the shepherd finds it, breaks a leg, sets the leg, and cares for the sheep while it heals OR the stubborn sheep will get overcome by the adversaries. We have the option to allow Christ to become our PERSONAL Shepherd today.
If you’re struggling with life...