YTH LEADER RETREAT 23

THE TABLE

Psalm 23 (ESV)

A Psalm of David. 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.

V1-2 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

The definition of a shepherd according to the Hebrew language is one who “protects, nourishes, tends to, delights in, and drives out to pasture”

In these verses, David is describing God as one who supplies all his needs

He mentions that the shepherd leads him to green pastures for rest

He also mentions that the Lord leads him to still waters

If we will let God be our shepherd in all areas of our life, it is promised that He will bring us to places of rest.

ARE YOU ALLOWING GOD TO GIVE YOU REST?

V3 - He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Some of us may have not allowed God to give us rest. Some of us may not have allowed ourselves to rest.

David recognized that though God offered that place of rest, he wasn’t always so good about taking it.

God promises to “restore” our soul

Restore (Hebrew): turn back, return, do again something you used to

Hebrews 4:9–11 “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:14–16 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

God is not only calling us to get our Sabbath right, but our hearts right.

ARE YOU RESTING IN THE WORKS OF GOD OR ON YOUR WORKS?

If you are struggling in this area, know that Jesus was tempted to go at it alone without His Father. He knows the temptation.

We should have confidence to go to Him with our weaknesses

Confidence (Greek): courage, bluntness, assurance

DO YOU TRUST THAT GOD CAN HANDLE YOUR QUESTIONS, YOUR WEAKNESSES, AND YOUR STRUGGLES?

V4 - 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.

That confidence we just talked about should be built in you to know that no matter where you go, how low you go, or how dark it gets, God is going with you.

Fear doesn’t have to overtake you

Philippians 4:6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

The rod and staff helped to guide and protect the sheep from predators.

The Lord’s protection and guidance in our lives should bring us great peace

DO YOU TRUST GOD TO TAKE CARE OF YOU?

V5 - You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

God has prepared us a table through His Son, Jesus.

The table has forgiveness, grace, mercy, provision, wisdom, presence, and more.

God has prepared the table, but have we taken the time to sit down?

AN INVITATION IS POWERLESS WITHOUT INITIATION

Anoint (Greek): abundance, become fat, refreshed

God has promised abundance to those who come to the table

V6

David had no doubt that because He trusted in the Lord as His shepherd, because He knew God had His best in mind for Him, and because He was with Him in every season, that He would constantly be followed by goodness and mercy.

No matter where he ended up, David made up his mind that...

God would always be good.

God would always be merciful with Him.

God would always be present with Him.

And because of the shame, the mistakes, the disobedience, and the restoration David had been through, he was able to “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Shall (Hebrew): the same word has restore

David promised he would spend the rest of his life returning to the house of the Lord time and time again. No matter where he ended up.

P3