Finding Peace and Provision in the Good Shepherd
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Throughout this entire week, as you know, part of my pattern of preparing for worship is to start every Monday morning, shameless plug, 9:00 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Bible study every Monday. You're all welcome. But we look at the scripture that's going to be preached on and we spend some time with it on Monday. And we've had several conversations throughout this week. [00:19:12]
It's not this idea where you sit down and you read the Bible, though that's a good strategy as well. But instead, you take it with you and you live with it and you see what comes from living life alongside of the text. [00:20:32]
This psalm finds itself calling for a recognition of comfort and help and provision and safety and peace. a recognition from the author who was a shepherd himself assigning and gaining an understanding of who God is, the character of God through the work that he did, the shepherd boy David who was going to become king. [00:21:35]
But early on, as he was promised to be king by the prophet Samuel, we find that David's path to the throne is fraught with struggle. First, he's celebrated as a hero of the armies of Israel and their war against the Philistines. But then later, Saul gets wind of this new king, this upstart who would take his throne and seeks to have him killed. [00:22:14]
And I think we can relate to David. When we face our own struggles, sometimes we wonder where God is. David writing in that psalm begins with the words that we hear spoken from the cross. Many of you may not realize this, but Psalm 22 is what Jesus is saying from the cross when he says, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" [00:23:13]
And then at other times we know exactly where he is. We feel safe and secure, led, guided, and provided for. As we look at this psalm a little closer, I think that it's more it's less about the words on the page that are very poetic and beautiful and maybe more of an outline for us. [00:24:14]
We want all kinds of things. And and you know, we live in a world that is inundating us with messaging telling us we need more. We deserve more to get happy. We need a bigger house. We need a nicer car. We need better clothes. We need more money. We need an attractive spouse. We want to be beautiful. We want to be thin. [00:25:07]
If the Lord is our shepherd, we do not want. We have all that we need. Which means to me, as I started thinking about it, if you find yourself wanting more, houses, cars, clothes, money, success, travel, recognition, fame, whatever these things are, it may stand to reason that you need to ask yourself, who is your shepherd? [00:26:28]
When we reorient ourselves, placing God at the center, when we restructure our lives around God as leading, God as shepherd, we no longer want. We have all that we need. Next time you find yourself feeling like there's deficits, not enough, ask yourself, who is my shepherd? Who is guiding me? What is it that I've put out front as the goal? [00:27:19]
And when sheep relate to rolling green hills and pastures and still waters quite literally the sheep is saying good food and great drink. the things that are needed that these hills, these still waters represent provision. When we think like sheep, this is food and water, that which is needed for us for survival, to find what we need. [00:28:52]
You know you're on the path of righteousness when you seek to follow the path God has laid out for you. You place God at the center and then you're on the path of righteousness. It's when you remove God from the center from the place of leadership and guide that we get off the path and onto the wrong path. [00:29:50]
And what are our enemies? The things that distract us, the things that take our focus off of the things of God. It's the world collapsing in around us. And when things are falling apart, God says, "Look at me. I've got this. Relax. I'm here. Don't focus there. Keep your focus on my plan. What I've got in store for you. [00:33:32]
And so in our dark places, in the places where there is fear and worry, anxiety and suffering, we are those who have God's light that light that travels with us. Not to leave us to the valley, not to bring us there, but instead to lead us through. It's not our destination. It's just a statement of fact in this life. [00:35:01]
Our destination is not these places. Our destination is those who are claimed by God, anointed, set apart by God, daughters and sons of the divine, who have more than what they need. And God has a plan that he has put together for us and laid out on the table. [00:35:51]
That God's goodness and mercy, God's love chases after me, pursues me, will outlast my willingness to sight, try to even get away from it. as sheep that wander off. God isn't passively following us, but instead is chasing and pursuing us. Like that shepherd dog that is driving the shepherd that the sheep, the whole flock where it needs to go, God is chasing and pursuing us. [00:38:27]
