How To Handle Stress

Welcome and good morning everyone! So blessed to see everyone here today!

An atheist was walking through the woods. He heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look and saw a huge 7 foot grizzly bear charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him. At that instant moment, the atheist cried out “Oh my God!”

Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. A bright light shone upon the man and a voice came out of the sky. “You deny my existence for all these years and teach others I don’t exist. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?’

The atheist looked directly into the light and said “It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the bear a Christian?’

Very well” said the voice.

The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. The bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head and spoke:

Lord, bless this food, which I am about to receive. Amen.”

This morning, we are going to talk about a familiar passage of Scripture from Psalm 23. The topic of our sermon is how we can handle stressful times with confidence. Psalm 23 is a Scripture that is deep in meaning and a powerful place that brings restoration to our soul. David wrote this Psalm really as a personal testimony of his experience with God. It shares the simplicity and beauty of God. We can experience God in the green pastures and beside the still waters. We can have the confidence that God will be there with us through times in the valley which we are going to delve into in just a moment.

We all deal with stress and some on deeper level than others. We need to have the right tools to handle stressful time. We live in a fast paced world, and we can all be very busy at times. We get into this busy mindset that we think it is wrong to take some time to be quite and still. God wants us to take the time in our busy lives to enjoy His green pastures. Let’s hop right into our text this morning in Psalm23: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake. 4 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.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

I. The Lord is my Shepherd

A. Declaration

a. What a declaration that David makes to start out this beautiful picture. This picture was not made on an Canvas like Michelangelo or Van Go have painted on a canvas.

b. David was using a much different canvas, one in our minds and hearts.

c. David was saying that the Lord is His Shepherd. So my question for you here this morning, “Is the Lord Your Shepherd?”

B. Provider

a. Once the Lord is our Shepherd, the Psalmist makes that declaration that “I shall not want.”

b. At the end of Philippians, in Philippians 4:19 NKJV the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi “19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

c. God will provide all your needs.

d. Testimony – Our church was serving at the Iola car show and we were in need a cart to get from one restroom to the other and the car show did not have any to spare. After contacting a local golf course we were given a contact and God spoke to this persons heart to donate the golf cart rental to us.

e. Praise the Lord!!!!

C. Restoration

a. The Psalmist further wrote in verse three - 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.