You Can Trust Him

Introduction:

Engage

Psalm 23 is probably one of, if not, the most memorized set of verses in the whole Bible. And for good reason. This Psalm, written by king David, has comforted God’s people for thousands of years.

In poverty, in persecution, in prison, in hospitals, in war, in rejection by others, in the loss of a job or the loss of a loved one. This Psalm. These tried and true words of God, have spoken life into the brokenness of humanity. It has spoken light into the darkest part of our lives.

Focus

And do you know why?

Because me and you have a problem.

We have a trust problem.

Maybe you put your trust in another person. But you were betrayed and hurt over and over again by someone who should have been your friend.

Maybe you put your trust in your job, or your things, or your money. But the joy and happiness you wanted from all that is nowhere to be found.

Maybe you put your trust in yourself. You choose not to trust anyone else. You say,I gotta Look out for number one! But you realize that you are just as fallible as anyone else. And that you are lonelier than ever.

Maybe you put your trust in sex

Maybe you put your trust in your addictions

Maybe you put your trust in your politics

And when it seems like life is falling apart, each of these false trusts, false shepherds, get revealed.

But Psalm 23 calls us to a trust that will never let us down.

And that’s why so many people have clung to these words in the darkest parts of their lives.

Because this Psalm tells us who we can trust.

The message of Psalm 23 is this (if your taking notes, make sure to write this down):

You can trust the Lord.

You can trust the Lord.

In every circumstance, at all times. You can trust Him.

Roadmap:

And In this passage, I think that The Lord gives us 3 reasons that we can trust him.

And the first reason is this: #1.

I. The Lord is our Shepherd

Restatement

We can trust God because he is our Shepherd. He daily leads us and provides for us out of his kindness.

Let’s begin reading at v.1:

Psalm 23:1–3 ESV

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.

The LORD:

I want to first focus in on this name, “The LORD.”

Now in the Old Testament, there were many names for God. Some called him Adonai, which means master, some called him Elohim, which means God, some called him Shaddai, which means The Almighty.

But here, where it says the LORD in call caps. The name here is Yahweh.

When Moses at the burning bush asked God what the people should call him, this is the name that God gave himself.

Exodus 3:14–15 ESV

God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

And that name The LORD - Yahweh - is built on the words “I AM”

And I think God gives us that name to tell us a few things about himself.

He has no beginning, he exists all on his own. It means that he never changes. He doesn’t need anything or anyone He is utterly independent. He just IS. And That’s why this passage should give us extreme joy.

My Shepherd:

Because that great God. Who IS. Is our Shepherd. The LORD is our Shepherd.

The one who needs nothing - who needs No-one - chooses to take care of us.

God is under no obligation or compulsion to love us, or care for us. Everything he does is absolutely his choice.

But, through David’s pen, God calls himself a shepherd here.

And this is so strange for us. For some of us often view God as full of power and strength, mighty, crumbling kingdoms, judging the world, and that’s not wrong. That’s exactly who God is.

But sometimes we can neglect to see God’s whole character. I know I have.

He is all of those mighty things, and more. But he’s also gentle, and kind, and merciful, and tender to us. Here’s what Isaiah chapter 40 says about God.

Isaiah 40:10–11 ESV

Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

A shepherd guides his sheep all their life. He watches over the sheep every day. He makes sure that they are not devoured by wild animals. He makes sure they aren’t stolen away. He tends to them. He feeds them. He waters them. He grooms them. He brings them back when they wander. In short, he loves them. And that’s the picture we get here in Psalm 23.

I Shall Not Want:

And because God does all this for us, it says. “I Shall not want.”

Maybe your translation says, “I lack nothing.” But both mean the same thing. That the Lord meets our every single need. I want you to think about this for a second.

Every single need, you have ever had, has been met by God.

Every atom in the whole universe is from God. Every breath we breathe is from God. Every joyful moment is from God. Every bite to eat. Every sip of water. Every moment spent with friends and family. Every child born. Everything we have, we have because God is taking care of us. Shepherding.

And here’s the proof. Look at verse two and three with me again.

Psalm 23:2–3 (ESV)

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

Now, anyone who has been around sheep for a little while will know that this is odd behavior for a sheep to do.

What do sheep do when they are in a green pasture? They’re usually not lying down. They’re grazing. They’re eating up that green grass.

And what do sheep do when they are led to still water? They usually not walking beside it. They’re drinking.

What God is telling us here, is that these sheep are full. Full. They’re not eating. They’re not drinking. Because every need has already been taken care of.

But we’re not just talking about physical needs here.

Sometimes he allows his people to hunger, or thirst, but that doesn’t mean that their needs aren’t being met.

Because God has met our most important need. Our Spiritual Need. That’s why the Psalm says, “he restores my soul” Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 1:3.

Ephesians 1:3 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

Did you catch that? In addition to physical nourishment, the Lord has blessed us with every spiritual blessing we will ever need through Jesus.

Every need we could ever have has been provided for us by the Lord.

