HoHum:
A gallop article on April 15, 2024 says that Americas are getting less sleep than they need. What is the problem? “What might be driving these downward trends in sleep? Research on health and wellness shows a strong connection between stress and sleep quality. According to the American Psychological Association, the relationship between sleep and stress goes both ways -- those who sleep less are more stressed, and those who are more stressed sleep less. Indeed, the new poll shows that 63% of those who report wanting more sleep say they frequently experience stress, compared with 31% of those who get the sleep they need. Over the past 30 years, the number of Americans who are stressed has been on a steady incline. The most recent data show that nearly half of all Americans, 49%, report frequently experiencing stress, up 16 points over the past two decades and the highest in Gallup’s trend to date.
WBTU:
Need to chill out but how? It is important to deal with our stress now rather than later. Our well being depends on it. Psalm 23 provides us with a tremendous blueprint for reducing stress.
Thesis: In this psalm David outlines 7 stress busting habits that will make us happier and healthier (from Rick Warren).
For instances:
1. Depend on God to meet our needs- Psalm 23:1
On what or whom do we depend? It’s easy to put our trust in other people to meet our needs- our spouse, the church, friends, work associates, and so on. This can be a constant source of stress. We should never base our security on something that can be taken away from us. When we realize God will meet every one of our needs, it calms us down. He will never disappoint. He is always faithful. A Sunday school class was memorizing Psalm 23 and little Tommy couldn’t get beyond the first verse. On the big day he stepped up to the microphone, grinned at the audience and announced, “The Lord is my shepherd, and that’s all I know!”
What did David know about being a shepherd? He was one from a young age. Psalm 78:70-72: He (God) chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
Even though David had intimate knowledge of being a shepherd, in this Psalm, he is speaking as one of the sheep, one of the flock. David is saying, “Look at who my shepherd is- my owner- my manager! It is the Lord.”
Jesus referred to himself this way. John 10:14-15: I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father —and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Raymond has goats but sheep are more dependent on a shepherd than goats are to a goat herder. Sheep do not “just take care of themselves.” They require, more than any other class of livestock, endless attention and meticulous care. Be thankful that in the Lord’s flock. Philip Keller was a shepherd and he writes this: In memory I can still see one of the sheep ranches in our district which was operated by a tenant sheepman. He ought never to have been allowed to keep sheep. His stock were always thin, weak and riddled with eases or parasites. Again and again they would come and stand at the fence staring blankly through the woven wire at the green lush pastures which my flock enjoyed. Had they been able to speak I am sure they would have said, “Oh, to be set free from this awful owner!” This is a picture which has never left my memory. It is a picture of pathetic people the world over who have not known what it is to belong to the Good Shepherd… who suffer instead under sin and Satan.
Immediately after WW2, the Allied armies gathered up many hungry, homeless children and placed them in large camps. There the children were abundantly fed and cared for. However, at night they did not sleep well. They seemed restless and afraid. Finally, a psychologist hit on a solution. After the children were put to bed, they each received a slice of bread to hold. If they wanted more to eat, more was provided, but this particular slice of bread was not to be eaten- it was just to hold. The slice of bread produced marvelous results. The children would go to sleep, subconsciously feeling they would have something to eat tomorrow. That assurance gave the children a calm and peaceful rest. David gives us something to hold onto here.
Philippians 4:19: my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added…
When have we been in want and without a shadow of a doubt we knew that God met your need?
What does it look like to be so content in God that you can say, “I lack nothing”? The word “want” has 2 emphasis: 1). Not lacking, not deficient- in proper care, management. 2). Utterly contented in the Good Shepherd’s care and consequently not craving or desiring anything more.
2. Obey God’s instructions about rest- Psalm 23:2a
Much of the stress comes from being in a hurry and working too much. Rest is an antidote to stress. Rest is so important, God put it in the “Big Ten”- the Ten Commandments. When God tells us to take a day of rest every 7 days, he means it. Now some are unable to take Sunday off or Saturday off but need time to rest sometime during the week. Jesus took a day off. When we study Jesus’ ministry, we see how often he took time to relax. Mark 6:31- Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” What do we do on a Sabbath?
A. Rest our bodies. Take a nap.
B. Refocus our spirit. Spend some time in worship
C. Recharge our emotions. Do something different that helps unwind. Fishing or basketball
The shepherd starts the sheep grazing in the early morning. The sheep walk steadily as they graze; they are never still. By 10 AM the sun is beaming down and the sheep are hot, tired, and thirsty. The wise shepherd makes the sheep lie down in the afternoon. The sheep will not eat lying down, so it chews the cud, which is nature’s way of digestion. Study the lives of great people, and we will find everyone one of them drew apart from the hurry of life for R & R. May we willingly lie down. Many times we are forced by circumstances to lie down. The Psalmist said, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
3. Recharge the soul with beauty- Psalm 23:2b-3a
One of the reasons that Psalm 23 is the most beloved Psalm is because we can visualize it. We can see the lush meadows and calm lake. We need beauty in our lives. This is an incredibly important part of stress management. Beauty inspires, encourages, and motivates. God created humans for a garden, not a skyscraper. What do you consider beautiful? How can we get more beauty into our lives?
