HE’S JUST SO GOOD!
Psalm 23
INTRODUCTION:
Well, good morning folks! It’s really good to spend this morning with you. I hope you’ve enjoyed this service and celebrating the Lord’s Supper together. But now we’re to my favorite part of each weekend — and that’s studying God’s Word.
So, if you have your Bible, turn with me to Psalm 23. This morning I want to talk about the goodness of God.
When I think about God’s goodness — I often think about this passage. In it, David describes The LORD as a shepherd. And not just any shepherd, but THE SHEPHERD. And sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming…BECAUSE He’s just so good to me.
There was a moment yesterday — when Lori and I were sitting at our counter (after we’d just finished lunch with our boys…and they had all taken off and gone back to their activities), where I looked at Lori and just acknowledged that we are so blessed. And, all because God is so good.
And no where do we gain a witness about His goodness more than in the person of Jesus Christ! The Messiah — our Promised One.
So, today, I just want us to meditate on His goodness. And we see this clearly in Psalm 23.
TRANSITION:
It’s possible that you’ve read, or studied, or heard this psalm shared many times in your life. But, no matter how familiar you are with it — I can guarantee that you’ve NOT PLUMBED IT’S DEPTHS. Because, this psalm — like the rest of God’s Word — will always take you deeper than you’ve been before.
So, take your Bibles — and turn there with me. Psalm 23.
Here David testifies to the GOODNESS OF OUR SHEPHERD…as he writes:
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:1-6 (NIV)
Well, like each of the previous Psalms we’ve studied in this series — this too is a Messianic Psalm (that points to Jesus).
Written, some 3000 years ago, its words are still some of the most relevant words ever penned. And mostly, because they describe the good work that Jesus does in our lives.
And this morning, I’d like to point you to 4 key ways Jesus’ goodness has affected my life.
First of all, He’s good to me, because:
- AS MY SHEPHERD — JESUS GIVES ME PROVISION!
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Psalm 23:1 (NIV)
David opens this psalm with the words, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1).
Now, a lot of people want to call Jesus their shepherd, yet they do not want to release the rights of their lives over to Him. They may come to church and agree with a set of facts, understanding that there is a heaven and a hell and knowing that Jesus died for their sins.
However, mental agreement with a set of facts is not salvation. There comes a point when each person has to sign over the rights to his life to the One who bought him with a price.
Until that happens, you cannot really say, “The Lord is my shepherd.” But when you surrender your life to His care — He becomes YOUR SHEPHERD. And as such, He promises to also become your provider.
Which is what David discovered. The question is…can you say today that He’s your shepherd? Have you fully transferred the ownership of your life over to Him?
When you do — He cares for us. And one of those ways is by providing for our EVERY NEED.
So, David says, “I lack nothing” — and that’s because, he has discovered that the LORD IS HIS PROVIDER. He is Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord who provides.
This NICK-NAME traces back to the story of Abraham when he was preparing to sacrifice his son Isaac to the Lord. It’s a crazy story where God test the heart and loyalty of Abraham. The sacrifice of a son to the gods was a common practice in the ancient pagan world. And so, God tests Abraham — but just before he would sacrifice him, God stops Him. At just the right time, God provided another sacrifice…a ram. Which ensured that Abraham wouldn’t lose his son that day. Isaac would live! Genesis 22:14
It’s really a story that reveals the GOODNESS of God. Because, while pagan worship required you to give up your child…worship of God would not.
But this idea of God providing can be traced all through the Bible. And in the New Testament we discover that the greatest act of provision comes through Jesus.
In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says, if you will,
“…Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…”
And then, the promise is — all the things you ever need in this life will be provided. Again, In Philippians 4 — the apostle Paul declares that God will supply ALL of your NEEDS, and the supply chain for his provision will run through Christ Jesus.
So, if you don’t want to want — if you don’t want to lack in any area of life, then LOOK TO JESUS.
Because, when you follow the Jesus, the good Shepherd — then you can stand confident that every need you have will be provided.
That’s certainly been my experience. Well, Secondly, I can testify that He’s so good, because:
- AS MY SHEPHERD — JESUS GIVES ME DIRECTION!
This is yet another demonstration of God’s goodness. Because, even when the terrain is unfamiliar, or our fears are strong, Jesus promises to lead us. So, we need to remember that our good shepherd knows the path we are on (even better than we do).
As David says,
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:2-3 (NIV)
I want to remind you — we can trust God’s leading because He knows the way!
