I am no different from anybody else here. And the proof of that is that there are times I feel like looking at people and saying the same seven words you do. They are, "Sometimes I wonder if you really care." Now obviously there are times I feel like saying that more than others and there are some people I feel like saying that to more than others. And I know what some of you are thinking, "I know what you mean, Larry. One of them is your wife." Well, I have to confess that I am not able to say that. Because I married out of my class. I got a better deal when I got married than she did. I heard of a teenager who had fallen in love who went to her mother and said, "Do you think I should marry him?" Her mother said, "Go ask your dad. He made a smarter decision in marriage than I did." Well, I have to confess, I made a smarter decision in marriage than she did. Because I married a pearl, but she married a project. And I would have no basis for saying to her, "Sometimes I wonder if you really care."
But if you were to ask people the question, to whom do you most feel like saying, "Sometimes I wonder if you really care," they may tell you about a preacher they heard on Sunday or a plumber they hired on Monday. They may tell you about someone better paid such as the boss for whom they work or someone lesser paid such as the bus driver who takes them to their work. They may tell you about a brother within their family or a branch within the U. S. Government.
For example, if there is one branch of the U. S. government that many feel just doesn’t really care it’s called the I.R.S. - irritating, revolting and sickening. Now there is no doubt in my mind that they receive a lot more flack than they deserve. But a number of years ago, something happened to me which helped me understand why people feel the way they do. I got a letter from the IRS which said, "We have examined your tax return." Now those are the six words that precipitate most heart attacks. But then it went on to say, "And we have discovered that we owe you a refund of $1,897.01. You may have received the check. If not, please allow two weeks for it to be mailed to you." Was I ever excited! I was happier than most people are when they find out a tornado hit the town where their worst enemy lives. I began to think what I could do with $1,897.01, particularly if my wife didn’t know I had it.
But then I did something that some would think is rather stupid. I couldn’t figure out how in the world that could be true. So I called a woman at the IRS and said, "I can’t figure out how I made a mistake of $1,897.01 in my favor, but please explain what I did because I plan to do it again." And the woman very kindly said, "I am certain that is a mistake." I said, "Look, all of us make mistakes. Don’t let it bother you. I accept the check as your apology." "Well," she said, "Don’t spend it because I guarantee you they will be asking for it back."
Sure enough, four months later I got a second letter from them that said, "Our records show the refund check we sent you was incorrect. You owe us $1,897.01 in refund, $13.50 in penalty for paying this amount late, and interest of $245.14 which you have undoubtedly collected on the amount for the four months you’ve had it." I was furious. I thought, "This is the most creative way I’ve heard of to balance the federal budget." Well, to make a long story short, the kind woman at the IRS who now knows my social security number by heart told me that she had no idea where that second letter came from. It apparently was a letter they did not know they had sent, written by a person they didn’t know they had hired, asking for funds they did not realize they had asked for. All I had to do was return the original amount and everything would be just fine.
But to be very honest with you, in the time it took to get that settled, in light of all the time it took me and the coldness of some of the people I talked to, I at times felt like saying, "Sometimes I wonder if you really care."
A series of explosions one time ripped through Guadalajara, Mexico killing 200 people and causing 15,000 others to lose their houses. Residents throughout the city said that the day before they had complained about the strong smell of gasoline coming up from the city sewers. Their complaint to city officials as it was reported in Time magazine was, "We told you! We called you! You never paid any attention to us."
Sometimes that is our struggle, not with the government, but the one who calls Himself God. To some people GOD means Grand Old Dependable, but to others it means Greatest Overwhelming Doubt. And there are some of us here that at times have wanted to point a finger at God and say, "Sometimes I wonder if you really care."
Well frankly, I don’t know of a better person to hear from than a man named David, the one who wrote this paragraph in the Bible. Because David was smarter than anyone here tonight. He was the greatest king Israel ever had, an outstanding poet, and a dynamic soldier all wrapped up in one person. Sometimes it is humbling to admit but there are actually people smarter than we are.
