A Light in the Valley | Hearing God’s Voice When You’re in the Dark

This psalm is so famous because it's jam-packed full of incredible promises. Like that the God of the universe who made everything, planets and galaxies and all of that, that He cares about little old you. Like a shepherd who cares for his sheep. Incredible. And the promise, like that shepherd prepared a table before you in the presence of your enemies. But what's startling about this psalm is not the promises. Though the promises are incredible. The startling part is where the promises take place. The setting for the entire psalm is the valley of the shadow of death. [00:06:37] (40 seconds)  #ValleyOfTheShadowPromises

See, according to God, the name of the planet you and I find ourselves on right now, it's not earth. It's the land of the death shadow. Every single one of us lives in the valley of the shadow of death every single day. Every one of us was born into it. All of our kids were born into it. Their kids will be born into it. All of us live in the valley. And the Bible's not shy about this. This is why Jesus never said, never said that he came to be a helpful, moral teacher. He said he came to be what Isaiah promised, the light to a world trapped in darkness. [00:09:36] (41 seconds)  #LivingInTheValleyOfDeath

See, the problem is that there is not just a good shepherd in the valley called life. There's also a thief in the valley. John 10, Jesus said, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. See, according to Jesus, you'll hear him in the valley. You'll hear the good shepherd, but you'll also hear the thief. [00:13:43] (29 seconds)  #GoodShepherdVsThief

Do you know in the New Testament of the Bible, there are 40 warnings only, just in the New Testament, 40 different warnings about falling for deception and about falling for lies. Why would there be so many? Well, it's because a lie is the most pervasive and effective weapon that our enemy has. The first time our enemy came to humanity, if you go all the way back to the beginning of the story, go back to the beginning of the Bible and the book of Genesis, he did not come with a sword. [00:16:53] (26 seconds)  #LiesStickLikePoop

And because of those two truths, it made it very easy for the enemy to stick a lie to me that said, I have a broken mind. Just stepped in it nearly every day getting ready for school. I thought my mind doesn't work. There's long periods of my life where I literally thought, I don't think God will ever be able to use me. I don't think I'll ever be successful. I don't think I'll ever have a house or a family or anything because my mind doesn't work the way that everybody else's mind seems to work. [00:20:40] (25 seconds)  #TruthAndLiesWithin

Is it the truth that you did get rejected and they did leave? But is the lie that you are alone? Is the truth that you grew up poor and you have been successful in business, is the lie that you're only as safe as your bank account? It is the truth that you were abused and the people who should have protected you didn't. But is the lie that you will never be safe? See, all of us, all of us, all of us have these places in our lives. [00:22:37] (42 seconds)  #GoodShepherdChasesYou

Well I have good news for you. If you're someone like me who's ever stepped in a lie. If you're someone like me who's ever made your own way I have good news. See in the valley there's a good shepherd. And that good shepherd promises to be the light. In fact he says that he'll be the light that will come chase you down. See the gospel of Jesus is not that you and I have to make our way back to him. It's that he comes after us. [00:29:06] (36 seconds)  #WalkIntoTheLight

See the lies in your life that stick to you they will not fade with time. They will not fade when you chase accomplishments. They will not fade when you walk your own way. They will only fade when you walk towards the light himself. The question is will you? Do you want to keep your lie? Or do you want to walk into the light? Do you want the word that's stuck to you or do you want a better word? [00:31:25] (35 seconds)  #BetterWordOverLies

And the place that we hear the better word it's the valley. It's the better word. It's better for two reasons. One because God's word is not like you and I's word. When I speak it's my opinion. When I speak I might change my mind. But when God speaks it defines reality itself. It's not an opinion. It's not a perspective. It literally shapes reality. [00:32:15] (25 seconds)  #TablePreparedInDarkness

If you'll walk to the table if you'll walk to the table the lie that's on your feet will literally begin to fade away and I'm telling you it has no shot it has no shot to stick in the power of the light of His word. Jeremiah 23 29 says is not my word like fire declares the Lord and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces you want the rock in your shoe to be gone walk to the word Himself what power could the lie ever have over you and the light the answer is none the answer is none. [00:40:14] (41 seconds)