Two Sides To The Same Coin.

Two sides to the same coin.

What comes to your mind when you think of God?

What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us!! A.W. Tozer

I want to look at the two sides of this coin called life and what that could mean to us.

Psalm 22:1-11

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.

4 In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

5 They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

8 “He trusts in the LORD;

let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

9.Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast.

10 From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

If we look at God like this, we see life in a stinking worthlessness.

The writer of this psalm is seeing God as someone who leaves us alone un guided, and even unloved, He likes others better than us. We are nothing

To Him.

LIFE STINKS!!!! Some today feel the same as the writer of this psalm.

Skunks stink and their smell carries on the air and makes us gag. It’s a smell we would rather not have. But yet this smell if used in a proper method can be transformed into something wonderful.

Did you know? The odor may be removed from the skunk’s musk, and then used in perfume. Musk from the skunk’s notorious scent glands has also been used in the making of perfume. The musk, once the odor is chemically removed, is especially valued because of its clingy, long-lasting quality. A smell that once repulsed us now becomes something we enjoy. Though some more than others.

We need to view God as David did not in Psalm22 but in Psalm 23.

David sees three things of God’s character that would help us through the roughest of times in life

Psalm 23 starts out with this..

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

A. God is a shepherd.

In Scripture we see Jesus as the shepherd, in John 10:11 Jesus is

the good shepherd, Hebrews 13:20 Jesus is the great shepherd

and in 1st Peter 5:4 Jesus is the Chief shepherd.

What does that all mean? Only this

1. The Lord is my shepherd== God is now and forever will be, a companion in my life. One to watch over me, care for me, yes me, as if I was the only one He cared about. Personal

someone I can follow when He calls.

You may ask, how can this be?

The reality is experienced only as I hear His voice and respond to

His leading.

I shall not be in want.

If I am in His care, then all my anxiety is dispelled

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Even 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.

B God is a guide

Vs 3 He restores== spiritually, my soul even when it’s battered and bruised – leads me

Into life on the right paths because His reputation is on the line.

He will not leave us or forsake us, but goes with us through the hard times no matter what they are, even death. We know He will watch over us, His very presence will dispel all fear. I will fear no evil

He comforts us, in good times as well as bad.

But God is even more.

C. God is a host

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

We can go from our journey of life to being a guest in the house of a benefactor and protector. He will take care of all our needs Philippians 4:19 says