His Leadership:

And not only has our shepherd provided for us. He also leads us in the way we should go. Like a good shepherd, God does not lead us where we will be spiritually unsafe. But for our protection he leads us in the paths of righteousness.

In the mud of this world, God leaves his footprints for us to follow.

He does this primarily through his Word. God shepherds us daily in his word. In his word, he shows us what is safe and what is dangerous, and he leads us down the path that brings us safely to him.

All of those things we trust in other than God, they are false shepherds, that only bring us destruction. They produce sin that is toxic to our souls. Which is why we need our Lord to lead us.

Transition:

Because God is our shepherd, who meets our needs, and leads us. We can trust him. But that’s only the first reason that Psalm 23 tells us we can trust the Lord.

The second reason we can trust the Lord is this #2.

II. The Lord is our Companion

Not only is God our shepherd, but he also walks alongside us as our companion.

When times get tough for us, we can be sure that the Lord is by our side.

Psalm 23:4 ESV

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.

The Valley:

So, what is the valley of the Shadow of Death that David mentions here? There’s really not one solid answer to that question. Some translations call it the “valley of deep darkness” but that’s still a little vague. What I can tell you is this: “You’ll know it when you’re there.” This valley is a place of despair. This valley is a place where the path forward seems too dark to see.

For some, it’s a cancer diagnosis. For some, it’s anxiety or depression. For some, it’s a surprise bill when the money has run out. For some, its rejection by family and friends.

But for everyone who experiences it, it’s a place of desperation. And everyone experiences it at some point. No-one gets to avoid it. It says that we “walk through” the valley. Not around it. Not beside it. Through it.

And because of that reality, we have to make a choice. Who, or what will we trust?

You Are With Me:

For those who trust the Lord, what does the Psalm say? “I will fear no evil.” Why? “Because you are with me.”

This word, with. Is to me, one of the most beautiful words of all of the Bible. And I think it’s because it reflects God’s character so well. The Lord is a Lord of with.

He desires to be with us.

The Lord did not create the world, and us, to just stand back and watch. NO! From the beginning, he was walking with us. Alongside us. As our companion. That’s what he was doing in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:8–9 ESV

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

It was sin that made us hide from him. It was sin that caused him to ask “Where are you?”

You see, The Lord from the beginning to eternity, wants to be with his people. Alongside us as our companion. And that is why we should fear no evil. Because if we trust him in faith. Every single day from now until eternity, we know that he is with us.

Rod and Staff:

And we can be comforted with that fact. Because God’s presence means that he is fighting for us, and guiding us. And it says that he does this with a rod and staff.

The rod was used for the protection of the flock, It looks like a small club. It was used as a weapon to fight off predators and thieves.

And the staff was a long stick with a hooked end. It was used to grab sheep by their legs to keep them from running off and getting hurt.

And when the Lord is our companion. When he is with us. We can trust him to do both of those things. To defend us against evil, and to keep us with him as we travel through the valley of the shadow of death.

And that truly is the greatest comfort. Because God is with us, we can trust him.

There’s this story about a small boy who lost his parents in a tragic accident. Shortly afterwards, his grandparents, who were shepherds, took him in. Because his parents passed away while he was so young, his grandparents had to educate him on the farm. Since they were Christians, they decided to teach him Psalm 23:1. And they taught him to memorize the verse using his fingers. For each word, he would grab one of his fingers. And say:

Do the Finger thing.

The - Lord - Is - My - Shepherd

And so while they were out tending to the sheep. They would do that over and over again. The - Lord - Is - My - Shepherd.

One day, the boy went out alone to tend to the sheep, as he would usually do as part of his chores; but while he was out there a massive blizzard suddenly engulfed the whole farm.

The grandfather threw on his coat, ran outside and searched for the boy. But the storm was so strong that he himself could have lost his way and died if he didn’t go back to the house.

So he went inside, and prayed, and wept for his grandson.

Finally, the next morning, as soon as he was able to go outside, he rushed over to the stable, to find his grandson. And as he got closer, he saw a little lump in the snow. And his heart sank. He lifted up his grandson’s frozen body out of the snow, and walked home weeping. But when he opened his teary eyes, he saw the boys hands. His left hand was wrapped around the ring finger of the other hand.

The - Lord - Is - MY - Shepherd

And the grandfather was filled with peace. Because he knew that his grandson, though alone, was not truly alone. And that his Shepherd was WITH him. Even as that child went through the valley of the shadow of death, he knew that his shepherd was with him. Even as he entered into eternity.

And so we can trust him. Becuase we know that he will never leave us. No matter how hopeless the situation seems. Or how dark the valley gets.

Transition: We can trust the Lord because he’s our shepherd, we can trust him because he’s our companion, and finally #3 we can trust him because:

III. The Lord is our Host

The Lord treats us as honored guests in his house. We can trust him to bring us ultimate fulfillment.

Psalm 23:5 ESV

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

The Table:

Here we see another great aspect of God’s character. How he welcomes us like friends.

