Psalms 23: In The Lord's Presence

Title: Psalms 23: In His Presence

Theme: To show the importance of being in God’s presence and leadership, not to be distracted by our enemies.

Text: Psalms 23

Psalms 23:1 A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Shepherd – leader, guide. Always out front. Someone we can trust.

I shall not want – “I have need of nothing”

When we are not being led by our Shepherd then we are going to be in want. Nothing will satisfy us. Nothing. People fall into traps of satisfaction when they are not being led by the Spirit.

Moses “If your presence doesn’t go with me, I don’t want to go”

Last week, Jesus two disciples talked about the burning in their spirit.

We must also keep our eyes on the Shepherd. We should not worry about where we are going. We should not worry about where the Shepherd is leading us. We must stay focused on the Shepherd.

Who is guiding you now?

Psalms 23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

“He makes me” – Hebrew is called “causative action”. By reason of a cause God will bring me to a place. He will “force” me to a place to lie down and to rest.

God will force you to a place of rest but He will not force you to drink. He will lead you to a place to drink.

During this season God has forced a lot of people and a lot of families to rest but many have not taken advantage of the nutrients God has provided. They are too focused on the next journey.

Psalms 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

Restores – revives, turn back, return

Paths of righteousness – “broad and narrow way” Matthew 7:13 - 14

“for His name’s sake”

Titus_3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." (Isa 61:1-3)

Psalms 23:4 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.

Rod – protection (David used his rod to defeat the lion and the bear, 1 Sam 17:34 -35) but also correction

“This is actually a sign of love because love = discipline since the opposite of love is not hate…it is indifference. Hebrews 12:6 says “the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” The psalmist declares “Blessed is the one you discipline, LORD, the one you teach from your law” (Psalm 94:12) and “that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75b) for surely “the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Prov 3:12).”

From https://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2015/07/24/what-is-the-difference-between-the-rod-and-the-staff-a-bible-study/

Staff of guidance

Staff is used to guide the sheep. Sometimes forcefully.

Psalms 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

To me this is the most challenging of the scriptures. It would be better if they enemies were not brought up. Things are going so well.

Last week we talked about the resurrection which means LIFE. Hope to a world full of death. Sadly, there are many today who live in death. They live in brokenness.

The enemy (or perceived enemy has power over them. They are caught up in what has happened. They

Even though we may give forgiveness our enemy is still our enemy. In other words we may have moved on but our enemy has not.

Joseph came to this place

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

This is the story of the resurrection. This is the story of many of the tragedies of life. This is the story of this virus.