Reader’s Digest told of a man who walked into a department store with a pair of slacks in his hand that he had bought from them and said, "I’d like to have these altered." The clerk asked him for a receipt but he reached into his pocket and discovered he had lost it. So the clerk said, "It is store policy not to do free alterations without a receipt." So the man said, "Okay, I’d like to return the slacks." The clerk said, "That is fine. You can return them without a receipt but we cannot alter them without a receipt." The clerk processed the return and gave him back the money he had paid for the slacks. The man then handed her the money and said, "Now, I’d like to buy these slacks." She could not figure out what he was doing but she took his money and gave him the slacks. Then he said, "May I have a receipt?" He gave her the receipt and then he said, "Now I’d like to have these altered." There are some people smarter than we are.
David was one of those people. And David not only answers the question, does God really care, but says, compared to God, nobody knows what the word care means. Because David in this paragraph is saying that when a person is rightly related to God, He has the answer to the five biggest problems of life.
And interestingly enough, the problem He begins with is the problem that is closest to the people of our day - it is the problem that keeps most of us awake at night - the problem of worry and anxiety. Because David says in verse one as you will notice, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."
There was a day when we worried about the things that actually could happen. But now we even worry about the things that haven’t happened and could never happen. A number of years ago an employee came to work one morning and as soon as everybody looked at him they could tell he was as worried as a centipede with athlete’s foot. So one of them asked him, "What are you worrying about?" And he said, "A number of years ago I went home one night and my wife was whistling a tune entitled ’Tea for Two" and shortly thereafter we had twins. Then about a year and a half later I went home and she was watching a show on television entitled ’The Three Musketeers’ and shortly thereafter we had triplets." And they said to him, "But what are you so worried about now?" And he answered, "Well, last night I went home and she was reading the book called Birth of a Nation." The fact is, from the breakfast table in the morning until the bed at night our lives are characterized by worry.
And yet sheep are among the most carefree animals about. And you will never understand Psalm 23 unless you first understand sheep. They will take a bite of that luscious green grass not having the slightest hint where tomorrow’s food is coming from. They will lap up that cool refreshing water not having the slightest idea how tomorrow’s thirst will be satisfied. But they do know who the shepherd is and they live in confidence in the one who is their shepherd. And what David is saying is that the same type of worry-free living is found in the Christian life and because the Lord, He is my Shepherd, I shall not want of anything I need. I can buy my groceries this week and rest assured that as I do my part the money will be there to buy my groceries next week. I can put gas in my car today and rest assured that as I do my part the money will be there to put gas in my car the end of the week. I can pay my utility bill this month and rest assured as I do my part, they money will be there to pay my utility bill next month. And because the Lord, He is my Shepherd, I shall not want of anything I need.
One time there was a rich man who designated a sum of money for a poor man’s relief and he sent it to him by way of a friend. But the friend did not deliver all of the money at once. Instead he just delivered a small portion of it with a note that said, "More to follow." And the next day he delivered a little more of it with a note that said, "More to follow." And the next day he gave him a little more with a note that said, "More to follow." It’s the same thing He does in my life. He meets my needs on Monday, then He lets me know there’s more to follow. He meets my needs on Tuesday and He lets me know there’s more to follow. Then He meets my needs on Wednesday and He lets me know there’s more to follow and because the Lord He is my Shepherd, I shall not want of anything I need.
But there is a second problem that plagues a lot of people and even some of us here tonight and that is the problem of rest. There are many that although they go to bed at night and their head hits the pillow they find it difficult to get a good night’s rest. Some time ago a report stated that in a given year U. S. insomniacs consume more than a half a billion dollars worth of sleeping pills. And yet as a well-known doctor said, many of them will not find rest. Time magazine one time had a cover article entitled Drowsy America. And it told about a doctor who was so tired that while performing a major operation he fell asleep and fell right on top of the patient he was operating on. Now wouldn’t that be enough to give you a hernia?