Think about that for a moment. He (the creator of all), knows every path. And He’s been everywhere. So, no matter the moment — or the path before us, He is able to lead us in life.
It’s a known fact that sheep have a natural tendency to wander. When they do, they often get lost. As believers, we tend to do the same thing.
That’s just what sheep do. They wander. The move and scatter and wander away…and not in the WAY of the shepherd.
In Eastern Turkey in 2005 — 1500 sheep were gathered together by a group of shepherds. At one point that morning…the shepherds left their sheep to have breakfast together. The problem was — no one was left to watch over the sheep.
And so, from that large group of sheep…from that massive herd, one small lamb turned away and leaped over a rock and down a ravine to his death. The problem was that almost immediately, another sheep followed. And then another…and then another — until finally more than 400 more sheep followed.
All because of one little lamb. Eventually the shepherd saw what was happening and responded. But not before he had lost nearly a third of his flock. It was estimated he lost nearly $75,000.
And I’m not just trying to “pull the wool over your eyes”. 🙂
My point is just that sheep wander…and sometimes to their own peril. That’s why the prophet Isaiah said of us:
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.”
Isaiah 53:6
Solomon said,
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Proverbs 14:12 ESV
As sheep — we often choose paths that are not good for us. But what makes this Psalm so powerful — is that it reminds us that we have a good shepherd who is looking out for us. He is watching over us…He is directing us down good paths.
And this might be interesting to you — the Hebrew word for “right paths” can best be understood as “well-worn deep rutted paths”. Meaning, He’s going to set our feet on the right path — deep paths, and it won’t be easy to wander away.
I bring this up, because — when you have experienced the GOODNESS OF GOD…when you have begun to follow Jesus, it will bring a significant change to your direction in life. And while you may have the tendency to “wander” in life. When you follow Jesus, He’s going to make it hard to step out of those “well-worn deeply rutted paths of righteousness.”
You may walk away — but He won’t make it easy for you to do so! That’s the power of His grace at work in our lives.
So, here’s the point David was making — when we trust in the LORD and make HIS WAY our way, He will LEAD us through this life.
And when He leads, He leads from the front — not from the sidelines. That’s why Jesus said in John 10, as our good shepherd — He’s the one who would lay down His life for us (his sheep).
And He did. But He didn’t stay dead. (Right?) — Jesus also rose again. And so, Paul would write in Colossians, and tell us that Jesus has gone before us — first He went through the path of death…but then He went through the path of resurrection. And so, because of this, when can trust Him to lead us through death too! But, He never asks us to take the first step. He goes before us. Everywhere He leads, is territory that He’s walked before.
That’s why David says in verse 4,
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
He will meet us where we are — but He will also lead us where we need to be. (And through it all, He will be with us.)
Thirdly, He’s good to me, because:
- AS MY SHEPHERD — JESUS GIVES ME PROTECTION:
Life has a way of taking us through some difficult times — and dark valleys. I’ve been there, and I bet you have too.
In verse 4, David says,
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
Although I don’t like them — sometimes it’s been the journey through the darkest valleys that have lead me to experience the greenest of pastures (those places of genuine rest, where Christ has renewed my faith and calmed my soul).
As my shepherd — Jesus ensures my safety… by watching over me.
Did you know, sheep have really poor eyesight. They can’t see clearly, nor far. And so, they rarely SEE the real challenges around them…and are almost always spooked by things that aren’t really threats. Often it’s simple things like shadows that scare them the most.
But a good shepherd will always walk with his sheep through the challenging and difficult places. He will go ahead of them and lead them through the dark valleys.
And when a real threat does appear, he uses the tools of the trade to deal with them. One of them is a rod, and the other a staff.
A Rod for protection — and a Staff for direction.
The ROD was a stout wooden stick used as a weapon to fight off wild animals. And the STAFF was used to rescue or guide the sheep to safety.
Today, these are more symbols of the Lord’s strength and protection in our lives. They remind us that our LORD is strong and mighty, and prepared for any threat that might come our way. Ultimately, it just reminds us that He is trustworthy!
And if we will follow Him, He will protect us. That’s been my experience — and I bet it’s been your’s too.
You know, just this week — my brother-in-law was driving back to his workplace after a job. And along the way, a young woman pulled out from a side road and slammed into the side of his vehicle. She hit him just behind his drivers door. And the impact was so hard that it forced his van out of control. To compensate he pulled back against the impact, and it sent him across the road (and oncoming traffic).
