Have you ever listened to a song that was comforting to you? This was a song that gave you relief in affliction, a song that brought you to a state of ease and satisfaction. It was a song that consoled you and brought you reassurance that everything would be alright. It was a comforting song that made you turn up the volume, because as you listened to the lyrics, you felt supported and encouraged. This song gave you moral and emotional strength and a feeling of freedom from worry and disappointment.
Some of us hadn’t always been in the church, and so we found comfort in some songs of the world. What worldly song was it that comforted you? Let me start with the older people and work my way down. Was it “If I Could Build My Whole World Around You,” by Marvin Gaye, which assured that woman, that she was the only woman in his world? Was it “I Believe in You (You Believe in Me),” by Johnnie Taylor, where he eased his woman’s mind by letting her know, that although everybody wants to see us apart, we’re going to stay together because I believe in and you believe in me.
If you’re around my age maybe it was “Forever My Lady,” by Jodeci, where his woman found comfort in knowing that he would never leave her no matter what situations they would face. And young people with all the crazy lyrics ya’ll listen to I don’t even know what song would give ya’ll comfort, maybe “Umbrella,” by Rhianna and Chris Brown where they assure one another that they can stand under each other’s umbrella.
But there isn’t a comforting song that can compare to those songs whose lyrics are inspired by God that comforts a child of God. What about “Blessed Assurance,” a comforting song that assures a believer that Jesus is theirs, and in Him you can have a foretaste of glory divine. What about “Amazing Grace,” a song that puts you in a state of ease because you once were lost, but now you’re found, was blind, but because of God’s amazing grace, now you see.
• It’s through musical writers and artist that God inspires to give a word to those that need comforting and it is through those lyrics that we receive relief in affliction, encouragement, strength, support, and reassurance that everything will be alright. In other words when God inspires someone with words of comfort, they’re actually words from God. Paul told Timothy that all Scriptures are given by inspiration of God, and it is in our text that God inspires David to write a comforting song.
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We know David, this is the David we were taught about in Sunday School who stood up against Goliath, and with one smooth stone from his sling, he killed Goliath and caused the Philistine army to flee. This is the David who was the youngest son of Jesse, who was out tending to sheep when Samuel called for him, and anointed him to be the next King of Israel. This is the same David, who had made many mistakes in his life, but yet he walked with God in such a way that God called him a man after His own heart.
David was inspired by God to write what we know as the 23rd Psalm. And it isn’t clear at what point in David’s life he wrote this psalm, but that doesn’t take away from the spiritual impact of it. The Book of Psalm is a collection of Hebrew songs and poems, and we will discover this afternoon that Psalm 23 is a comforting song.
We all need comforting sometimes. There are times we need some reassurance, and there are times we need to be encouraged. Words of comfort strengthen us, and at other times it erases disappointment, but what makes Psalm 23 a comforting song?
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This is a comforting song because we first discover with the Lord we have everything we need. David begins this song by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” The word “shepherd” is frequently found in Scripture, and it is how the Lord chose to show His relationship to His people. If the Lord is our shepherd, then that makes us His sheep.
• In Psalm 100 it tells us that we are the sheep of His pasture. As sheep we should be inoffensive, meek, and quiet, silent before the shearers and before the butcher too, useful and sociable; we must know the shepherd’s voice, and follow Him. David understood the qualities of a shepherd and sheep, because as a young boy he too was a shepherd, but in this psalm David is speaking as a sheep.
David said the Lord is my shepherd. We can’t be ashamed to claim the Lord as our God. Jesus said that whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this sinful world, I’ll be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. But because the Lord is our shepherd we shall not want for anything. This doesn’t mean women you can have every pair of shoes you lay your eyes on, and men this doesn’t mean the Lord is going to give you all the sports cars you desire, but it does mean that anything that is necessary and good for me, the Lord will provide it.
• So, the Lord supplies all of our needs, and if I don’t have what I desire, I should come to the conclusion that it is not necessary or good for me, and if it is, then I’ll receive it in due time. Who wouldn’t be comforted in knowing that the Lord is their Lord, they’re content, and have everything they need?
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We’re comforted in knowing that, but we are also comforted in knowing that the Lord positions and guides us. David’s comforting song continues by saying, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” The strange thing about sheep is that it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met.
• First, they refuse to lie down unless they are free from all fear.
• Secondly, because of the social behavior within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind.
• Also, if tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down.
• Finally, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger.
The unique aspect of this picture is that the shepherd is the only one who can provide release from these anxieties. This means that it is the owner, the shepherd who makes it possible for the sheep to lie down. For the child of God there is nothing like the presence of Christ that takes away the fear, the panic, and the terror of the unknown, and because of this we are able to lie down in green pastures. Green pastures represent the place of peace, the place of nourishment and contentment.
• We don’t just pass through green pastures, but God makes us to lay in them. We can live in peace, and not just experience it for one day. We can be free from fear, and not have to worry about it tomorrow. God positions us to rest and abide in green pastures.
Not only is it comforting to know that the Lord positions us by making us to lie in green pastures, but the Lord also guides us by leading us beside the still waters. It is the shepherd who knows where the best drinking places are. When sheep become thirsty, they get restless and set out in search of water to satisfy their thirst. Sometime sheep stop at the first sign of water even if it is dirty.
In life we get thirsty and we need something to satisfy our thirst, but if we don’t allow the Lord to lead us beside the still waters to satisfy that thirst then we’ll find ourselves drinking out of dirty waters. The waters of Oprah won’t satisfy you, the waters of Dr. Phil can’t do it, the waters of drugs and alcohol won’t satisfy you either, but only the living water of God can quench and satisfy our thirst, and because He knows this, He leads us beside the still waters.
