(Psalm 23 sermon 3) Protected by the Shepherd

Story of David.…

(Valley of the shadow of death)

[Continue on Psalm 23]

Today’s sermon is title “Protected by the Shepherd”

Psalm 23 ESV

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.

David leads us through this passage by first declaring, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

When we surrender our lives before the Shepherd,

we discover perfect contentment in Him.

In Him, I truly have all that I need.

When you rest in the presence of the Shepherd,

you find contentment,

because He alone is the One who can fully satisfy.

V1 — “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” V2 — “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”

The Lord is always faithful and never fails.

Therefore, when we follow Him,

He positions us to be nourished and refreshed

in His green pastures and still waters.

The Good Shepherd constantly watches over His flock;

therefore, He ensures His sheep are satisfied

and lack nothing.

V1 — “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” V2 — “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” V3a — “He restores my soul.”

When we enter His rest

as we are nourished, renewed,

and refreshed by what He provides,

we experience complete restoration.

Our souls are restored as we allow the Good Shepherd

to supply what we need in full measure.

And once we are restored to who we were created to be,

we can be led in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

V1 — “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” V2 — “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” V3 — “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

These righteous paths bring hope to the soul,

strength to the mind,

and purpose to the heart.

As I am led by the Shepherd on these righteous paths,

I walk in breakthrough as He opens the right doors in my life.

As the Shepherd guides me,

I witness His faithful provision as I am abundantly blessed.

V3 “He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

It is importantly to understand,

that walking on righteous paths

does not mean I am spared from pain or heartache.

It does not mean I move from mountaintop to mountaintop.

Righteous paths will lead me where,

I will face battles,

I will encounter storms,

and I will experience tribulation.

And there is a difficult question that we must face..... What if the Shepherd leads me through painful things?...

What if it is the Shepherd’s doing that I find myself walking through the valley of the shadow of death?...

V3b — “He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” V4 — “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”

There is a subtle belief many of us carry—

often without even realizing it:

and that is,

if the Lord is truly my Shepherd, then surely He will lead me away from all conflict, away from all pain, and away from every storm.

We assume that righteous paths must be smooth paths, that divine leading must mean peaceful surroundings, that God’s will is always the path of least resistance.

But what if that thinking is not biblical at all—

but rather a calculated deception from the enemy?...

A deception that has led many to doubt God’s faithfulness—or even His very existence.

It is the whisper saying that suffering is proof of abandonment,

that hardship is a sign of divine neglect.

Yet perhaps the truth that stands right in front of us is this:

the righteous path the Shepherd leads us on,

must pass through the valley,

to take us to the place we are meant to be...

To step into everything the Shepherd has called you to,

you must first walk through the valley that prepares and shapes you for that calling.

There is no shortcut. There is no bypass trail around hardship. The valley is not a detour— it is part of the divine route.

It will be difficult. It will involve pain. It will involve refining.

But it is the very pathway that forms you into the kind of person who can stand in the place God is leading you—for His name’s sake.

Here me today...

It is not just about reaching the destination; it’s about the process that prepares you for it...

James 1:2–4 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

What if the valley you are on is the righteous path of preparation,

preparing you to enter a season of greater calling, deeper influence, and God-ordained impact—

but before you can step into that season,

you must first walk through the valley of the shadow of death...

Because it is the dark valley,

that forges the very steadfastness,

you will need to stand strong in your season of breakthrough…

The place that feels like it’s breaking you

is often the place God is using to build you—

shaping a resolve, a maturity, and a faith

that can carry the weight of the calling ahead.

The valley isn’t the end of your story.

It’s the training ground for the next chapter....

The valley is where God prune’s what cannot be carried into the next season.

It’s where pride is stripped away, where self-reliance is exposed, where weights you did not even know you were carrying must be laid down.

There will be things in the valley that must be removed,

so you can continue on the path He has marked out for you.

There is a holy shaping that happens in the dark valley’s—

where you are positioned to really only on the voice and presence of the Shepherd to get through,

because on your own,

you will never make it through the valley of the shadow of death.

You need to understand that,

Some never make it through this valley,

because they relied on themselves to make it through...

So instead of walking through it with the shepherds help,

they become lost in the dark valley,

and never find their way out...

The valley of the shadow of death was never ment to be the end,

but rather the doorway to something greater....

V4 — “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Notice how,

David shifts his language in verse 4—

from talking about the Shepherd

to speaking to the Shepherd.

And that shift is intentional.

Because David has learned something only valleys can teach: the Lord becomes more personal, more real, more near, in the moments that feel closest to death.

(not just physical death, but death of a dream, marriage, hope)

When the shadow of death in any form begins to rise,

when the dark valleys close in around you,

some will turn and walk away.

Even those you once called friends may retreat—

choosing the safety of distance over walking with you in the valley.

But God draws near when death seems inevitable.

When the darkness becomes unbearable,

He does not retreat—He steps closer.

In the darkest valleys, He draws near because he is the Good Shepherd.

A hired hand runs away when things get hard.

But the Good Shepherd leans in.

He does not shout encouragement from somewhere far above;

He walks beside His sheep,

matching their steps,

carrying their fear,

guiding them with His presence.

It is in that close,

personal escort through the valley

that David can say with unshakable confidence:

“I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”

(David in a valley)

V4b “I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”

I will fear no evil,

Not because the valley isn’t real.

Not because the danger isn’t present.

But because His nearness is stronger than the shadows around me.

I will fear no evil, because when the Shepherd is near, fear loses its voice.

Perfect love casts out all fear—

and in the presence of the Shepherd’s perfect love,

every lie, every terror,

every shadow loses its grip.

He will not abandon you in trouble. He will not walk away when the valley grows darker.

The Shepherd stays—

steadfast, faithful,

and closer than you could ever dare to beleive.

The valley may be dark,

but you are never alone—

for the Shepherd walks with you.

Therefore, I will not fear in shadowed valley’s,

for it is there,

I find perfect peace in His presence.

V4b — “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” David knew exactly what he was saying.

He was not speaking in abstract poetry;

he was speaking from memory of past experience as a shepherd himself.

He remembered the rod and the staff well, each with purpose, each with power.

Shepherds could carry little through rough terrain,

yet they always had a rod at their belt and a staff in their hand.

Rod carried 2 main purposes…

1. Discipline the sheep 2. Protect the sheep

Staff carried 2 main purposes…

1. Guidance for the sheep 2. Rescue the sheep

V4b — “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

It is this combination—rod and staff— that allows David to walk through the valley without fear.

Not because the valley is safe,

not because the danger disappears,

but because the Shepherd is both warrior and guide.

The valley loses its power when the Shepherd holds His rod and His staff beside His sheep.

In the darkest places,

the Shepherd removes all fear of evil,

as He brings comfort to his vulnerable sheep.

Therefore as his sheep we do not retreat from the valley,

but press on through it knowing the shepherd is near.

We can boldly believe and speak with confidence that…

“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.”

Close with this… valley to valley…

(Not a valley I necessarily enjoyed)