LETTING GOD TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE
PSALM 23
INTRODUCTION
A. Has your faith ever seemed like this cartoon?
B. Faith is often difficult to find in the midst of life.
1. There is a rock ready to fall on you from one direction, and a cliff ready for you to fall off of on the other side.
2. Christian author and teacher, Dallas Willard, put it this way: "The Lord is my Shepherd" is written on many more tombstones than lives.
3. Life does sometimes bring great difficulty – right when you least expect it.
a. Consider my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Many of you have prayed for them with us when in one year, they found out their 16 year-old daughter was pregnant. Then their son, serving in the army in Iraq, stepped on a roadside bomb, almost lost his life, and spent over a year going through surgeries and therapy. Shortly after their son was injured, his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and endured surgery and chemotherapy. How do you make it through all of that?
b. Or consider what happened to Richard and Geneva Culp:
The hot sun in northern California added to the fatigue I felt, working as foreman of a large ranching operation. I owned my own farm—200 acres of almond trees. But years of bad weather and skimpy harvests forced me to take on additional work to provide for my family.
Still, my efforts didn’t seem to help reduce our debts. My wife, Geneva, and I took additional loans to cover our farming expenses. The trees had to be watered, sprayed, and fertilized, and the wages had to be paid. All that created more debt. I couldn’t get back on my feet.
I’d lost a farm previously, and starting over was difficult then. This made Geneva and I determined not to fail again. We spent many sleepless nights struggling to find a way to pay all of our expenses.
One day, Geneva brought me the bad news: "Oh, Richard, I’ve just been to the farm credit company. They’ve taken it all! We’re being forced to sell. They have a buyer; there’s no price negotiation. All they want is our signatures."
Her voice trailed off into sobs. I put my arms around her and began to weep too. Everything that we had worked a lifetime to acquire was gone. I was 50 years old and had been in farming all my life. Where would we go? Since the farm credit company had taken our land and our two bank notes, the crop that year would go to the buyer. We had no money to start over. Two of our eight children were still at home. How would this crisis and relocation affect their lives?
In spite of the overwhelming loss and grief, I knew that God was in control of our situation. I remembered the Bible story of Joseph. Even as a slave and prisoner, that young man was part of God’s glorious plan. As for me, I knew that God must have something better for our future too.
Two weeks after the creditors took our farm, things got worse. I lost my job as a ranch foreman. Our family moved into a compact rental unit, and Geneva and I began working a series of minor jobs, including a stint at a fast food restaurant.
It was difficult to pay down the $100,000 debt that was left after all of our assets were seized—our land, equipment, home, and bank notes. There were many times that we didn’t have money for groceries and living expenses, but God provided for us through our family, friends, and church.
C. Psalm 23 has spoken to many people who have faced dire circumstances.
1. This is perhaps the most beloved of all the Psalms. It may be the most loved and best known chapter in the Bible.
a. A nineteenth century preacher and commentator, J. J. Stewart Perowne observed that “there is no psalm in which the absence of all doubts, misgiving, fear, and anxiety is so remarkable.”
b. Alexander Maclaren said that “the world could spare many a large book better that this sunny little psalm. It has dried many tears and supplied the mould into which many hearts have poured their peaceful faith.”
c. This Psalm was one of the first passages of scripture that I memorized. Millions of people have memorized it, even those who have learned very little other scripture. You can probably quote most if not all of it.
d. This Psalm has been used countless times to comfort people who are going through personal trial, suffering, illness, or dying. For some, the words of this psalm have been the last they have uttered in life.
2. This psalm stands on its opening line: “The Lord is my shepherd.” That line presents an amazing juxtaposition of ideas.
a. The word Lord is the great Old Testament personal name for God. It packages everything that we know about God up in one little word.
b. Then there is the word shepherd. The work of the shepherd was considered the lowest of all works. No one would choose the job of a shepherd if he could do something else. Yet, God has chosen to be our shepherd. The great God of the universe has chosen to care for us in the most difficult of circumstances. Jesus himself applies the metaphor to himself.
3. If an all powerful God cares for us in this personal a way, our only response can be to be let God take over our lives. That is the idea from this Psalm that I want to explore with you today for when we face the most difficult of life’s circumstances.
• The fact is, we are like stubborn sheep:
Jerry, whose parents own a sheep farm, frequently took a few days off from work every spring to look for sheep. I asked why he would have to look for sheep. Don’t they know how to get home?
