The Great I Am, Oh Happy Day, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, How Great Thou Art, I Speak Jesus, 10,000 Reasons, My Tribute, Jehovah Jireh

Who is someone you trust to guide you, and what makes you trust that person?

The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.

We celebrated our 42nd anniversary as a church last Sunday and reflected that, every anniversary, we should be reminded of God’s mission for us. The reason why we exist is as commanded in Matthew 28:19-20. The call to MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations has been our church’s main task. How are we going to do this impossible job? We have an extraordinary God who will use ordinary people like us, but the key is that we must know Him intimately. If we are not making disciples, we are not really following Jesus, as that is His command to us. The sermon reminded us: OUR EXTRAORDINARY GOD IS OUR SHEPHERD: FOLLOW HIM! The Bible compares us to sheep. Isaiah 53:6 reminds us that sheep are prone to go astray and are defenseless. But sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd, as Jesus said in John 10:27. We looked into Psalm 23 to see the richness of lessons in this work of David:

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

Psalm 23:1 reminds us that the LORD is our shepherd, not anyone else; and we shall not be in want. It is a very personal claim of comfort. Personal pronouns are used in this psalm many times in just 6 verses! John 10:11 shows us that Jesus claimed to be “the good shepherd” who lays down His life in sacrificial love for His sheep. He loves us so much and cares for us intentionally. His extraordinary, tender care and love are given to those who know Him. The idea of not wanting means we will not lack anything. In Psalm 34:8-10, in a time of danger, David worships and says, “taste and see that the LORD is good.” Many of us know about the Bible and know about Jesus, but we have no personal relationship with Him. He loves you and He cares for you! Furthermore, in Ps. 34:10, David writes that “they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.” Thus, the statement “I shall not want” means all our needs are supplied by the Lord (Phil. 4:19), we will not lack, and it is a commitment to trust, not complain or covet, because as our shepherd, God gives. Our job is to follow Him completely; His job is to provide. How? See the next verse!

HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES

Psalm 23:2 describes how our good Shepherd makes sure that we lie down in green pastures and leads us to quiet waters. Do you know that sheep will not lie down if they are hungry, afraid, or anxious? The sheep will also not drink when the water is not still. Whose job is it to look for green pastures and bring the sheep to good water sources? The Shepherd. The problem is we think we are the shepherd, but Jesus is our shepherd! Maybe some of us are not happy with our lot, and we think that God has made a mistake and that we are missing out on life. If you just follow your Shepherd, you will never miss the green pasture. You have one job: follow the Shepherd!

Back when David was young, Samuel was supposed to anoint a new king to replace Saul (1 Samuel 16). Samuel was sent to the house of Jesse, and he was told that one of his sons was going to be the future king. Jesse presented every son, beginning with the eldest, but in v. 10, Samuel confirmed that the LORD had not chosen them. The last son was so ordinary that Jesse did not care to present him to Samuel. The prophet asked, and Jesse said he had another son, but this lad was tending sheep, working as a shepherd boy. David was called, and in front of his brothers, he was anointed, and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward (vv. 12-13)! As David was an ordinary man made extraordinary by God’s Spirit, so can we all be extraordinary! Did David miss out on the green pasture by being bypassed or neglected? No! If we keep following the Shepherd, we will not miss the green pasture. But was it easy from that point on for David to rise to the throne? While he eventually became king, he had to become the number one enemy of Saul, and he had to run as a fugitive, hiding and keeping himself safe from multiple attacks. This was God’s training ground for David, training him to keep the faith and follow Him during challenges.

HE GUIDES ME IN THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Psalm 23:3 tells us that our Shepherd guides us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. God has a reputation to keep—if you belong to the Lord, He is going to guide you in the path of righteousness for His glory! Hebrews 12:6 and 11 gives us a picture of this intention—disciplining out of love and being committed to showing the fruit of righteousness in our lives. A true Christian cannot continue to stay in sin forever. David was disciplined when he made mistakes. We all experience God’s discipline through problems and setbacks to wake us all up.

EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH

Psalm 23:4 shows great confidence in the good Shepherd—even if we are going through the valleys and shadows of death. These can be the low points of our lives. Even in these discouraging times, the presence of God is our comfort. His rod and staff provide not just guidance to us, but also great comfort, because amid our worst fears, He is with us. Fear, financial problems, and other challenges can bring people to a depressive state. We have to be reminded: God, our Shepherd, will take care of us! Matt. 11:28 reminds us that we can come to Him in these times, and He will give us rest!

YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME

Psalm 23:5 describes how God can prepare a table for us—a feast, even in the presence of our enemies. Security is not the absence of problems or the absence of enemies—it is in the presence of the Lord. We must practice the presence of God in our lives! Anointing our head with oil and an overflowing cup are images familiar to shepherds. Shepherds apply oil on their sheep so that flies and vipers do not bother them. That is absolute care! An overflowing life is an amazing promise from God. We have one job—we must follow Him.

SURELY GOODNESS AND LOVINGKINDNESS WILL FOLLOW ME

This psalm ends in Psalm 23:6—goodness and lovingkindness will follow us (Hebrew sense: to chase and overtake us) all the days of our lives—and David knew this deeply. With the many sins he had committed and the troubles that came after, the goodness of God did not fail him. David was a man who knew how to repent. So David was sure he would dwell in the house of the Lord forever! Have you experienced the overflowing life that God wants you to have? Choose to follow Him. Salvation is by grace through faith, but you must willfully follow Him!

ONE THING I HAVE ASKED FROM THE LORD

Ps. 27:4 shows what is most important for David: that he will dwell in the presence of God. When God becomes our greatest treasure, His presence becomes our greatest pursuit. There are 2 tests if you truly belong to God: you HEAR, and your feet FOLLOW His direction. John 10:27-28 tells us His “sheep” hear His voice and follow Him. The question is, do we want Jesus to be our shepherd? Matt. 11:28 reminds us that even if we are weary and heavy-laden, tired, or have been failing in trying to live a life pleasing to the Lord, we can come to Him, and He is able to give us rest. If we will live our lives differently, more people will want to follow Him also. Our Extraordinary God is our Shepherd—commit to FOLLOW HIM!

This week, pray and ask God, “Lord, where are You leading me, and am I willing to follow?”

Care by intentionally reaching out to someone who may be facing a “valley” and be a source of encouragement, reminding them that God is with them.

Share by telling someone about a time God guided, provided for, or carried you through a difficult situation, and point them to Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

• Worship God for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do in our lives.

• Upright and moral governance of public servants; repentance and salvation for government leaders and citizens for a Christ-centered Philippines.

• For legislators to promote and support bills and laws aligned with God’s Word.

• War in Ukraine to end, loss of lives prevented.

• For the rest of the Israeli hostages to be restored to their families safely. For Israel’s war with terrorists to end according to God’s purpose and for His glory.

• For the civil war in Syria to end peacefully, protection for Christians and other minorities, and freedom from oppression for Syrians. Pray for the gospel to spread rapidly throughout the country.

• Pray for Sudan and persecuted Christians there; earnestly seek God’s intervention to stop the bloodshed. Pray for freedom from oppression, that God’s word and His people bring them comfort and hope.

• Earthquake victims in Burma, Thailand, other countries.

• Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ affected by the disaster in Nepal, especially those who remain missing. Pray that they will be found safely, and that God will strengthen and comfort their families. May the Lord provide for their needs and give them hope and courage as they face the days ahead.

• That CCF Members would honor and love God and make disciples.

• For elders, pastors, dleaders, and families to become holy, humble, harmonious, happy, and heart-working.

• Ministries and churches expand worldwide.

• Worship and Training Center

• Prayer Mountain

• Deeper intimate relationship with God.

• Righteous living.

• Salvation of family and friends.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.