23rd Psalm

Introduction

In the midst of trial, do you ever ask what is God trying to teach me right now? In the midst of this valley, what is the lesson I can learn. Many bibles title this chapter as “The Lord is My Shepherd”. What does that look like? Who is God as it relates to him shepherding me, what types of divine interventions take place when God is in control. One of the beautiful things that I see within the confines of this chapter is the fact that this is what total reliance on God looks like. I have no wants, I’m standing in the shadow of death and I have no fear, I’m corrected yet comforted, you exalt me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint me, you allow me to dwell in your house forever. God is in control and I am at peace.

Sometimes escape is not the answer, sometimes peace is a better solution. Salvation is just that, it does not always warrant escape from problems and issues. Nonetheless it is a resource of peace despite my past. Looking for an escape can be detrimental. Some people escape problems with music, working out, binge watching TV. On the other hand we can have some negative means of escaping too. Self-medications, opiates, drugs, alcohol, shopping, sex, over-eating and many other things.

Here is the idea, that is God is our shepherd then we belong in his pasture. Will there be predators that attack the door of the pasture? Certainly, but we have to remember who is sleeping at the door of the pasture. We have to remember who is protecting the sheep. There is protection in the pasture of the God, there is peace in the pasture of God. Even when we wander away He comes to find us and bring us back to safety.

Verses 1-3

In verse one through three, pay close attention to the writing of David:

David acknowledges who God is to him. “The LORD is my shepherd”

To understand what to go to God for, we have to understand who he is!

Jehovah tends to me, ministers to me, stands before me, drives me out to pasture.

He is my shepherd, but this is what God does in conjunction with who God (Jehovah) is. Essentially David is saying God shepherds me, therefore, I lack nothing.

Jesus says in “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep”.

God is my king, deliverer, rock, shield, he guides me, heals, and protects me.

Understand the figurative language in this text, it relates to what David knows. He’s spent a good portion of his life as a shepherd boy. Characterization or basically David is describing who God is in further detail in a manner that the author and the reader can relate to.

When God is my Shepherd, my protector I lack nothing. God is always going to place me in the right pasture, I do not have to worry about sustenance and being taken care of when God’s love is surrounding the pasture of life. I lack nothing in life. Sheep do not pick the pasture, we are content with the pasture because we trust the shepherd.

The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

God knows what we need: Sometimes he has to make us rest.

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures;”

God provides a well establishes comfortable resting place. God will never have you resting in an uncomfortable place. His love his guidance is about easing the spirit to know that God is never going to lead you into destruction.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, because their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.

This is who God is, I lack nothing, he provides me with everything I need. He leads to rest in comforting places! This is my God, He is my Shepherd.

Even the things around me are peaceful, “He leads me beside the still waters”.

It is interesting to note that God leads us beside waters of peace. It’s quite interesting that God leads us beside the still waters, in effort to restore us. God knows that restoration must happen in a place or a time of peace.

In effort to be restored, we have to remove the predators out of the pasture. We have to allow God to lead us into peaceful places.

God not only leaves my soul at peace, but my surroundings are at peace as well.

Even if we are in a peaceful situation, chaos can cause us to lose the peace we had. This is why it’s important that we understand God is not providing an escape but he is bringing peace to the place you are in right now.

No matter where you are, God can make it peaceful.

If he cannot make it peaceful, he will lead to another place, but sometimes we have to find out if peace can happen in a place.

In verse 3 we transition from Who God Is, to the Divine Nature of what God does!

He is a restorer of souls.

He restores the broken hearted

He restores the downtrodden

He restores the damaged

He restores the deceived

In order to be led by God, we have to be restored by God. Restoration comes before leading! Many times we want to be led by God, but want to skip the restoration process.

When you restore anything, before you begin to build it back up you have to take it down to its core. Being at a place of needing restoration means what you are spent, you have been damaged, you need a new paint job, new motor. Inside and outside you are depleted and now you need restore if you ever want to walk in the path of righteousness again.

For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me.

He leads me, for His name’s sake.

Either we are shaming the name of God, or we are vindicating the good name of the Shepherd. It’s hard for people to trust God, if the example that we set is not trustworthy.

We cannot run around proclaiming the name of God, yet our actions do not reflect. He restores us so that we walk in the path of his purposed righteousness.

There was a young man, he hated his new home. Every time he would talk about the home he would complain. I don’t like the steps, the wallpaper is ugly, I miss the old house. I miss the old garage, I miss my old friends, I hate this new place. So his mother seeing his frustration said, “son why don’t you focus on what you like about the new place”. So he tried to focus on the good and he became more frustrated because the good he focused on made him realize how blessed he was. Even in a situation you do not like when you start to focus on the peaceful parts of the situation you do not beg for an escape you fight for a change. Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Ye though I walk through the valley of cancer

Ye though I walk through the valley of betrayal

Ye though I walk through the valley of backbiters

Ye though I walk through the valley of financial woes

Ye though I walk through the valley of abuse

Ye though I walk through the valley of division.

Ye though I walk through the valley of single parenting

Ye though I walk through the valley of trauma

I do not fear evil because God is with me.