Psalm 23 is meant to instill courage in God’s sheep.  It has everything to do with what God is doing for and through us not about what we do.  Sometimes we are not bold in the present because we made some terrible choices in the past.  There are moments we get nervous and fear the ‘next step.’  Even as Christians, we still make some terrible choices and dumb mistakes.  We are all disorderly dumb sheep.

Q. What mistakes have destroyed your confidence (dated the wrong person, took the wrong job, got the wrong degree etc.)?

“The Lord is my SHEPHERD.” (“Shepherding me”)

The word Shepherd is not a noun, it is a verb.  The Lord is Shepherding us.  He is active, involved and it does not matter what mistakes we made in our past because the mess our life is in does not have to be the final message of our life.  He never stops shepherding us.

Psalm 23:3–4 (ESV) 

 Whatever my season – the Lord is still LEADING.

David had a lot of seasons. He had his anointing season and then he had his disappointing season when ran from Saul.  Then he had his appointed season when he was installed as king. David still made some mistakes but he thanked God that He was shepherding him. God led him no matter what season he was in.

1. God is LEADING even when I have been FAILING.

Psalm 23:3a (ESV) He restores my soul.

He returns, puts back, brings back because sheep wander. Sometimes we wander intentionally, sometimes unintentionally, and some of us wander repeatedly continuing to make the same mistakes.  

“A cast sheep is a very pathetic sight. Lying on its back, its feet in the air, it flays away frantically struggling to stand up, without success. Sometimes it will bleat a little for help, but generally it lies there lashing about in frightened frustration. If the owner does not arrive on the scene within a reasonably short time, the sheep will die.” 

“This is but another reason why it is so essential for a careful sheepman to look over his flock every day, counting them to see that all are able to be up and on their feet. If one or two are missing, often the first thought to flash into his mind is, One of my sheep is cast somewhere. I must go in search and set it on its feet again.”

“It is not only the shepherd who keeps a sharp eye for cast sheep, but also the predators.”

The devil is targeting us even though the Lord is watching over us. He is trying to get us cast down.  We need to learn to see the messes the world wants us to get in.  

Q. What are some ways you have been cast down lately and how has your Shepherd set you on your feet?

Isaiah 53:6 (ESV)

I may WANDER – but the Shepherd’s WATCHING OVER.

Psalm 56:13 (ESV)

God does not just save us from hell but also from our own stumbling feet and stubbornness.

Q. What are some things that make you wander? 

2. God is LEADING even when I am RESISTING.

Psalm 23:3 (ESV) 

One of the dangers of shepherding is to let pastures get over-run. The shepherd needs to have his eyes on not only where the sheep are but where they need to be.  ‘Paths’ is plural in this passage.  So often we get so singularly focused on what God has for us, but He is not interested in one plan, one job and one will for us. He has paths. In our life we will walk many paths and he will lead us through them.  His Righteousness means his character, He lead us in a Just way.    Life is not one plan, it is many paths and He wants to direct us.

We have a sin nature that rebells and resists but He still leads us in paths.  Sometimes he leads us in certain paths for a season. 

Proverbs 14:12 (ESV) 

We don’t know the best path but ultimately only God knows.   Sometimes He closes the door and later we may be thanking Him that He kept us from that opportunity. Sometimes the path we want, the Lord rejects for His glory.

Q. What opportunity did God keep you from that you may have resisted Him on, but afterwards thanked him that He did not allow you to go in that path?

Psalm 106:7–8 (ESV) 

Even though they rebelled he saved them for His glory.  God will not give up on us.

DESPITE what I SEE – I’m being GUIDED for HIS GLORY.

3. God is LEADING even when DARKNESS is HOVERING.

Psalm 23:4 (ESV)

Sometimes God’s righteous path is a dark path – sickness, failure, despair, temptation, defeat, betrayal.  David went through all of this but he knew even through those dark times were God’s righteous path.

“It is important to note that ‘the valley of the shadow of death’ is as much God’s right path for us as the ‘green pastures’ which lie beside ‘quiet waters.’” – James Boice

Valleys are made by water that rush through the mountains.

That water has made an imprint in that valley so the sheep can benefit from the imprint in that water. The imprint is the channel through which the water of God flows through us to touch other’s lives.  

Q. What dark path (valley) has God led you through to show you His glory?

Isaiah 43:2 (ESV) 

When a Christian experiences a DARK TIME – the Lord DRAWS CLOSER.

Sermon in a Sentence:

The Lord doesn’t GIVE UP when I fail, stop GUIDING when I RESIST, or DETACH when life gets DARK. He is SHEPHERDING me in every SEASON.

Challenge: Continue memorizing Psalm 23