Firmly in the Hands of the Good Shepherd

Good morning,

I am so very excited to be able to preach Gods word this morning!

I want you to turn with me in your bibles this morning, to !

I want to speak to you on this subject today FIRMLY HELD IN THE HANDS OF THE GOOD 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

(Let’s Pray)

Heavenly Father we come to you this morning thanking you for loving us and caring for us every single day. You are our provider Lord, you are our sustainer, you are the way maker, the miracle worker, the promise keeper and you are the light in the darkness Lord that is who you are.

God you are on Your throne and you reign help us Lord to lean not on our own understanding but to acknowledge you in all our ways, that we might have peace we love you Lord and seek to honor you in all of our ways. In Jesus name AMEN

There is possibly no other psalm used more than , remember being a boy and seeing it prominently displayed over our dining room table, with a picture of Jesus next to the words. It is here in psalm 23 where we find a picture of who God is and how He loves HIs people.

gives us a beautiful picture of God being a shepherd.

Shepherds love, shepherds care, Shepherds place themselves in great danger for their flock. Shepherds lead, shepherds guide, Shepherds are willing to lay their life down for their sheep they seek the well being, the health, and what is best for the sheep they tend. You will never find a Shepherd leading their sheep into danger, you will never find a shepherd risking the sheeps lives in order to gain His own agenda.

A shepherds is humble, and seeks the good of HIs flock over His own good.

This Psalm then gives us great comfort to know that God is the GREAT SHEPHERD because this fits His character completely. There is probably no one more qualified to understand god this way than David.

Before David was the Lords anointed, before He killed Sauls tens of thousands, before He gained all of the fame and noteriety, He was nothing more than a shepherd boy caring for the flocks of His father. David was not the most physically impressive, as a matter of fact when the prophet Samuel was called by God to anoint the next King, He was far more impressed with Davids brothers, but God wasn’t.

While man looks at the outward appearance God looks at the heart. What God saw in David had to be the heart that matches His heart, after all David is the man known as “a man after Gods own heart” and that heart was the heart of a shepherd.

So this is how David understood God, this morning I want you to remember that we serve the Great shepherd and while we might be going through some difficult times I want you to remember the plan of God wont carry you where the Grace of God wont keep you.

Davids Proclamation

Psalm 23:1 NKJV

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Notice the proclamation of David He doesnt say the Lord is a shepherd, He does not say that God is the the Shepherd David tells us that God is HIS SHEPHERD!

This speaks of the personal activity God does in each of our lives.

God is actively working in your life as an indiviudal

We have to think on this: how powerful must G

od be in order to work all things together for everyone for our best good and His greatest glory!

What a mighty God we serve!

HE is our shepherd He will not lead us into danger unless it is going to be better for us to go through it than to remain where we were.

Im telling you I serve the God who lead Josephs brothers to sell him as a slave in order to save an entire nation, I serve the God who sent Daniel into the lions den in order to show off His might and strength, I also serve the god who lead HIs own son to the CROSS AT CALVARY SO THAT MANY SONS AND DAUGHTERS COULD BR BROUGHT TO GLORY

In short if God is the good shepherd then we can trust that where He has us is right where He wants us, He is good and worthy to be praised!

HE IS MY SHEPHERD AND HE IS YOUR SHEPHERD AND HE KNOWS OUR FRAME HE KNOWS WHERE WERE WEAK AND HE STRENGTHENS US BY TAKING US INTO THE FIRE IN ORDER TO SHOW US HOW MIGHTY HE IS!

If I never had a problem I wouldn’t know that God could solve them amen!

COUNT IT ALL JOY MY BROTHER WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER VARIOUS TRIALS!!! FOR THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES ENDURANCE, AND LET ENDURANCE HAVE ITS FULL EFFECT SO THAT YOU MAY BE MATURE AND COMPLETE LACKING NOTHING.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD I SHALL NOT WANT

David says God is my provider, I lack for nothing.

He says when I need rest He gives me rest, When I need peace He gives me peace, and when I need restoration He brings seasons of refreshing to my soul.

Psalm 23:2 NKJV

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

In a world with so much busyness where we just cannot stop moving God has made us lay down. He has slowed us down to God be the glory.

You say but wait what about my finances, I want you to know I care about each one of your circumstances, but what does it profit a man if HE gains the whole world and loses His soul?

You see David says that the sheep need green pastures, this speaks of health and lush greenery which would be good for the fitness of His sheep.

Sheep eat grass a good shepherd does not carry his sheep where there are thorns and thickets and dead grass; no the good shepherds carry their sheep to the best of pastures to eat the best.

But it says the shepherd had to make the sheep lay down, why?

Sheep are dumb stubborn animals, an so a good shepherd even if the sheep dont realize whats best for them He will force them at times to lay down and eat whats best for them.

(vegtables)

I believe thats what Gods doing.

Lay down awhile and reprioritize ME.

Because He knows that your best can only come when HE is number one.