Have you ever been to the home of someone who has the gift of hospitality? Those with that gift have the ability to make you just feel so special. It’s not even about a clean house, or a set table, or if the food is ready when mealtime hits. No. What makes someone good at hospitality, is that their focus is always on their guests. Making them feel honored.

And hospitality in the ancient world, when this Psalm was written, was so much more than that. In the honor/shame culture when this was written, to let your guest be harmed was unfathomable. It was the job and duty of the host to treat the guest with more respect than anyone, and to make sure that they were honored.

And that’s the picture we get here. The Lord has prepared a table for us. Both now spiritually, and in heaven. Though our enemies might try to attack, our host, the Lord, won’t let us be harmed. No. He treats us as the honored guest. He makes sure that our needs are met. And even more.

Anointing/Overflowing

In our context, when a guest enters our home, we might take their coats, and ask them what they would like to drink. In David’s context, they would wash the feet of the guests and anoint their heads with perfume or oil. And that’s what we see here.

But the word here for “anoint” isn’t the usual one used in the old Testament. No. This Hebrew word gives the picture of dumping a huge amount of oil on someone’s head. Emptying the whole container. In other words, at God’s table, he lavishes gifts on us. He doesn’t care about conserving. He cares about giving.

And the words “My cup overflows” gives the picture of a God who continually pours into us. Even when we are full. He continues to give. He continues to pour on blessing after blessing.

But it also gives us a picture of our souls after experiencing God’s goodness.

After experiencing grace, The Lord makes us overflow with joy that cannot be explained, And peace that cannot be understood.

If you want ultimate fulfillment in this life.. Look no further than the only one who can truly fill our cup. And the only one who can make it overflow.

And the Lord welcomes us to receive that fulfillment by trusting him.

Let’s read the last verse.

Psalm 23:6 ESV

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Surely:

There are two promises here for those who trust God. The first is that goodness, and mercy will follow all the days of our lives.

And what I think David is telling us here is that “God” will follow after us all the days of our lives.

Goodness, and mercy only come from God. He is the only one who is truly good, and the only one who can give mercy to sinners.

And this word that’s translated “follow” is more like “pursue.” It’s the word that’s usually used to describe someone chasing after someone else.

God doesn’t passively follow us with his goodness and mercy. He chases us down. He pursues us.

And he does this every single day. There’s not a moment of time where God is not in pursuit of you.

And it’s not because of anything in us, but becuase of who he is.

So many people have asked the question in their life, “Where is God right now?”

And we can see here in Psalm 23, that we’ve got three answers.

God is Going Before Us as our Shepherd

Walking Beside Us as our Companion

Chasing After Us as our host.

For those who trust God, we are immersed in his presence in every moment of our lives.

But that’s only the first promise given here.

Dwell:

And the second is just as sweet. And it’s this. We will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever. For those who trust in God, our eternity is sure. In eternity, we will live with our Heavenly Father as children in his house. His heavenly banquet will be an everyday reality for us. And where the Lord dwells, every deep dark valley disappears. Here’s what Revelation says that will be like:

Revelation 7:15–17 ESV

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

And that’s why we can trust the Lord our host.

Relevancy

So when you are tempted to put your trust in yourself, trust that the Lord is your Shepherd. That he has provided everything you have. And that you would be nothing without his love.

So when you are tempted to put your trust in another person, trust that the Lord is your Companion. And that he will never reject you. And when the valley of the shadow of death comes, he will be closer than ever.

And when you are tempted to put your trust in money, or things, or a job, trust that the Lord is your Host. And that all the riches of this world are nothing compared to the gifts that he has for you if you trust him to provide.

Transition

Before we end, there’s one more thing I want us all to know about Psalm 23. And it’s this. This Psalm is all about Jesus.

Conclusion

Jesus Christ calls himself the good shepherd!

He is the bread of life!

He is living water!

He Is The only one who can satisfy our souls!

He became our path of righteousness!

He entered the valley of the shadow of death!

He is God With Us!

He defends us from the attacks of the evil one!

He will host for us a heavenly banquet, where our cups will never be empty!

He pursues us with goodness and mercy!

HE IS THE ONE WE CAN TRUST

Trust Jesus! Because:

He is your Shepherd.

He is your Companion

And He is your Host.

Invitation

If you have not trusted in Christ, we pray that you do today. He came to this earth to be your Shepherd. To pursue you with goodness and mercy. So turn from your sins and trust in him. And you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Maybe you have trusted in Jesus in the past, but you have began to trust in the false shepherds of the world and follow them. We hope that you would make the decision today to rededicate your life to the true Shepherd, Jesus.

Maybe you have another decision, like church membership or baptism that you’d like to make.

For all of these decisions, we will have counselors at the front of the stage to help you. And we also have connect cards in the seat-back in front of you if you would like to contact us that way.

Pray

Let’s pray.

Father, I thank you for our Lord and Shepherd Jesus Christ. Father I pray for everyone here, that they would know the goodness and mercy you have for them. And that they would trust in you every single day to provide for them. To lead them. To be with them. And that they would find the everlasting salvation that is in only you Lord. And it’s in Jesus name I pray all these things.

Amen.