The Lord is My Shepherd Odcf June 4 2011

8/6/2019 The Lord is My Shepherd Odcf June 4 2011

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The Good

Shepherd!


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I am the good shepherd. The

good shepherd gives His life for

the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he

who is not the shepherd, onewho does not own the sheep,

sees the wolf coming and leaves

the sheep and flees; and thewolf catches the sheep and

scatters them. John 10:11-12


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The hireling flees because he is

a hireling and does not care

about the sheep. 14 I am the

good shepherd; andI

know Mysheep, and am known by My

own. 15 As the Father knows Me,

even so I know the Father; and Ilay down My life for the sheep.

John 10:13-15


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The LORD ismy shepherd,

I shall not

want.Psalm 23:1


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He makes me liedown in green

pastures; He leads

me beside quietwaters. Psalm 23:2


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He restores my soul;He guides me in the

paths ofrighteousness For

His name's sake.Psalm 23:3


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Even though

Iwalkthrough the valley of the

shadow of death, I fear no

evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff,

they comfort me.Psalm 23:4


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You prepare a table beforeme in the presence of my

enemies; You have

anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

Psalm 23:5


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Surely goodness andlovingkindness will follow

me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the

house of the LORD

forever.Psalm 23:4


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The one who wrotethis psalm had an

intimate knowledgeof what it meant to be

a shepherd.


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David spent all of hisgrowing up years

caring for his fatherssheep in the

pasturelands ofIsrael.


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He also had the perfect

opportunity to develop

his musical talents. God

and Sheep are a great

audience to share your

songs with.


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It is these earliest

experiences with God thatformed his life work. He

would be a shepherd notonly a flock of sheep but of

men and women as well.


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He learned towar protecting

his sheep.


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David said to Saul, "Let no man's

heart fail on account of him; yourservant will go and fight with this

Philistine. 33 Then Saul said to

David, "You are not able to goagainst this Philistine to fight with

him; for you are but a youth while

he has been a warrior from hisyouth.

1 Samuel 17:32-34


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But David said to Saul, "Your

servant was tending his father'ssheep. When a lion or a bear came

and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I

went out after him and attackedhim, and rescued it from his mouth;

and when he rose up against me, I

seized him by his beard and struckhim and killed him.

1 Samuel 17:34-35


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"Your servant has killed both the

lion and the bear; and thisuncircumcised Philistine will be like

one of them, since he has taunted

the armies of the living God. 37And David said, "The LORD who

delivered me from the paw of the

lion and from the paw of the bear,He will deliver me from the hand of

this Philistine."1 Samuel 17:36-37


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Our destiny is being

established from the momentof our conception. If we

understand ourcircumstances and if we are

seeking God all the events of

our lives we can find Godsredemptive purposes for our

lives.


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That is what David did. He

took what many would feel tobe a terrifying experience

never to be repeated andinstead saw it as an

opportunity for God to

demonstrate His power. Godloves this!


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So it was with one of the

most beautiful poems inthe world. He drew on

some of the most difficultand discouraging periods

of his life and saw Godfaithfully caring for him the

whole time.


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The LORD ismy shepherd,

I shall not

want.Psalm 23:1


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Agood shepherd is aconstant caregiver. David

saw Gods heart in his

own. One who is always

protecting, providing One

who is always giving Hispresence.


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He makes me liedown in green

pastures; He leadsme beside quiet

waters. Psalm 23:2


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When David wrotethese words he was a

fugitive on the run froma man who had

thousands of troopsand was determined to

kill him.


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He was living in cavesand living from day to

day in absolute fear. Sowhere were the green

pastures he was led byhis shepherd to?


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They were in his heart.


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I have found that therecan be an absolute

difference between ouroutward circumstances

and our inwardcondition.


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When we choose Godas our Good Shepherd

we are continually ledto a place of rest no

matter what ishappening outside us.


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It comes down tochoosing which reality

we will live in. Gods orours.


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He restores my soul;Psalm 23:3 a


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Gods restoration ofour soul is what

Jesus died for.


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Our own wrongchoices, the world,

and the enemy ofsouls continually eat

away at our inner life.


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But as the GoodShepherd Jesus

brings the restorationof our souls he paid

for with his life.


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He lays down his lifefor his sheep so that

they might find life.


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He guides me in thepaths of

righteousness ForHis name's sake.

Psalm 23:3


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David depended onGod to direct his life.


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He did so in a veryspecific way. He

prayed and believedGod would lead him.

And God did.


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Far to often I find thatwe pray without

expecting an answer.


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David knew better.His very life

depended on Godguiding him into safe

places.


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He knew a goodshepherd would do

that.


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And he believed thatGod would guide him

purposefully andspecifically.


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God delights in uspraying for His

specific guidanceand expecting him to

give it.


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Seeing God act ourour behalf through

answered prayer issuch a delight to our

souls.


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Even though

Iwalkthrough the valley of the

shadow of death, I fear no

evil, for You are with me;Your rod and Your staff,

they comfort me.Psalm 23:4


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David walked the valley ofthe shadow of death often.

As he speaks of it here we

understand the secret tothe life he found in God.


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He knew the realityof Gods presence

with him.


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Paul the apostlefound this same

secret:


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What then shall we say to

these things? If God is for us,

who is against us? 32 He

who did not spare His ownSon, but delivered Him over

for us all, how will He not

also with Him freely give us

all things? Romans 8:31


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In the midst of terrible trouble

David understood God was

as near. He was the good

shepherd that would neverleave him to the bears and

lions.


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Gods nearness was what

gave David the courage to

move ahead. It was what

delighted him. Godspresence was the quiet

waters and green pastures. It

was what restored his soul.


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You prepare a table beforeme in the presence of my

enemies; You have

anointed my head with oil;My cup overflows.

Psalm 23:5


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The banquet set by Godfor David did not remove

his enemy. But his enemy

could not hinder Davidfrom feasting with God.

Nor should it ever hinderus.


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How often do we feel thatlife keeps us from this

place of joy in our Lord.

Yet it is not true. It cankeep us from the table of

the Lord only if we focuson the it as the enemy.


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When we choose to liveour lives in the joy of

Gods presence we find

that the enemies of our lifeare subdued inside us.

They can not harm us.


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David ends the psalm by

affirming the reality of Gods

eternal care. These

momentary light afflictionsas Peter called them are

reminders that Gods

presence with us is the only

reality that matters.


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His lovingkindness, his

mercy, being invited as a

special guest to be with him

in his home forever makeseverything else

inconsequential.


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Surely goodness andlovingkindness will follow

me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in thehouse of the LORD

forever.Psalm 23:4


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And it is so because Jesus is

our Good Shepherd.

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The Lord is My Shepherd Odcf June 4 2011