David then lets us know that our good shepherd will not only make you lie down in green pastures but He also lead you beside the still waters, in the Bible waters often to refer circumstances. Hence when we talk about going through a storm we mean the circumstances of our lives is chaotic and seem out of control.

But when the psalmist writes that our good shepherd leads us beside the still waters, He is saying that the Lord can take you and if you will follow Him and allow Him to lead you he can take you to a place where the waters arfe calm and the still. When a shepherd takes his sheep to the water he seeks to find a safe peaceful place where they can satisfy their thirst.

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST CAN TAKE YOU OUT OF THE CHAOS AND WHILE EVERYTHING IS CRUMBLING AROUND HE CAN TAKE YOU TO THE SWEET REFRESHING WATERS OF HIS SPIRIT TO RENEW AND RESTORE AND SATISFY YOUR DEEPEST LONGINGS.

Psalm 23:3 NKJV

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Psalm 23:

YOU HAVE A SOUL, AND WHILE THAT SOUL IS SAVED AND HEADED FOR HEAVEN YOU AND I CAN NEGLECT OUR OWN SOUL.

What David is saying here is when the soul sins, God can cleanse, when the soul is dry He can satisfy, when the soul is weak, His strength is complete.

David is saying there is no one better to care for oyur souls than the Lord JEsus Christ but the only way He can do that is if you make Him and His word a priority!

Will we learn our lesson this time?

(Israel)

He can restore your soul today, He can wash you clean today!!

Once He has restored you, He desires to lead you!

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

I am going to spend a moment here, personal holiness is something that is not sought after much anymore. We should desire to live a righteous life before God to the best of our abilities. We are not able to perffect but we are to strive to be righteous in our actions and attitudes. Seeking to do what God calls right.

When I think about how God loves me stills the storms and leads me to cool crisp waters of refreshment, how He makes me lie down in order for me to eat the things which I need how He tends my soul, I wonder why God would go through all of that for me, when I spend so much of my time failing him?

It is the heart of a shepherd the heart of a Father, He longs to give second chances. He is longsuffering and rich in loving kindness.

But He does it all FOR HIS NAMES SAKE

His name is the basis for His goodness!

His name reveals His nature!

HE IS GOOD HE IS GOD AND HE LOVES US

I want you to know something God loves you but He is good to you because it is in His Nature HE is the good good Father amen!

He is our shield, He is our Rock when we lack stability, He is KING OF ALL KINGS, HE IS LORD OF ALL LORDS, HE JUST JUDGE WHO IS RIGHTEOUS IN ALL HIS JUDGEMENTS, HIS IS THE NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN AND EARTH BY WHICH MEN CAN BE SAVED!! HE IS OUR REFUGE OUR SAFE PLACE, OUR FORTRESS WHEN WE ARE UNDER ATTACK, HE IS AVENGER OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM, HE IS CREATOR GOD WHO CREATED THE BODY AND CAN DO AWAY WITH THIS DISEASE SWEEPING THE WORLD!

HE IS THE DELIVERER, HE IS THE HEALER, PROTECTOR AND THE LIFTER OF OUR HEAD

This is the God who is leading you and me!

When i realize who this god is who Iserve I want you to see the byproduct of knowing Him deep within your soul

Davids focus on God gives flight to all fears

Psalm 23:4 NKJV

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.

Psalm 23:

the valley of the shadow of death

David is talking about a circumstance so deep, so dark, so dreadful that death seems a possibility and He says even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

David says though I walk…

I find this interesting, as if to say He never picked his speed while going through this dreadfully dark valley, its as if he says He remained calm and simply walked with God through the valey of the shadow of death, he can do that because HE FEARS NO EVIL BECAUSE OF THE GOD HE SERVES

Im telling you knowing the Lord can cause you to walk while others are running scared.

I FEAR NO EVIL FOR YOU ARE WITH ME!!! GODS PRESENCE CASTS OUT ALL FEAR!!

He says Lord your rod and your staff they comfort me!

Now we need to understand that a sehpherd has two tools with the HE keeps the sheep in line, sheep have a way of trying to wander off, the shepherd has this way about Him, the sheep are around Him He leads them from within their midst, the shepherd is not behind the sheep driving them, he is not in front of the sheep leading them because he could not watch the back of the flock, but he gets in the center of the flock among them and he leads in this way and as he sees a sheep wandering away from the fold he uses the rod to pop him and get the sheep back into the safety that is found within the group.

David says this comforts him, because He knows that God will pop him from time to time to keep him from straying far from those who love him and seek to protect him.

But the shepherd also uses that rod to beat back any enemy that comes against the sheep.

He lays in front of the cave at night so that nothing can get to His beloved sheep I’m telling you our God is on guard protecting HIs children every single day and if we even had a clue how many times He spared us from something bad from coming upon us I believe it would blow our minds.

STAFF this was a long stick with a crook in it that He would use to grab a wayward sheep from going too far away and bringing them back to where they need to be this was more soft and loving.

DAVIDS EXULTATION: