We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get to be an adult, or after we are married, have a good job, start a family, etc. Then we get frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough to mind, or be left alone, or old enough to play sports yet. We believe we’ll be more content when they are older. When the kids become teens, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. Or we tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, and we are able to go on a nice vacation, or definitely when we retire.
Then what happens? We retire, sit on the front porch and remember. What do we remember? We remember how nice the past was; how contented we were.
I believe that we are the ‘half-empty’ generation. Somebody said that instead of having a cup that runneth over, we all have cups that leak out the bottom. Contentment should be an everyday style of living for Christians, but all too often, we find that the only thing filling our cups is fear: Fear that we don’t have enough yet; fear that we are not valuable enough yet; fear that we will be forgotten when we die; and fear that we will face God unprepared.
We see a tremendous contrast in what David felt as he wrote the 23rd PSALM and what our own hearts contain. How could someone write with such contentment and security before the time of hospitals and penicillin; before welfare programs and 401Ks? As we take a closer look at that passage, we discover the answer.
Let us read the PSALM 23:1-4.
(Read passage first time without reading the explanations in parenthesis.)
‘The Lord is my shepherd – I shall not want.
(I shall not lack for anything I need)
He makes me lie down in green pastures – He leads me besides still waters.
(I am given abundance and blessings)
He restores my soul
(I am given peace and assurance)
He leads me in right paths – for His name’s sake
(I live for Him so that I might testify on Jesus’ behalf)
Even though I walk through the valley of death – I fear no evil
(Even when I am in grave spiritual danger, I trust in the Lord)
For You are with me – Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’
(I know the Lord walks with me, and He gives me comfort)
Let’s read it again with an explanation I heard another preacher give one time.
(Read the passage again, with explanation)
David had rock-solid contentment and security in the Lord, didn’t he? What would you be willing to give for that same level of contentment or security in your life? What would you be willing to do in order to have that like David did?
To have that same intense feeling David had, all you have to do is truly trust your Shepherd.
A man pulled up to a red light and saw a truck towing a trailer that was full of sheep. The man rolled down his window and yelled to the truck driver, "You shepherds don’t move your sheep around like you used to."
The truck driver replied rather surly, "I’m not a shepherd; I’m a butcher."
Before David became King, he was a shepherd, and he would tell you that a shepherd’s job was to care for the sheep. In fact, the shepherd was the sole source of safety for the sheep. Without the shepherd, the sheep would surely die in the wilderness. The sheep come to trust the shepherd for everything they have.
King David would tells us this morning that his contentment and security in the present came from trusting that the LORD God was his personal Shepherd, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.... I will fear no evil."
God provided pauses in our lives so we would have the opportunity to restore our souls and our fellowship with Him in life’s darkest hours. We see this in verses 2 to 4. I want you to think back about some of the problems you have had in life. Those problem areas were pauses, which were put there by God. During these problems, were you totally focused on taking care of them, or did you experience God’s presence in those pauses He puts into your life? If you never experienced God, then you were like most of us – you simply were not paying proper attention to Him at the time.
If we haven’t trusted God as much as the sheep trusts the shepherd, the troubles at work, the interruptions to our plans, or the broken dreams will be nothing more than troubles at work, interruptions to our plans - the dark times in our life.
But if we have trusted God as our Shepherd, the troubles at work, the interruptions to our plans, and the broken dreams were are all pauses in life that allowed us to experience His guiding presence. And each time we experience a little of God in our lives, we grow a little bit more in spiritual maturity.
My sister’s husband used to be drinker and during this time, he was not the model husband or parent. But about 10 years ago, he suffered several massive heart attacks. This made him retire and they even said he would be dead within a certain number of months.
But he is still going and he gives all praises to the Lord for letting that happen. To him, it was a pause; a pause given so that he could come back to basics and experience the Lord in his life.
Since then, he has read the Bible through about a dozen times and he has totally submitted his heart and soul to the Lord. The pause in his life served to bring his focus back to God and he has since grown to a very deep level of spiritual maturity in God.
When Sir Harry Lauder received news that his son was killed in World War I, he wrote these words:
"In a time like this, there are only three courses open to man. He may give up in despair, ... he may endeavor to drown his sorrow in drink (or indulgence) ... or he may turn to God."
King David would tell us this morning the only choice that brings contentment and security to our present is to turn to God as our personal Shepherd.
In JOHN 10:11, Jesus reminded us with these words,
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
God has always been the good Shepherd, but we have to trust him as instinctively as the sheep do their shepherd. We must put our complete and total trust in God, even when we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Is it an easy thing to do? No it is not, but with constant prayer and focus, you can do it.
Here is how you can tell if you truly trust the Lord with all your heart.
When you feel empty inside, what do you do? You look for something to fill that emptiness, don’t you? If you would always choose the Lord to fill that emptiness rather than choosing something of the world to fill it, you do trust in the Lord and you do have contentment in Him.
We all have fears, especially of the unknown, don’t we? When we experience those fears, we always try to grab hold of something that will give us stability and strength; something that will help us be brave. If you would always choose the Lord to help get you through those times, you have security in Him.
While contentment and security in the present comes from trusting that the Lord as our personal Shepherd, King David would tell us that contentment and security for our future also come from trusting that the Lord as our personal Host.
A little girl had told some lies to her parents, and they got mad and made her eat by herself in the corner on a small table. As they began to eat, they heard her saying grace. She said,
‘You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.’
She might have misunderstood that verse just a little, don’t you think?
In PSALM 23:5-6 we read,
‘You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’
When you invite me over for dinner, I hope I can leave my money at home. A good host does not make us earn or pay for our meal. When we make God the Host of our future, we don’t enter into God’s house based on what we can bring. We enter simply by accepting His invitation.
In MATTHEW 22:1-2, Jesus told a parable, saying:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come...."
We are the servants God sends out to tell others that He has invited them to be His guest, and that He wants to be their host forever more.
People who do not know God, think that they can do it all by themselves. Their motto is - "If it’s going to be; it’s up to me."
These are the people who keep track of what they do, and they try their best to make sure the good outweighs the bad so they can still get to Heaven. If you’re relying on yourself, on others or on human institutions to see you through this life and into eternity, you don’t have the chance of a dying duck in a hailstorm.
Your parents, a loving spouse, and no church can get us to Heaven. Having a very personal and loving relationship with Jesus as your best friend and your Savior can only do that. The only retirement plan good enough for Heaven is one that is vested in Christ Jesus.
The Lord’s Supper is the table that God has prepared before us in the presence of our enemies. Our enemies are the devil, his evil influences in this world, and dour own sinfulness. These war against God and His plans for us. Those are the things that keep us in a constant spiritual warfare within ourselves.
But, by coming before the Lord’s Table of Communion, we have the opportunity to once again get our heart focused on Jesus, and recommit ourselves to Him all over again.
The Bible tells us that without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin. When we remember the Lord’s Table, we remember God stops at nothing to make sure we have the chance to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Can we even imagine the love He has for each one of us? Nothing is too big for our God, and nothing is too small for Him to handle on our account. What a mighty God He is!
An advertisement for an expensive car reads, "Pursue happiness in a car that can catch it." They have lied to you. There is not a car made that is that fast. An ad for brandy captioned, "Taste the good life." They lied to you, too. They didn’t tell you about the hangover that you will soon have.
The Western world sells contentment in a car and security in a bottle. Other parts of the world sell contentment in their equality and security in their government. God is not selling anything. The Apostle Paul would remind us at this time,
"God who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Jesus, graciously give us all things?"
We want not and fear not only when the Lord is the Shepherd of our present and the Host of our future. Only then can we say in the same breath,
"I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..."
and
"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, [and] I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
There are many Christians who still do not have the total assurance of their salvation in their hearts. These people have fallen trap to one of the devil’s dirtiest tricks; stealing your joy and assurance away from you.
These people also hurt when they realize they just cannot guarantee themselves that they are saved in Christ and will go to Heaven. They doubt, and along with doubt comes frustration, guilt, anxiety, and they soon begin to question other things of God.
If you are one of these people today, may I strongly urge you to do something about getting rid of those negatives? They are all from Satan, and we should not be willing to hold on to them for another minute!
As we sing the invitation song, come to me. Come to me right now, and allow me to help you get rid of those feelings so that you, too, can feel the contentment and security of knowing God loves you and wants you to be with Him.
INVITATION