In fact, a woman in England confessed that she could not get to sleep and the advice to count sheep never helped. But one night as she was getting into bed, she dropped a hair curler on the floor and it rolled underneath her bed. So she had to crawl underneath her bed before she could reach it to get it. But afterwards, she was so exhausted, she fell asleep immediately. So now what she does every night just before going to bed is throw something underneath her bed and then crawl around for two or three minutes trying to get it. And it works so well she no longer has any trouble sleeping. She herself said, "It is not very elegant but it works."
But what David is saying in this psalm is that when a man knows God he not only has the answer to worry, he has the answer to rest.
He continues in verse two by saying, "He makes me to be down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters." There were many times as a shepherd was leading his sheep over the plains that the sheep were determined to go a little farther to cover a little more ground. But the shepherd knew the strength of the sheep better than they knew it. Therefore, after a long and tiring day he would gently persuade those sheep to lie down and get some rest. And also the thing you have to understand is that sheep have a dreadful fear of water. The fear seems to be that that coat of wool that is upon their backs could become caught underneath the gushing stream and take them to their death below. And for that reason the shepherd would walk over to that place where the water was gushing out of the rocks and he would take some stones and dam up the water right where it hit the ground. Then in the midst of that circling pool of water, the shepherd would stick his staff. And the water that was so alive and full of motion would become perfectly still and the sheep would come up and drink without the slightest bit of fear. That’s why David says, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters."
It’s the same thing the Good Shepherd does in my life. After a long and tiring day, He gently persuades me to lie down and get some rest. And there beneath the greatest responsibility I’ve ever had upon me and the greatest pressures I’ve ever felt I can lie down and get some rest because He is there and He is my Shepherd. Sometimes the situations He causes me to lie down in are not the most pleasant. They are not the most comfortable. But I can lie down and I can rest because He’s there and He’s my shepherd. A college student once said, "My father was away from home when He died of a cerebral hemorrhage. I was just a junior in high school. But I came to see that even situations like these are in His hands. Whether or not I understand them is not important as long as I realize that He is in charge."
But there is still a third problem that bothers many people and that is there is no direction in their lives. They remind you of the man who had a bumper sticker on the back of his car that said, "Don’t follow me. I’m lost too." In fact there are many who are so without direction that they are convinced there is no reason for even being alive. A person said some time ago in a Dallas newspaper, "I’m eating myself to the grave and I’m doing it intentionally. Life has no meaning and purpose and I figure I might as well get from it whatever pleasure I can. There is nothing to look forward to except three big meals." We are so lacking direction and purpose for our lives that even when things go right, we cannot figure out why. A psychologist one time received a postcard from one of his patients who was vacationing in Rome. The postcard said, "I’m having a terrific time. I wish you were here to help me understand why."
But what David is saying in this psalm is that when a man is rightly related to God he also has the answer to direction in life. In verse 3 he says, "He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake." When David says that, he has in mind the erring sheep. Because there is no animal that has a poorer sense of direction than the sheep. I don’t care if you have a pet hog or a pet hamster at home, that animal has a better sense of direction than the sheep. And as the shepherd was leading his sheep through the plains, there were trails going in all directions. Some were made by the wind and some were made by the wolves. Some led to food and others led to death. Therefore, it was the job of the shepherd to point out to the sheep the best trail for it to follow and the one that would lead to life instead of to death.
And also the thing you need to understand is that there is no animal more prone to go astray than the sheep. It will see a bush and wander over to it, not realizing that underneath that bush is the deadly venom of a snake. It will see a curious edge to the earth and wander over to it not realizing that that edge is a cliff and a slip of its foot could send it quickly over the edge. And sometimes a shepherd had a sheep that might after night was prone to go astray. So one day he’d walk over to it, pick up that sheep and putting one hand on the side of the joint of its leg and another hand on the other side, break that leg right at the joint. And for weeks after that the sheep had to walk around with a splint on its leg, but by the time that leg was healed the one thing the sheep had learned was stop going astray. Because the shepherd was in charge of giving direction to the sheep.