He told me that whenever a pregnant ewe goes into labor, she immediately sits down. But if she is facing downhill when she sits, she will stay in that direction, fighting against gravity to push the lamb out of the womb. If no one helps her, she will die in that position rather than simply turn around.
Jerry said every night his family has to carefully count the pregnant sheep. When even one ewe is missing, the whole family goes out to search for her. They either bring her home or stay with her until her labor is over. If the weather is harsh, they have to build a shelter around her, while using their bodies to keep her warm.
I am like that stubborn animal. I face trials with the attitude that I will conquer the obstacle myself. All I have to do is stop for a minute, look to my Shepherd, and I will discover that I can solve my problem by simply turning around. God has a simple solution already prepared for me. I am not the solution maker, my Shepherd is.
KEY STATEMENT
David shows us what happens when we let God take over our lives.
• Psalm 23 is a dangerous Psalm to preach on because it is so familiar. No message on Psalm 23, then, should be seen as definitive, but as reflective of its meaning.
• Psalms do not do well with outlines. It is like outlining poetry. I do not intend, then, for this to be an outline of Psalm 23, but simply reflections on what David says happens when God takes over our lives.
WHEN WE LET GOD TAKE OVER OUR LIVES…
I. …HE PROVIDES – Vss. 1,2.
A. He provides our needs.
1. One of the primary roles of a shepherd is to find food for his sheep. He guides them to the field where there is plenty of grass.
2. Sheep are generally not regarded as very smart animals, so they live much better lives when they have someone to take care of them.
3. We are not much better than sheep. We fall apart time after time when we try to live on our own. Isaiah 53:6 puts it well: "All of us like sheep have gone astray; Each of is has turned to his own way." How much better off we are when we have some-one to provide our needs. That is exactly what the Lord will do for us.
4. There is a wonderful example of how God provides for us in the life of Elijah in 1 Kings 17 when he goes to Zarephath during a famine because God has commanded a widow to provide for him. All during the family her flour was not used up and her jug of oil did not run dry as she provided food for Elijah, her son, and herself.
5. I actually saw God provide this kind of provision once, not with food but with gasoline: Bill and Janet Wilson’s empty gas tank did not run dry on our mission trip to Stanford, KY.
6. Over the years I have seen God provide in less miraculous ways as well.
B. He provides our rest.
1. Our world has hit a desperate point.
a. According to a Fall 2001 national poll taken by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research: Only one in five report they often feel hopeful about the future; seven in ten reported such feelings in a comparable 1990 national survey. In 2001, people had little hope in the future because of world conditions following 9/11.
b. Today many have little hope in the future because of the stress of the economy. Now I am convinced that we are being told that our economy is worse than it is, because I have seen far worse economic periods than what we are in. Yet, the economy is stressful for many right now.
2. Sheep are a perfect illustration for how we need rest, as Phillip Keller tells it:
Phillip Keller is a pastor and author who for eight years was himself a shepherd. Out of that experience he has written A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. It throws light on this and other statements. Sheep do not lie down easily, Keller says. In fact, "It is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear. Because of the social behavior within a flock sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax. Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger."4
Fear. Friction. Flies. Famine. Sheep must be free from each of these to be contented. And as Keller notes, only the shepherd can provide the trust, peace, deliverance, and pasture that is needed to free the sheep from them.
3. David gives two illustrations of the kind of rest God provides:
a. He makes us lie down in green pastures. There is something comforting about a plush green lawn. It just feels more comfortable than a field of weeds.
• When our niece Jessica was married, my sister and brother-in-law had a barbecue in their backyard for the rehearsal dinner. The groom’s family did the cooking. Connie and Doug had completely redone their backyard in the preceding months for the occasion. The law had recently had new sod put down. It was a lush, deep grass, and the setting made it a wonderful setting for the event.
b. He will lead us beside quiet waters.
• There is something calming about a quiet lake. While in high school, I spent two weeks during each of two summers on Ontario’s Lake Anjigame. In the morning and the evening, the lake was absolutely still. It was almost like a mirror. What a contrast it was to the day-long stirring of the water from the wind and motorboats. God provides us that kind of rest when we let him take over our lives.