He then ran through a ditch and up an embankment. When he came to a stop, he noticed that he had narrowly made it through a rock structure on his left and a power pole on his right.
Now, you can say what you want — but when I hear a story like that, I can’t call that LUCK or CHANCE…I recognize the sovereign hand of Jesus protecting Him from harm.
As my shepherd, Jesus gives me protection. He watches over my life — and He’ll watch over yours too.
And lastly, David reminds me that God is so good to me, because
- AS MY SHEPHERD, JESUS GIVES ME ETERNAL HOPE:
He gives me hope…hope of acceptance. Hope of a home. And, hope of a future.
In verses 5-6, David says of the LORD,
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:5-6 (NIV)
In the ancient world, if you owned a home — you would often invite friends and relatives to come to your home. Maybe it would be for an event, or a party, or maybe to stay at your place during one of the BIG FEASTS that the Jewish people celebrated throughout the year.
Whatever the case may be — when they would come, the host would would anoint their head with oil. It was a practice of love and respect. It was a demonstration of hospitality. But the main reason you’d do this would be to show your acceptance of the guest.
It was an act of good will — and an act of favor. But what is so incredible, is that David says — this is the way the LORD responds to us.
And what makes it so good, is that it isn’t just for a visit — but for eternity. Again, David says,
…You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
To really understand this, you have to read it in light of the New Testament. Remember, it was Jesus who said in John 14:2-3,
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
John 14:2-3 (NIV)
In the ancient world, a father’s house was where the extended family lived. Rooms were often added on as the family grew. The Father’s house has many “rooms” or “mansions” and is a place of permanent dwelling.
And so, Jesus is saying that He’s creating a place for where all who believe in Him will live forever. And that’s the point David is making in verse 6 when he says,
6 …and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6 (NIV)
Understand this — when you meet Jesus, His goodness and his mercy, or love will never depart from you. It will follow you all the days of your life. And then, when this life ends — you will be ushered in to the eternal house of the Lord…where you will live forever.
APPLICATION
So, how should we respond to His Goodness?
(1) THANK Him. — Just say thanks!
(2) TRUST Him. — Even when life is hard, or the threats are great. Trust Him.
(3) FOLLOW Him. — Life your life in honor of Him. And where He leads, follow.
CONCLUSION
When we began this morning — I told you HE IS SO GOOD!
And as David says in Psalm 23, our Shepherd gives us PROVISION, DIRECTION, PROTECTION, & ETERNAL HOPE. And all this GOOD comes our way—because GOD came our way.
In Jesus our GOOD SHEPHERD — the infinitely good and loving God came near.
Listen, the BIG QUESTION is not: IS HE GOOD?
The BIG QUESTION is: IS HE YOUR SHEPHERD?
CLOSING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we thank you for Jesus…for His continual presence in our lives. And today, we just want to say thanks for the goodness you shower upon us. We trust in you. We want to live for you and follow you (both in this life and the one to come). Today we declare that as long as we have breath in our longs and strength in our bodies, we will follow you. So today we just reaffirm our faith in you and our longing for you to BE OUR GOOD SHEPHERD. So, keep providing, keep directing, keep protecting, and fill us with HOPE! We love you — and again say thanks! We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
And now, just one more thing: If you’re here this morning, and you’ve listened to everything we’ve said toady — from the worship and testimonies to the message, and through it all, you sense God stirring your heart to trust in Him. To seek Him. To know Him, would you respond by lifting your hand today— to let me know that your want to know Jesus. (Saying, “I want to be saved today?”)
If that’s you, would you be brave enough to slip your hand up and acknowledge that today? As you do, a ministry team member is going to bring you a card (so that you have a tangible way to respond), to God’s prompting in your life today.
Yes, we are so proud of you! In light of your desire to surrender your life to Jesus, would you pray with me? Maybe you’d say something like this:
Heavenly Father, I admit that I am a sinner and I’ve chosen my way over yours too often. But all that changes today. Because, I believe in Your Son, Jesus. I believe that He came from Heaven to earth to pay for my sin. I believe He died on the cross, shed His blood, was put in a grave — and rose again. So, today — I put my faith in Jesus. Forgive me of my sin. Save me and give me new life in you forever. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
If you prayed today and made a decision to follow Jesus — would you let us know? We are so proud of you.This is the greatest decision you’ll ever make.