It’s the same thing Christ does in my life. He gives me direction, purpose, meaning, a reason to be alive. And even when you come to age 40 when I am told more people consider suicide than any other age, you can look back with a great deal of satisfaction knowing you have spent your life in the place God wanted you to spend it, doing the thing He wanted you to do. A professional tennis player, Tim Lightvoet once said, "To be happy and rich were my goals for life, but I soon found myself frustrated with living just for myself." When finding the Good Shepherd, he found all the direction his life has been in need of.
But there is a fourth problem that confronts many people and that is the problem of fear. There are many today who are afraid to die, but there are many more who are afraid to live. They buy a house and they live in fear that house is going to burn to the ground. They enjoy good health and live in fear that cancer is going to be their fate. They have a good job and live in fear that they are going to be laid off work. And the smallest thing that happens makes them wish they could leave the planet. Most of us would find it easy to identify with the men sitting in a barber’s chair, his face lathered and enjoying the attention and the haircut he’s receiving. All of a sudden a boy comes to the door and said, "Mr. Smith, Mr. Smith, your house is on fire." The man jumped up from his chair, tore the apron off his lap, and ran down the street, lather all over his face. He went an entire block before he stopped and said, "For crying out loud. What am I running for? My name is not even Smith." People are living in fear.
In fact, some time ago, the President’s Crime Commission revealed that 1/3 of all Americans are scared to live in their neighborhoods at night. One-third of all Americans keep guns in their home for the same reason. Twenty-eight percent of all Americans keep dogs in their house for the same reason. But what David is saying in this psalm is that when a man is really related to God he even has the answer to fear. In verses four and five if you notice he says, "Yeah, 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." In verse four, when David used the word death, he had in mind far more than the incident of death itself. He had in mind the worst darkness through which his sheep had to pass. When he used the word valley he was thinking of real places in the land of Palestine - a deep raving between two mountains. A sharp break in the hills. This is where the wolves would lurk and this is where the snakes would hide in order to catch the sheep as they came through the pass. And for that reason a shepherd always carried two things - a rod and a staff. The rod was only about two feel long and it had a round knot on the end and he could use that to club any animal that endangered his sheep. But the staff was much longer and it had a round hook on the end. And he would use that to pull a sheep up out of the hole in which it had fallen or pull branches out of its way. For that reason, David says in verse four, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me."
Charles Sleming was a man who wrote a lot about sheep in this part of the country. One of the things he points out is that a shepherd used to bring his sheep to the edge of a green and plush looking field of grass and command the sheep to stand next to the edge. Then he would take a small bottle of oil and going into the field he’d find all the snake holes that were in the land and dab a little oil around the edge of each of them. Then he’d walk over to where the sheep were standing next to the edge and dab a little bit of oil on the head of each of them. Then having that done, he’d command the sheep to go into the field and eat until they were full. When the snakes heard the sound of their hooves on the earth above, they’d prepared to come out to make their deadly strike. But the oil around the edge kept them from getting out and furthermore should they get out the oil on the head of the sheep acted like a repellant and drove them away. And for that reason the sheep could eat without the slightest bit of fear. Then the shepherd would take the sheep over to where he had dammed up the water and command them to drink and not stop drinking until their thirst was satisfied. And for that reason David says in verse five, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over."
In the same way, when the Lord is your shepherd you can live life without being afraid. He does not promise to take you around the most difficult moments of life, but He does promise He’ll take you through them. Some mornings I get up and even my cereal won’t snap, crackle and pop. But when the Lord, He is your shepherd, you can stand up instead of folding up. And even the greatest fear many have is the fear of death and it is completely removed when the Lord is your shepherd. I would shout a loud amen to what a man said one time said when the doctor came to him and told him, "It is only fair to tell you that you are dying." The man answered. "Fantastic. That’s what I’ve been living for."
