I want to talk to you about a powerful scripture from God’s Word. It has been so often painted on funeral home cards and quoted at grave services that we tend to see it only in that precept.
But, it is not a scripture of death or for the dying, it is about living and about God’s care and provision now. It is a familiar scripture, but with the help of the Holy Ghost, may we see some of the great truths in it today.
Psalms 23. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
The Lord is. We could camp right there for a while.
David said, the Lord is, not He was, or He will be someday. This is not about what God might someday be to us, but about what He is. This is about a God of the present that cares for us in the presence of our enemies.
David is personal and possessive. The Lord is my.
David said, "The Lord is my Shepherd."
In John 10:11, Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."
David knew the duty of a shepherd. He had faced the lion and the bear to protect his father’s sheep.
It was no small saying when David proclaimed, "The Lord is my Shepherd." David had put his life between the lion and bear and the sheep.
Jesus put his life between Satan and you.
I Samuel 17:34-35. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep and there came a lion and a bear and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him and smote him and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him.
Friend, our Shepherd, Jesus, came to rescue the wounded from the lion’s mouth.
Ezekiel 34:11-12. For thus saith the Lord God: Behold I even I will both search my sheep and seek them out, as a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
Friend, if you have been wondering in the darkness and gloom of sin, despair or fear, the Good Shepherd is calling out to you, If you will come to his voice, his words will cause light to shine in your darkness and he will lead you out and bring you back to the fold.
David wrote, He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his names sake.
The Bible tells us in John 16:13 that if we will listen, the Holy Ghost will guide us into all truth.
Don’t close your ears tonight to the Good Shepherd’s call.
Now verse 4 and this is really where I wanted to preach today.
Yea, though I walk through. Everybody say through. 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.
David said, yea, though I walk through.
Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednigo went through the fiery furnace. They didn’t camp there.
The children of Israel marched through the Red Sea.
Daniel didn’t stay in the den of lions.
Amen? Don’t take up residence in the valley.
I know we all have troubled times. Sometimes we hit low places, but it is not God’s will that we stay there.
If you are in a trial or a dark spot today keep moving. Keep following Jesus. He is with you. He will lead you out.
Too many Christians have taken up residence in the valley.
The Bible says we don’t have to stay in the valley, but that we could sit together with him (Jesus) in heavenly places.
But...I must tell you that God won’t force you out of the valley. The children of Israel that didn’t want to follow God died in the wilderness.
David said, Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He didn’t say it was the valley of death, but the shadow of death.
I heard a man say, The shadow of a dog never bit anyone.
Most of the things we fear never have any substance. Satan would love to keep you fighting shadows.
Sometimes as Christians we fight shadows because our lamps need cleaned and we have tried to mix something else with the oil.
But God’s Word brings light and drives away the shadows.
Did you know that the shadow of an object can seem much bigger than the object itself? Whether the threat is real or imagined David said I will fear no evil. Why?
Because Thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
We have God’s Word and His Spirit.
Did you know that a shepherd’s staff has more than one purpose. It can be used to correct the course of the sheep to turn them in another direction or can be applied to the head of the enemy to cause him to let go of the sheep.
The Word that corrects me is also the same Word that protects me. Correction is protection.
Whatever circumstance you are in today, get hold of God’s Word and don’t let go, and it will bring you out. He is the light in darkness. The Word is the way out because Jesus is the Word and Jesus is the way.
Verse 5 is very important. It shows us that these promises are for now; in the presence of mine enemies. Not in the sky, by and by, when you die, but now. Here the table is prepared and the anointing is given.
Christian, you can’t bless those around you until your cup runneth over.
Don’t you think it’s time to walk on out?
Friend, if you are in a valley of sin or despair, if hopelessness has you bound, the Shepherd has come searching and calling for you. Will you answer the call?
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