A. Get outside every day. Take a walk and get in touch with God’s creation. Many of the psalms talk about this- Psalm 8, 19, 29, 104.
B. Start our day with God, not the media. The first 7 minutes of our day sets the mood. Start with the Good News, not the bad news.
C. Intentionally put beauty around us. Surround ourselves with pieces of art and music.
Need those still waters- what is a still water for you?
Sheep have a fear of swift moving water because they are terrible swimmers. Therefore, sheep will not drink from a moving stream. The shepherd does not laugh at the sheep’s fears. Instead, as he leads his sheep across the mountains and valleys, he is constantly one the watch for still waters, where the thirst of the sheep can be quenched. Love Peter’s words in Acts 3:19- “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
He restoreth my soul can have another meaning here. Moffatt translates it to read, “He revives life in me.” Like a watch, the human spirit can run down. We lose our drive and push. We become less willing to attempt the difficult. Like squeezing the juice from an orange and leaving just the pulp, life has a way of squeezing the spirit out of a person. A person can become “only a shell.” The dawn of a new day leaves us cold and hopeless. The Bible tells that God made the first man, “and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). And God has the power and the willingness to breathe a new breath of life into one who has become lifeless. Ephesians 2:5- made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved.
4. Go to God for guidance- Psalm 23:3b
A common source of stress is indecision. There are decisions to be made and yet it is so hard to decide. We need guidance- he leadeth me. This is why the declaration of God’s guidance in Psalm 23 is so important for stress relief. God will guide us at the right time and in the right way. God is never off target. David remembered his experiences as a shepherd. He knew that sheep have no sense of direction. A dog, a cat, or a horse, if lost, can usually find their way back. Not so with sheep. The sheep has very poor eyes. It cannot see 10 or 15 yards ahead. Palestinians fields were covered with narrow paths over which the shepherds led their sheep to pasture. Some of these paths led to a precipice over which the simple sheep might fall to its death. If one sheep went over, then others would follow. Other paths lead to a blind alley. But some paths lead to green pastures and still waters. The sheep follow the shepherd, knowing they are walking in the right path. Sheep, left to themselves, will ruin themselves. Just like sheep we cling to the same habits that we have seen ruin other lives. Isaiah 53:6- We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way. Turning to “my own way” simply means doing what I want. It implies that I feel free to assert my own wishes and carry out my own desires. I do this many times in spite of many warnings. We read in Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Contrast this with Christ the Good Shepherd who says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). How do we know if God is leading us? Start by studying the Bible, obey God’s commands, and spend time in prayer. Psalm 37:23 (KJV) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Simeon- Luke 2:27: Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. Philip- Acts 8:29: The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
When have we sensed the moving of the Spirit? What guidance was received?
For the beginning of the 2nd lesson and the last 3 verses went over material that talks about digestion from: https://caps.byu.edu/https:/brightspotcdn.byu.edu/af/af/fa9576fc42cfbb6b9a44a51537b8/digestion.pdf
5. Trust God in the dark valleys- Psalm 23:4
Valley of the shadow of death? Talking about death or something else? “As a shepherd boy tending the precious flocks of his father, David was charged with safely leading them through the deep, treacherous ravines that crisscrossed the Judean wilderness. In many places, passage through these narrow chasms was reduced to a single file stretch, winding its way along cliffs and rocks rife with hiding places for all many of creatures, not to mention the danger of rock slides. Such a treacherous path was dubbed a “glen of gloom” or a “valley of the death- shadow.” Well, okay this can mean more than death. YEs, We all go through dark valleys, and we will go through many of them in our lifetime. Loss is particularly painful, whether that means loss of life, job, or health. We lean toward one of 2 responses to loss- either grief (which is good) or fear (which is detrimental). Grief is a expected reaction to loss. Fear will paralyze us. Henry Ward Beecher said the 23rd Psalm is the nightingale of the Psalms. The nightingale sings its sweetest when the night is the darkest. Those who are going through the “valley of the shadow” need to get off by themselves in a quiet place. Quit struggling for a little while. Forget the many details. Still the mind for a little while from hurrying to the next thing. Just stop, become still and quiet, and in the midst of the “glen of gloom” we will feel a strange and marvelous Presence more powerfully than we could have ever felt it before. Dottie Rambo- I feel the touch of hands so kind and tender; They’re leading me in paths that I must trod; I’ll have no fear 'cause Jesus walks beside me; For I'm sheltered in the arms of God; So let the storms rage high; The dark clouds rise; They won't worry me; For I'm sheltered safe within the arms of God
Thy rod and thy staff- The shepherd carries a rod, which is a heavy, hard club 2 to 3 feet long. When David wrote this Psalm, he probably remembered his own need for a such a rod. In 1 Samuel 17, David tells Saul how he slew a lion and a bear in protecting his sheep. The rod for the Christian is the Word of God. The Word protects us and disciplines us when we use it.