But besides worry, rest, direction, and fear, there is a fifth problem many have and it is the problem of the future. They do not know if they were to die they’d be in His presence forever. Even financial wizard Donald Trump said in Time magazine, after discussing all his financial wealth, "The one thing that bothers me is that I don’t know where I’m going when I die." But David makes it clear that when a man knows God, he even has the answer to the future. David says in verse six, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." The house of the Lord to the Old Testament Jew represented the temple in Jerusalem. And when they were in that temple they felt like they were in the presence of God Himself. David says, "I’m going to live in His presence forever and it is because of His goodness and mercy." When David uses the word "goodness" he means God gives me what I don’t deserve, like family, friends, food, and eternal life. But when He uses the word "mercy" he means God keeps me from what I do deserve like anger and punishment because of my sins. That is why I know my future in His presence is secure. It doesn’t matter how undeserving I am of His love, I receive his goodness. And it does not matter how deserving I am of His anger, I receive His mercy. That’s why my future is secure. And notice David does not use that five-letter word you and I use - maybe. He uses that six-letter word - surely - beyond the shadow of any doubt I will dwell in His presence forever.
What are the five biggest problems and does God really care? David could not make it any clearer. God not only cares but when you are rightly related to God you have the answer to the five biggest problems of life. You have the answer to worry. Your stomach doesn’t have to be tied in knots anymore. You have the answer to rest. You can sleep when you go to bed instead of tossing all night. You have the answer to direction. Your life can be an exclamation point instead of a question mark. You know why you’re here instead of wondering why you’re here. You have the answer to fear. You can have a handle on life instead of life having a handle on you. You have the answer to the future. You know you are going to live with Him forever.
One time there was a newspaper office in that always had a practice that if the pastors in that city would call in and give them texts and titles to their messages, they would print them in the paper so all the people in the city would know on what subject their pastor was preaching on the coming Sunday. So one day a pastor called in and said, "This coming Sunday I am speaking on Psalm 23. The title of my message is ’The Lord is my shepherd.’" The secretary, who answered the phone said, "Will that be all?" And the pastor answered, "That’s enough." But the secretary did not understand what he meant by that. So when the title appeared in the paper all it said was, "The Lord is my shepherd and that’s enough." That’s the heartbeat of Psalm 23. When the Lord is your shepherd, that’s enough. You have the answer to the five biggest problems of life - worry, rest, fear, direction and the future. When the Lord is your shepherd, that’s enough.
I have a feeling some of you are saying, "Larry, that’s what I want. That’s what I need." But before you can experience Him as your shepherd you have to know Him as your Savior. Before He can guide you, He first has to save you. That means that you have to come to God and admit that you’ve been just like a sheep. You’ve gone astray from God. You’ve lied and lusted. You’ve hated and deceived. You’ve stolen and been unkind. And you are now in a position the Bible calls lost - facing eternal separation from God. But 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, who cared for lost sheep came into the world took your sin and my sin, placed it upon Himself and died in our place on a cross. They crucified Him when they should have crucified us. He saved us by dying on a cross in your place and mine as our substitute.
Years ago, the late major of New York City also sat as a judge in police court. One night they brought before him an elderly lady who was charged with stealing a loaf of bread that she said she needed for her family. The judge said, "I have to punish you. That’s the law." And he gave her a well-deserved fine. Then he reached into his wallet, pulled out a wad of bills and paid that fine for her.
Jesus Christ on the cross took your punishment and mine, placed it upon Himself and died in our place. The third day He arose victorious over sin and death. For that reason, since the price for our sin is now paid, God is now free to give us eternal life as a free gift if we will simply put our trust in Christ as our only way to heaven. You dare not trust your good works to save you, your good life to save you or your church attendance to save you. Instead, you have to come to God as a sinner, recognize that Christ died for you and arose and put your trust in Christ alone as your only way to heaven. The moment you do, God gives you eternal life as a free gift.
It’s then that you realize, if He’s big enough to get you to heaven, He is also big enough to get you through earth. When the Lord is your shepherd, that is enough.
Years ago a friend of ours who had trusted Christ was in the hospital dying of cancer. One day the doctor was discussing with her the real possibility of not coming through. She looked at the doctor and said, "If I do or if I don’t, either way I’m a winner." What she was saying can be put into one sentence. When the Lord is your shepherd, that’s enough.
If you have not trusted Christ, I urge you to do so tonight. Then when you die you will be with Him and until then He will be with you. And you will discover what millions of people throughout the world have, when the Lord is your shepherd, that’s enough.