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I wish I had about three weeks so I could really break this down for you, but I have to get through this. This is a comforting song because the Lord has everything we need, and because the Lord positions and guides us, but this song is also comforting because when we go astray the Lord restores us and puts us on the right path. David says, “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” Sheep get lost more than any other animal, and the shepherd must go out and find them before the sheep finds trouble. Because we live in the flesh, at times we follow those fleshly desires which lead us away from God. But here is the comforting news, when we return to God, He doesn’t cast us away, but he restores our soul.
We are spiritually revived. When our soul becomes sorrowful, He revives it. When our spirit becomes weak, He reinvigorates it. When we stray as sheep, God brings us back and places us on the right path for His name’s sake. In other words, because He is a kind God, He leads me in the paths of righteousness. Because He is a gracious God, He leads me in the paths of righteousness. Because He has my best interest at heart, He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake because that is His character.
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David says in verse 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.” This song becomes even more comforting because we see that the Lord is our protection. The comforting song of David now changes tones because the personal pronouns I and You enter the conversation, and it becomes an intimate discourse of deep affection.
• The longer we walk with the Lord, the more intimate our relationship with Him becomes. Our conversations with Him change, and we feel deep affection at just the thought of God. But David says as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The “valley of the shadow of death”, can be translated as “a valley of deep darkness.”
Everybody is always talking about “mountain top” experiences, but don’t you know that before you get to the mountain top, you must first go through some valleys. Valleys of deep darkness can cause much fear, but when you know that the Lord is your protection, you will not fear those dark times in your life. What valley of darkness have you been through or maybe you’re in one right now? Is it the valley of unemployment, the valley of failing health, the valley of depression, but no matter what your dark valley is, notice that David said we only walk through the valley. In other words trouble doesn’t last always, but I like how David put it in Psalm 30, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
We don’t have to fear the dark valleys because the Lord is with us, He’s right by our side and He knows everything about us and our situation. And it is the Lord’s rod and staff that comforts us in the valley. The rod and staff is used by shepherds to guide, protect, and help the sheep. The rod and staff of God is His Word and Spirit, and in these we are comforted and protected. What is there to fear when we understand that we’re only walking through the valley? What is there to fear when we know the Lord is with us? What is there to fear when we have God’s Word and Spirit to comfort us? There is nothing to fear and we are comforted in that the Lord is our protection.
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Now in verse 5, David views the Lord as a host that takes care of his guest. He says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.” This comforting song shows that the Lord honors His own. David gives us a picture of a great feast. Feasts are mentioned throughout the Bible, and here we see that the Lord honors His children by preparing a table before them.
• Not only is the table prepared, but it’s prepared in the presence or you can say in the very face of our enemies. Our enemies are those who hate us, those who curse us, those who persecute and despitefully use us. These are they who God shows His favor toward us in their presence.
Can recall times where God has abundantly blessed you in front of those who can’t stand you? It seems like every time they’re around you always have a praise report, not that you’re doing anything on purpose to provoke them; you just have to tell of God’s goodness. But don’t worry about your enemies, because it’s a promise from God that He’ll spread your table in the presence of your enemy. All they can do is watch, and they can’t do anything to stop the flow of God’s blessings to you.
Not only is a table spread before us as our enemies watch, but God anoints our head with oil. The practice of anointing with perfumed oil was common among the Hebrews, and it was a sign of hospitality when a host would anoint the heads of his guest. The host would also fill the cups of his guest, and it was considered a kind gesture to fill their cups to the brim.
• David said the Lord will not only fill our cups to the brim, but He will fill them so much that they will overflow. God has an abundance of blessings and there are times that he blesses us so much that we don’t have room enough to receive them. It’s comforting to know that the Lord honors us by preparing a table before our enemies, anointing our heads, and running over our cups.
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I’m get ready sit down, get ready for the 3:00 service and be happy all by myself, but finally, what makes this a comforting song is that the Lord’s goodness and mercy last forever. David concludes this song by saying, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”
• What if you had a bank account that never ran dry? What about a car whose motor never gave out? What if you had children that obeyed you everyday of their lives? That would be nice, but you’re not going to experience that in this world. But there is one thing we can put our confidence in, and that’s the everlasting goodness and mercy of God.
What is God’s goodness? It’s His affection, His benevolence, His bounty, His compassion, His generosity, His goodwill, His grace, His kindness, His love, and His mercy. Here in this text mercy refers to His unfailing love, but I believe it’s also His pardoning mercy, His protecting mercy, His sustaining mercy, and His supplying mercy. Surely the Lord’s goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives.
• This word follow used here means to pursue, in other words we can’t escape the goodness and mercy of God, we can’t outrun it, and we sure can’t hide from it. For the rest of my life God’s goodness and mercy will follow me, even when I get off track, His goodness and mercy will follow me, when I walk through valley of the shadow of death, God’s goodness and mercy will follow me.
Since I can’t get away from the goodness and mercy of God, then I’ve come to the conclusion that I will dwell in His house forever. This means whether I’m on this earth or living in the new heaven, I will have an everlasting communion with God. Because all these reasons, this is a comforting song to me. When I need relief from affliction, this song comforts me. When I need to be brought to a state of ease and satisfaction, this song comforts me. When I need reassurance that everything will be alright, this song comforts me.
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This is a comforting song because with the Lord I have everything I need, I’m sorry but I have to get personal now. This is a comforting song because the Lord positions and guides me. This is a comforting song because when I go astray the Lord restores me and puts me on the right path. This is a comforting song because the Lord is my protection. It’s a comforting song because the Lord honors me. And it’s a comforting song because the Lord’s goodness and mercy last forever.
How many of you are comforted by the Words of God?...
