The Lord is my shepherd

Psalm 23 NKJV

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, 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 runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

Psalm 23

Introduction

One of the most amazing things that I have learned while studying the word of God is that the word of God gives us a glimpse into the mind of God. I don’t make any claims to understand the mind of God, but some little crumbs of wisdom that have fallen of off his plate into my lap and I have begun to perceive that absolutely nothing takes God by surprise! And for all of the things that we could praise God for; I praise God most because of his plan. I praise God because he is a master planner and a master strategist. Now that might make you shout, but it makes me shout, let me explain why. It makes me shout to know that God has such an excellent plan because sometimes in my life it looks like all hell has broken loose, and I feel like I am a victim of what’s going to happen next week.

But the only way that it feels like that is because I don’t know what’s going to happen. It helps me to know that I am not just waiting on some enemy to trip me up, that my life hasn’t been turned over to some demon that is pulling the strings in my life to see how much pain and suffering that I can take. That even the enemy can only attack me with the permission of God. Because God is in such divine authority that when men try to destroy me even though they meant it for evil God stepped in and turned things around so that it ended up being for my benefit.

I draw strength from it because according to my bible I know that the thoughts of God are not evil towards me but good so that I might have an expected end. It helps me, especially when I know God is not planning to kill me. Some of you are not there yet, because you're not sure was on not God has made up his mind about you. And you keep trying to earn, God’s favor, but the reality is nobody earns God’s favor. You just have to by faith, except the fact that God has chosen you. He has decided to bless you.

But that doesn't mean that he won't correct you, that don’t mean that he won’t chasten you. But it does mean that I have moved from being a slave, to being a son in his house. So even though I might get a spanking every now and then. I know that my daddy is not in to killing his kids.

That means that there is no plan or trick that the enemy has devised against us that God has not already made a way of escape.

When we look at the cross, we begin to understand that the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. This phrase indicates to us that from the very beginning, God had a way of the escape before Satan ever, launched his attack, God had already made a way of the escape.

Paul when he is teaching the church, says that there is no temptation you that such as is common to man, God is faithful, and will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able to stand. But will with the temptation make a way of escape. That you may be able to bear it.

This is not a situation where the enemy attacks you and then God say as, I'd better figure something out. Why you a trying to figure out the storm there is always a way of escape that comes with the storm.

If you ever learn this and get this down in your spirit even when life gets a little crazy, before you start to faint or commit suicide; You will start looking around, for some sort of way of escape because the very fact that you have a problem is a sign of a promise. The very fact that you have a problem is a sign that there is also a solution. And if you don't become distracted by the problem and focus in on the solution it is only a matter of time before God will reveal unto you the solution that he had in place before the foundation of the world.

Jesus becomes a template for us to follow, he says take up your cross and follow me. Notice he did not say take up your crown and follow me. Because Jesus knew that if you with take up your cross, your crown with take care of itself.

It is a wonder that anybody follow Jesus. That is not a very appealing alter call. If Jesus wanted a great alter call, he would have given them a seven step blessing plan. 12 ways to prosper and get a mansion on the hill. He didn't talk about none of that, 10 ways to be healed, they didn't have many hospitals and the very few physicians he could've exploited his healing all he had to say he was follow me, and I'll healed your body.

But he does not put a promise, before the process. Because if you do not love him enough to go through the process, you cannot have a promise. And in order to make clear, what the process he is, he demonstrated it in front of them.

He says to them, if you destroy this temple, in three days I'm going to raise it back up again. The cross was no surprise to Jesus. When the Roman soldiers chain and snatched him he was not shocked. He knew they were coming. He prophesied that they were coming. He was not intimidated; there is a point in your life when you become so Intune with the Spirit of God that you know when you're going to be confronted with some sort of attack.

And instead of fainting in the day of your calamity, you start saying things like God is going to get some glory out of this. Beloved we must develop a 100% commitment to survival. Touch somebody and say, “live through it!”

Jesus knew who would betray him, if you walk with God he will show you who will betray you. God knew which one was going to betray him, and still let him dip anyway.

So confident it was our Lord, that Judas wasn't going to put anything on him that he wasn't prepared to handle. He basically said, take your best shot. Is there anybody in here tonight that is so confident in your God, that you can look your Judas in the face and say to him take your best shot. For God I live and for God I will die, He didn’t bring me this far to leave me now. Somehow another God is going to bring me out of this.

I am convinced that the greatest thing, or the greatest trouble then we go through is the struggle in our own minds. Is not what you go through, is what you think about, what you going through. The battleground is right between your ears. One of the ways that the enemy of the us is in our thought process.

You got enemies telling you that you won’t make it. Evil spirits are telling you that you won’t survive this. Your enemies are saying that I hope that you won’t make it out of this. And you start wondering in the midst of the trial where is God?

The Lord is my Shepherd

That’s Relationship!

Psalm 23:1 NKJV

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

23:1. The psalmist employed the figure of a shepherd to recall the blessings he enjoyed from the LORD (cf. God as Shepherd in 28:9; 80:1). The metaphor was a natural one for David, the shepherd-king. It was also a common metaphor in the ancient Near East, as many kings compared themselves to shepherds in their leadership capacity. The prophecy of the coming Messiah incorporated the same (), and Jesus identified Himself as that expected “Good Shepherd” (). He is also called the “Great Shepherd” () and “the Chief Shepherd” (). Because the Lord was David’s Shepherd, his needs were met. Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 811). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Psalm 22–24 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” a Psalm of David. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me! Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me. I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard. My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever! All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive. A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this. A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, 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 runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah

I shall not want -

That’s supply

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures -

that’s REST!

He leadeth me beside still waters --

That's REFRESHMENT!

He restoreth my soul --

That's HEALING!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness --

That's GUIDANCE!

For His name sake --

That's PURPOSE!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil --

of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil --

That's PROTECTION!

For thou art with me --

That's FAITHFULNESS!

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me --

That's COMFORT!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies --

in the presence of mine enemies --

That's HOPE!

Thou anointest my head with oil --

That's CONSECRATION!

My cup runneth over --

That's ABUNDANCE!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life --

all the days of my life --

That's BLESSING!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord --

That's SECURITY!

Forever --

That's ETERNITY!