| April 6, 2002 |
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| The Lord Is My Shepherd Psalm 23 (continued) "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Here, we find courage and comfort. Death is the supreme test of life. This is not just talking about the deathbed. Our human family lives in the shadow of death. When a person is born, from that moment on, he starts down a great canyon, and that canyon is the valley of the shadow of death. We are in it constantly. All of us walk in the shadow of death. The moment you are given life, it also begins to be taken from you. All of us are in death's valley. The shadow of death is upon us. But, all the while we walk through that valley, we should fear no evil, if we are a child of God. This is the encouraging comfort He gives. If one of our loved ones dies as a child of God, this is our courage and comfort. "I will fear no evil: for thou art with me." We can know that our Shepherd is with us at all times, and even at the time of death, for the Good Shepherd never leaves His flock unattended. I know I want Him with me when my time comes to die. "Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." A rod was for defense, and a staff was for direction. He gives us gentle reproof and severe rebuke. He has a rod for our defense, but He also has a staff for our direction. He has a staff for the little old sheep that are bound to stray. That comforts us. As we look back on our lives, we realize that rod is a comfort. It has helped to bring us back into the fold many times. "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." These two verses reflect the happiness and hope of the Shepherd's heart. "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." Here we have felicity, fruitfulness, and fullness. All of that is undergirded with joy. What is that table today? I think it speaks of the Lord's table. At the time this psalm was written it spoke of God's promise to Israel of physical blessings ~ to us He promises spiritual blessings. "Thou anointest my head with oil." That oil speaks of the Holy Spirit. We need that anointing today. We cannot face life alone. "My cup runneth over." This is symbolic of joy. We need to be undergirded with joy today. The Lord says, ". . . I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). The Lord wants our joy to be full. This world needs Christians who are running over with joy today! "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." This brings us to the final verse of this wonderful psalm. Our Shepherd brings us all the way from the green pastures and the still waters to the Father's house. In John 14:2-3 the Lord says to us, ". . . I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." You know, we are not pedigreed sheep, and sheep are not worth much anyway, but we do have a wonderful Shepherd. If you can say, "The Lord is my Shepherd," all the wonderful promises of this Psalm are yours. If He is the Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep and He is your Savior, this psalm is for you. "The Shepherd whose ninety and nine sheep were safe did not wait for the one astray to return; he went forth and sought and found it, and when he did find it he did not maul or kick or pound it; he took it to his bosom, and comforted and rescued and healed it." ~D.L. Moody God bless you with a wonderful week-end! Love in my Shepherd, Sandy |