II. …HE LEADS – Vss. 3,4.
A. He leads in righteousness.
• There are two compelling images here:
1. First, the shepherd restores the soul of his sheep.
• Phillip Keller is once again helpful here:
Phillip Keller explains this by the situation known to shepherds as a "cast (or cast down) sheep." What happens is this. "A heavy, fat or long fleeced sheep will lie down comfortably in some little hollow or depression in the ground. It may roll on its side slightly to stretch out or relax. Suddenly the center of gravity in the body shifts so that it turns on its back far enough that the feet no longer touch the ground. It may feel a sense of panic and start to paw frantically. Frequently this only makes things worse. It rolls over even further. Now it is quite impossible for it to regain its feet." In this position gases build up in the body, cutting off circulation to the legs, and often it is only a matter of a few hours before the sheep dies. The only one who can restore the sheep to health is the shepherd.
• Sometimes we are like cast sheep. We are spiritually on our backs, quite helpless. But Jesus comes to us when we are in this condition, and he restores us.
2. Second, he guides us in paths of righteousness.
• Sheep can have a good shepherd who can have brought them to the best grazing lands near an abundant supply of water, and they will still wander away to where the fields are barren and the water undrinkable. They are creatures of habit. They may be brought to good grazing land by their shepherd, but, having found it, they may keep on grazing until every blade of grass and every root is eaten; the fields are ruined, and they themselves are impoverished. No other class of livestock requires more careful handling than do sheep. Therefore, a shepherd who will move them from field to field yet always keep them near an abundant supply of water is essential for their welfare.
• The phrase “paths of righteousness” does not just mean a straight way, but a right way, a righteous way. We need God’s help in walking the right way.
B. He leads in hardship.
• This image in vs. 4 is the most compelling image of the Psalm. I do some text searching in databases when I am working on a sermon, and this verse brought up more ideas and illustrations than the rest of the Psalm combined. I wish I could share them all with you, but just a few thoughts will do.
1. “The world’s most dangerous road” is called “The Road of Death”:
In Spanish, it’s called el camino de la muerte, which translated into English means "road of death." In 1995, the Inter-American Development Bank called it the "world’s most dangerous road."
Found in Bolivia, this dirt and rock route stretches 38 to 43 miles, depending on the source, and descends from La Paz (at 12,000 feet) down to the beautiful rain forest town of Coroico at the edge of the basin of the Amazon River.
Why so dangerous? An average of 26 vehicles fall off this road each year; and 200 to 300 people lose their lives on it annually. Steep hillsides, cliffs, and dropoffs with no guardrails present hazards, and the road in places has room for only one vehicle. Rain and fog complicate the trip, along with muddy surfaces and loose rocks sliding down hillsides. On July 24, 1983, over 100 passengers were killed when a bus veered over the edge and crashed into a canyon.
But, despite the danger, the road has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction since the early 1990s.
2. Life is the world’s most dangerous road. The compelling thing about this phrase is that in the greatest difficulties of life, God is with us.
a. Commentators have noticed that in this verse the third person pronoun for God in the previous verses is replaced with the second person pronoun in this verse and verse 5. We are never so conscious of the presence of God as when we pass through the valleys.
b. God protects us when we face the valleys. The rod was a heavy cudgel with which the shepherd could stun or kill an attacking beast, and the staff was the shepherd’s crook, which he used to assist the individual sheep.
3. Timothy George tells how we can see Jesus in the dark days of life:
When I was a student at Harvard Divinity School, I learned preaching from Dr. Gardner Taylor, a pastor in New York City. I’ll never forget those lectures. I remember him telling us a story from when he was preaching in Louisiana during the Depression. Electricity was just coming into that part of the country, and he was out in a rural, black church that had just one little light bulb hanging down from the ceiling to light up the whole sanctuary. He was preaching away, and in the middle of his sermon, all of a sudden, the electricity went out. The building went pitch black, and Dr. Taylor didn’t know what to say, being a young preacher. He stumbled around until one of the elderly deacons sitting in the back of the church cried out, "Preach on, preacher! We can still see Jesus in the dark!"
Sometimes that’s the only time we can see him—in the dark. And the good news of the gospel is that whether we can see him in the dark or not, he can see us in the dark.
