HOW DO I STOP BEING AFRAID?

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Psalm 23:1-6 ESV

A Psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.[a]

3 He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]

for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c]

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[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord

forever.[g]

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Psalm 23:1 ESV

A Psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

I shall not want

Do you believe this?

The LORD → This is the covenant name of God → YHWH

Abraham, Isaac & Jacob

Jacob first introduces covenant imagery → God as shepherd

Genesis 48:15-16 ESV

15 And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,

16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;

and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

and let them grow into a multitude[c] in the midst of the earth.”

The covenant Lord, YHWH, is shepherd of His covenant people

The Lord is my shepherd…only because of Jesus.

I shall not want.

This is not about our desires.

This is about our needs.

Psalm 23:1 ESV

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

What is a shepherd?

What does a shepherd do?

Cares for

Tends to

Herds

Feeds

Guards

A shepherd’s ultimate concern is for the safety & well-being of the sheep

Do you believe that God wants you to be safe?

Do you believe that God wants you to thrive?

Do you believe that God wants the best for you?

Jesus (the good shepherd) said,

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Psalm 23:1-3a ESV

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.[a]

3 He restores my soul.

Pleasant Meadow

Green pastures → abundance of springtime grass

The food that nourishes the soul

Waters of rest

Cool & refreshing

Pure & cleansing

Verb ‘restores’ comes from the root “to return”

The shepherd of my soul causes me to return

My shepherd causes my soul to be restored

Food is an image of the Word of God → the Scriptures

Water is an image of cleansing & the Holy Spirit of God

In every season of life…

Nourishment. Contentment. Satisfaction. Rest for the soul

Psalm 23:3b ESV

He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]

for his name's sake.

Right Paths

From pleasant meadow → paths of righteousness

Paths of righteousness has a moral quality

He is leading us on paths that are marked by righteousness of life

He does this for His name’s sake

His own reputation

His reputation is dependent upon His faithfulness

The shepherd must ensure that His sheep endure to the end

Psalm 23:4 ESV

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c]

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

A Dark Valley

The sheep is now walking through a valley

This valley is characterized by darkness

Danger

Death

These scenes are paradoxically occurring simultaneously

The sheep is all-at-once experiencing

the meadow

the righteous paths

the dark valley

But the sheep will say, “I will fear no evil.”

How? Why?

Because my shepherd is with me

He’s got a rod & a staff

The rod was used to fight off predators & enemies

Inflict heavy blows

The staff was used to guide & herd the sheep

The crook of the staff was used for pulling sheep out of danger

These tools should be comforting to us

Psalm 23:5 ESV

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

A Victorious Feast

We are at a party

A Victorious Feast

This victorious feast is occurring ‘in the presence of my enemies’

The vindication of the conquering King will be a public event

Jesus is the Lamb who was slain to ransom people back to God

Philippians 2:9-11 ESV

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This victorious feast will be public

He will serve us at this feast

Passover for his disciples (communion)

Washed his disciples’ feet

Jesus anoints the head of his guests

Sign of the joy

Sign of favor

My cup overflows

Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath so that we could drink from the overflowing cup of the favor of God.

Psalm 23:5 ESV

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Psalm 23:6 ESV

6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord

forever.[g]

Our Eternal Home

Goodness & ‘mercy’ = covenantal love

Steadfast love → ‘hesed’

The verb ‘follow’ means to actively pursue

God pursues us in Jesus

He prepares a room for us in His very own house

To dwell in the house of the LORD forever

This will be our eternal home

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How should we respond?

Christian…

Be thankful

Knowing that our shepherd will provide for all our needs

Take comfort

No more fear

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

Who has pursued us, in Christ, with His goodness & steadfast love

Look forward to the feast

For those that are not yet Christians…

Allow him to be your good shepherd

John 10:10-11 ESV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:14-16 ESV

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Do you hear His voice?

Is He calling you to Himself?

Isaiah 53:5-6 ESV

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

1 Peter 2:22-25 ESV

22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.