Psalm 23
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth 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 thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth 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 for ever.
I. The Lord is my Shepherd
That is Our Relationship with the Lord!
(John 10:11 KJV) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
(1 Pet 2:25 KJV) For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
1 Pet 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
(John 1:12 KJV) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
A. God wants us to have a Father and son or daughter relationship with Him.
1. I love the ‘I am a child of the King’!
II. I shall not want
That’s my God’s Supply!
(Phil 4:19 KJV) But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
(Psa 37:25 KJV) I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
(1 Th 5:23 KJV) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
III. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
That’s entering into His Rest!
(Mat 11:28 KJV) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Heb 4:9 KJV) There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
A. When Jesus felt overwhelmed he said to his disciples, "Come away for awhile and rest."
IV. He leadeth me beside the still waters
That’s God’s wonderful Refreshment! A cloud by day and fire by night!
(1 Kings 13:7 KJV) And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
(John 14:27 KJV) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
38. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
V. He restoreth my soul,
That’s speaks of His Healing in every area of our lives!
(Psalms 103:3 KJV) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
VI. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
That’s His Leading and Guidance in our lives!
(Rom 8:14 KJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
(Isa 40:11 KJV) He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
VII. For His namesake
That’s His Purpose of our lives and personal Ministries!
(2 Tim 4:8 KJV) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
A. No other Name like His Name. Acts 4:12
B. We are called by His Name. II Cron. 7:14-15,
VIII. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
That’s Our Testing! (REMEMBER HE DID NOT DIE IN THE VALLEY)
(1 Cor 10:13 KJV) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
A. Under His Shadow, no fear! Psalms 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
IX. I will fear no evil!
That’s God’s Divine Protection!
(Rom 8:31 KJV) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? READ THE 91ST PSALM
(Luke 10:19 KJV) Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
(Mark 16:18 KJV) They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
X. For Thou art with me
That’s Speaks of His Everlasting Faithfulness!
(Heb 13:5 KJV) Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
(Mat 28:20 KJV) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
XI. Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me
That’s Speaks of His Loving Discipline!
Job 36:10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. 11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. 12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.
(Prov 3:12 KJV) For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
A. A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick in the pants, but is miles ahead in results
B. Discipline ... is to strengthen and restore, not condemn or destroy.
C. Discipline is the other side of discipleship.
XII. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
That’s Hope! (He makes a way when there is no way)
(Mark 11:23 KJV) For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
(2 Cor 2:14 KJV) Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ,…..
A. We cannot lose for winning, cannot go under for going over and we are not looking for the Undertaker but for the ‘Upper taker’!
B. Vision is merely hope with a blueprint.
C. Vision is the world’s most desperate need. There are no hopeless situations, only people who think hopelessly.
XIII. Thou annointest my head with oil,
That’s Speaks of our need for Consecration!
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
A. Nobody cares? They don’t have to as long as you do.
B. There is a perfect freedom for people who do the work they want to do and live by that work
C. God often uses small matches to light great torches.
D. Do the right thing--you will please some people and astonish the rest.
E. The best angle to approach a problem is the try-angle.
XIV. My cup runneth over,
That’s His overflowing Abundance to us!
(John 10:10 KJV) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
A. He is the God who is more than enough!
XV. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
This is God’s Continuing Day after Day Blessings!
(Eph 1:3 KJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
(Acts 2:46 KJV) And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
XVI. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord,
That’s God’s Security!
(John 10:28 KJV) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:29 KJV) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
XVII. Forever!!!!!
That Speaks of Eternity!
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
W. A. Criswell said, "We’re all fascinated with the future because that is where we will live the rest of our lives."
Face it; the Lord is crazy about you. What is most valuable is not WHAT we have in our lives, but WHOM we have in our lives!