Taken from Timothy George’s sermon "Unseen Footprints," PreachingToday Audio (Issue 290)
III. …HE HEALS – Vss. 5,6.
A. He makes us well.
1. When we face the greatest danger, God takes care of us:
Jane Garmey, a writer for The Wall Street Journal, recently wrote a piece about Kenneth Helphand, a professor of landscape architecture at the University of Oregon. A little while ago, Helphand purchased an old stereopticon at a flea market. It depicted a scene of shelters in French military trenches surrounded by gardens. After a great deal of research, he discovered that gardens were often created in times of war. Gardens flanked the Western front during World War I, Jewish ghettos during World War II, German POW camps, Japanese-American internment camps in the U.S., and war-torn areas of Sarajevo. Today, gardens are sprouting up in the deserts of Iraq.
The gardens symbolize survival—life—in the most difficult of circumstances. They are "an obdurate refusal to give in to the horror of the hell so close at hand." In fact, Helphand calls them "defiant gardens."
Jane Garmey, "Planting Hope: Gardening in Times of War," www.opinionjournal.com (3-21-07); submitted by Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky
2. God can make us well in the most difficult of circumstances.
3. The image David uses is of God anointing us with oil. The oil David spoke of was a medicinal oil that was poured on the head. The shepherd was the only veterinarian his sheep knew. He doctored them when they were sick, even though they were in the midst of the enemy.
4. Oil and wine were highly valued in the dry, barren lands of the Near East. In Palestine, where the sun shines fiercely most of the year and the temperatures continually soar up into the hundreds, the skin becomes cracked and broken and throats become parched. Oil soothes the skin, particularly the face. Wine clears the throat. When a guest arrived at the home of a friend, hospitality demanded the provision of oil and wine so the ravages of travel might be overcome.
B. He keeps us well.
1. The Lord enables us to dwell with him forever. He will always keep us well. A doctor can only do so much for you, and then you die. But God heals us for eternity.
2. Billy Graham has always been confident of his final destination:
In January 2000, leaders of Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon. Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson’s disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, "We don’t expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you." So he agreed.
After wonderful things were said about him, Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, "I’m reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of each passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached in his other pocket. It wasn’t there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn’t find it. Then he looked in the seat by him. He couldn’t find it. The conductor said, ’Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it.’ Einstein nodded appreciatively.
"The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, ’Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry. I know who you are. No problem. You don’t need a ticket. I’m sure you bought one.’ Einstein looked at him and said, ’Young man, I too know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going.’"
Billy Graham continued, "See the suit I’m wearing? It’s a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling me I’ve gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I’ll be buried. But when you hear I’m dead, I don’t want you to immediately remember the suit I’m wearing. I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am, I also know where I’m going."
CONCLUSION
A. Richard and Geneva Culp made it through their difficulties:
A year-and-a-half later, God gave us our new direction. Geneva and I were offered a management position at an exclusive, 2,600-acre waterfowl hunting club in northern California. The club catered to wealthy clients. As we served at the club in numerous ways, we realized again and again that money and possessions cannot bring happiness. We had lost everything, yet we had joy in our lives.
After we had been at the club for about a year, I received a call from the head of the credit company that had taken our farm. He wanted to talk with us and insisted on making the hour’s drive out to the hunting club.
As we sat together, he said, "I want to ask you something personal. A friend of mine recently lost everything he owned. His wife just committed suicide. We at the office have noticed that you two are handling this crisis differently than most people do. Can you tell me what your secret is?"
I was happy to explain. "We believe in the God of the Bible. He is sovereign over our lives, and he is in control. Even though the pain is real, we are confident of this: God has proven sufficient and able to take care of us."
Geneva added, "God’s Word promises, ’Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’"
It was true. Throughout the entire ordeal, we never felt alone for a single moment. Later, as the head of the credit company rose to leave, he thanked us. "You’ve given me a lot to think about," he said quietly.
B. God will provide a way for you, too, as Don Moen found:
Thousands of Christians in North America sing Don Moen’s praise song, God Will Make a Way, which affirms God’s sovereign involvement in our lives. Most who sing his lyrics don’t know their origin.
Several years ago, Don was awakened in the middle of the night. His mother-in-law called to tell him of a tragic car accident involving his wife’s sister, Susan. Susan and her husband, Craig, and their four little boys were on a trip when the tragedy occurred. Jeremy, age eight and the oldest of the four boys, was killed instantly. The others were seriously injured.
As Don and his wife grieved and poured out their hearts to the Lord, they felt helpless at communicating hope and grace to Susan and Craig.
Don recalls how God helped him through the tragedy.
It was as if the Lord gave me these words:
God will make a way when there seems to be no way.
He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide; hold me closely to his side.
With love and strength for each new day, he will make a way.