Staff- This was about 8 feet long. The end of the staff was turned into a crook. Many paths in Palestine were along the steep sides of mountains. The sheep would lose its footing and slip down, hanging helplessly on some ledge below. With his staff, the shepherd could reach down, place the crook over the small chest of the sheep and lift it back onto the pathway. The sheep instinctively are comforted by the shepherd’s rod and staff. This can take a lot of the dread and fear of the future out of our hearts. The staff for us is the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter. Philip Keller- As we comply and cooperate with the HS gentle promptings a sense of safety, comfort and well being envelops us.
When was a time when you felt the presence of the Lord? Felt the Lord’s rod and staff?
6. Let God be your defender- Psalm 23:5
Prepares a table- In the pastures of the Holy Land grew poisonous plants that were fatal to the sheep. Also, there were plants whose sharp thorns would cause damage to the sheep. Each spring, the shepherd would take his mattock and dig out these enemies of the sheep, pile them up, and burn them. Thus the pastures were safe for the sheep to graze. The pasture became, as it were, a table prepared. The enemies were destroy. Too technical and not enough practical (we know little about sheep)- ok, David knew what it was like to be attacked. He spent much of his young life running from Saul. He hid in caves while being maligned and demeaned by the king. Yet David refused to say anything bad about the king. Just be quiet enough and they will be found out. David let God be his defender. Proverbs 23:10-11: Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you. Now we do have a part to play. It is not enough for the farmer to plant the seed. He must go through his crop again and again to destroy the weeds. May the Spirit of God work in our hearts to stamp out the weeds. Luke 8:14: The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. What do we need to let God weed out of our hearts?
Anointest my head- Sometimes as the sheep grazed, it’s head would be cut by a sharp stone, or briars would scratch or thorns would stick. Some days the sheep had to walk steep paths under a hot, merciless sun. There is often the threat of flies and other pests that make life miserable for the sheep. At the end of the day the sheep would be tired and spent. So the shepherd would stand at the door of the fold and examine each sheep as it came in. If there were hurt places, the shepherd would apply soothing and healing oil. Instead of becoming infected, the hurt would soon heal. Philip Keller- “What an incredible transformation this would make among the sheep. Once the oil had been applied to the sheep’s head there was an immediate change in behavior. Gone was the aggravation; gone the frenzy; gone the irritability and the restlessness. Instead, the sheep would start to feed quietly again, then soon lie down in peaceful contentment. Remember how, as little children, we would bruise a finger or stub a toe? We would come running to mama, who would kiss the hurt away. There was healing in her loving concern. As older children, we still get hurt. Sometimes, the burden of life can be unbearable. There is the tender shepherd who understand the hurt of His children and is ever ready and able to minister to that hurt. Notice here that David uses personal pronouns. The shepherd knows his flock and has concern for each one. Charles Allen- I had a professor in college who never did learn my name. Somehow, I never liked him very much. I read that Jesus said, “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). He knows my name
He knows my every thought He sees each tear that falls And hears me when I call
How does it feel to know that God knows your name?
Cup runneth over- At the end of a long day the sheep are tired and spent- at such times how can we have a cup that runneth over. Jesus said, ““Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14). Overflowing. In the quietness of the South Pole, Admiral Byrd suddenly realized he was “not alone.” That assurance caused faith to well up within him, and even though he stood in “the coldest cold on the face of the earth,” he felt a comforting warmth.
What helps our cup runneth over? From F.B. Meyer
A. Good health. Often unaware until it is withdrawn.
B. Human friendships and affections.
C. Comforts of home life. Soft pillows, mattresses, warm, weather tight rooms
D. Joys of the mind. Romans 12:2- Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Think on the sunny side of life. Philippians 4:8- Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
E. Dash of extra sweetness- James 1:17- Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
7. Expect God to finish what he starts- Psalm 23:6
A reason we face stress is because we fear the future. We are always asking, “What if?” But notice how David writes of his c certainty that goodness and mercy will continue in his life. We tend to look at our future in one of 2 ways. We either expect everything to go wrong or we look at the future and say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
There was a woman who told a preacher that she felt that 2 demons were pursuing her…
In the morning say with the Psalmist, “This is the day that the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Begin the morning with hope. Surely goodness and mercy
I will dwell in the house- Interesting considering that David did not have the insights that we have. He never heard these words: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26). But like that lady sometimes we doubt that we will ever make it. Philippians 1:6- being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Want to be there with our loved ones but especially with the one who died for us. Phillip Keller tells of sheep who tried to escape from their poor conditions with a bad shepherd. “Those poor sheep had not come into my ranch through the proper gate. I had never leet them in. They had never really become mine. They had not come under my ownership or control. If they had, they would not have suffered so. Even starting out under my management they would have been given very special care…. In short, they tried to get in on their own. It simply spelled disaster. What made it doubly sad was that they were doomed anyway. On the old impoverished ranch they would have starved to death that winter. Likewise with those apart from Christ. The old world is a pretty wretched ranch and Satan is a heartless owner. He cares not a wit for men’s souls or welfare. Under his tyranny there are many hungry, discontent hearts who long to enter into the household of God- who ache for His care and concern. Yet there is only one way into this fold. That way is through the owner, Christ himself - the Good shepherd. He declares, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture” (John 10:9).