Our citizenship is not of this earth, but instead we belong in God's house. forever. It's where we're headed. It's a statement of confidence and peace. Entirety of this entire psalm calls us to this universal ver this universal nature of human desire. We all seek and cry out for these. [00:39:55]
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It's not this idea where you sit down and you read the Bible, though that's a good strategy as well. But instead, you take it with you and you live with it and you see what comes from living life alongside of the text. [00:20:32]
This psalm finds itself calling for a recognition of comfort and help and provision and safety and peace. a recognition from the author who was a shepherd himself assigning and gaining an understanding of who God is, the character of God through the work that he did, the shepherd boy David who was going to become king. [00:21:35]
But early on, as he was promised to be king by the prophet Samuel, we find that David's path to the throne is fraught with struggle. First, he's celebrated as a hero of the armies of Israel and their war against the Philistines. But then later, Saul gets wind of this new king, this upstart who would take his throne and seeks to have him killed. [00:22:14]
And I think we can relate to David. When we face our own struggles, sometimes we wonder where God is. David writing in that psalm begins with the words that we hear spoken from the cross. Many of you may not realize this, but Psalm 22 is what Jesus is saying from the cross when he says, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" [00:23:13]
And then at other times we know exactly where he is. We feel safe and secure, led, guided, and provided for. As we look at this psalm a little closer, I think that it's more it's less about the words on the page that are very poetic and beautiful and maybe more of an outline for us. [00:24:14]
We want all kinds of things. And and you know, we live in a world that is inundating us with messaging telling us we need more. We deserve more to get happy. We need a bigger house. We need a nicer car. We need better clothes. We need more money. We need an attractive spouse. We want to be beautiful. We want to be thin. [00:25:07]
If the Lord is our shepherd, we do not want. We have all that we need. Which means to me, as I started thinking about it, if you find yourself wanting more, houses, cars, clothes, money, success, travel, recognition, fame, whatever these things are, it may stand to reason that you need to ask yourself, who is your shepherd? [00:26:28]
When we reorient ourselves, placing God at the center, when we restructure our lives around God as leading, God as shepherd, we no longer want. We have all that we need. Next time you find yourself feeling like there's deficits, not enough, ask yourself, who is my shepherd? Who is guiding me? What is it that I've put out front as the goal? [00:27:19]
And when sheep relate to rolling green hills and pastures and still waters quite literally the sheep is saying good food and great drink. the things that are needed that these hills, these still waters represent provision. When we think like sheep, this is food and water, that which is needed for us for survival, to find what we need. [00:28:52]
You know you're on the path of righteousness when you seek to follow the path God has laid out for you. You place God at the center and then you're on the path of righteousness. It's when you remove God from the center from the place of leadership and guide that we get off the path and onto the wrong path. [00:29:50]
And what are our enemies? The things that distract us, the things that take our focus off of the things of God. It's the world collapsing in around us. And when things are falling apart, God says, "Look at me. I've got this. Relax. I'm here. Don't focus there. Keep your focus on my plan. What I've got in store for you. [00:33:32]
And so in our dark places, in the places where there is fear and worry, anxiety and suffering, we are those who have God's light that light that travels with us. Not to leave us to the valley, not to bring us there, but instead to lead us through. It's not our destination. It's just a statement of fact in this life. [00:35:01]
Our destination is not these places. Our destination is those who are claimed by God, anointed, set apart by God, daughters and sons of the divine, who have more than what they need. And God has a plan that he has put together for us and laid out on the table. [00:35:51]
That God's goodness and mercy, God's love chases after me, pursues me, will outlast my willingness to sight, try to even get away from it. as sheep that wander off. God isn't passively following us, but instead is chasing and pursuing us. Like that shepherd dog that is driving the shepherd that the sheep, the whole flock where it needs to go, God is chasing and pursuing us. [00:38:27]
Our citizenship is not of this earth, but instead we belong in God's house. forever. It's where we're headed. It's a statement of confidence and peace. Entirety of this entire psalm calls us to this universal ver this universal nature of human desire. We all seek and cry out for these. [00:39:55]
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