Psalm 23. The Lord is My Shepherd

Good morning. If you have your Bibles, please turn to Psalm 23. We will be studying this whole chapter this morning. Thank you for having me preach again, and thank you, John, for the shirt. At 8:00 a.m., the shirt John was wearing was mine, and the shirt I'm wearing was John's. But at 8:01, it switched. So, thank you. We'll read Psalm 23 and then we'll pray.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live. — Psalm 23:1-6 (CSB)

Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for being our shepherd. We pray now that as we study your word and we study what it means for you to be our shepherd, that we may be comforted wherever we are, whether it's the highest of mountains or the lowest of valleys. In Jesus's name, we pray. Amen.

There was a time in high school where my reputation, my pride, and my life were on the line. In ninth grade, I was mistaken for someone else, and a group of three high school gang members approached me in order to start a fight. Now, if you know me, you probably know that I'm a pacifist, and what that really means is that I'm scared. My friends gathered around me to make sure nothing terrible ensued, and the three gang members just would not leave.

In my mind, I thought for sure a fight was going to break out. As the three gang members were closing the distance between us, I heard a familiar voice from a distance call out. We all turned and saw that it was my brother. Now, if you know my brother, you probably know he's nothing like me. He's brave. As soon as he came in line of sight, I knew I won. I knew victory was mine. His presence brought me peace, and I literally sighed a breath of relief. Because I knew my brother, because I knew his capabilities, I knew I could rest peacefully as he fights my battles for me. He was and is still worthy of my trust, and surely enough, he chased the three gang members away.

In Psalm 23, the passage we will be studying today, David shares similar expressions of complete peace he has in his shepherd. Scholars make a helpful observation that the placing of Psalm 23 is significant. It's placed between Psalm 22 and Psalm 24, where Psalm 22 is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and Psalm 24 is his glorification. In the middle is our Psalm today, a picture of perfect comfort, and a bridge between suffering and glory. Psalm 23 sustained Jesus during his suffering until his glorification.

What does that mean? It means that whatever you are in the middle of, you can find comfort in Psalm 23. Whatever it is, know that there is comfort for you. This Psalm will sustain you until the day of glory. The main takeaway from David's Psalm is that the Lord can be trusted. To know that he is trustworthy, we'll take a dive into our passage today and see what our Lord is like. We have three points for us today: our Lord, as David sees it, is the perfect shepherd, perfect companion, and perfect host. Again, he's the perfect shepherd, perfect companion, and perfect host.

The Perfect Shepherd: Sufficiency in Christ

Point one: perfect shepherd. Let's read again from verses 1 to 3.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. — Psalm 23:1-3 (CSB)

"The Lord is our shepherd." This verse shows David's confidence in the shepherd. David uses this all-capitalized "Lord" because for David's audience, when they saw this, they would have thought of the Lord of Abraham, who made a covenant with him, giving a miraculous birth. They would have thought of Moses and the burning bush, and of the Lord delivering the Israelites out of Egypt. What do we think of when we call on the name of the Lord? Are we confident in our shepherd? David knows the Lord so intimately; even calling his name brings him comfort.

And another praise of David, he exalts the Lord and his goodness, as he says:

Then David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said, “May you be blessed, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all.” — 1 Chronicles 29:10-11 (CSB)

This Lord, the God of the heavens, everlasting, who has all glory and majesty, who gives wealth and honor, in whose hands are strength and power—he is the shepherd. And notice he's not just *a* shepherd, but this shepherd is *my* shepherd. David says, "The Lord who is above all, who is transcendent, he is mine." How many of us think like this regularly? That the shepherd of the entire cosmos is mine. Not only is our God above the heavens, he's right next to us, so close to the point that David can look and claim the Lord to be his. David is taking pride that the Lord is his shepherd, and the rest of the Psalm will prove why God being our shepherd is the best.

If the Lord is your shepherd, you will have all that you need. There will be sufficiency. God, who is dependent on nothing, provides everything. Notice how David attributes everything to God. He says, "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me by quiet waters. He renews my life. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." He, he, he, he. David wants us to know if we want rest, if we want comfort, the Lord must do it.

Some of us go around looking for our own green pastures and still waters, but no. Sheep don't go around looking for their own pastures; they can't, because they don't know which pastures are good for them. Overeating from the wrong pastures can actually cause sheep to contract diseases, causing them to die. So, it's the shepherd's job to lead the sheep in the right pastures. David is saying, "The Lord knows how to provide for us. He knows just which grass we need and how to get us there."

Then David moves on to talk about being led beside quiet waters. A good shepherd will know that sheep will drown fast in fast-moving rivers, so they lead their sheep beside still waters. So, these sheep are in the perfect patch of grass, being led by still waters to drink when needed. David's painting a picture of the sheep having satisfaction and security. They're so at peace, they can just lie down in the green pastures. Sheep don't lie down unless they feel safe. They don't need to eat a bit of grass and constantly run away from wild animals. They can fully sit by peaceful streams of water.

So, imagine being a sheep, being able to lie down in whatever circumstance you are in, whatever troubles that may surround you, enjoying perfect satisfaction and security. The next question we would have to ask is what does this perfect satisfaction and security look like in our lives? This is all terminology and imagery David's using for sheep, but what does God making us lie down in green pastures and leading us by still waters look like? What does David mean by saying all of this? We know David spent around 10 years of his life running away from Saul and even his own son who was trying to kill him. He ate leftover fruit from temples and ran around lying in caves. From the outside, it looks like he lied down in dry pastures and was led by aggressive rivers. Some of us might be going through a rough patch in life. So, what does he mean that God satisfies and secures us? What does he mean when David says he's satisfied and secure?

The answer to this question is answered in verse 3: "He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name's sake." Another translation renders verse 3 as "He restores my soul." David's talking about a full restoration of his life, of his soul—peace for his soul. He's talking about the satisfaction and security of being in the Lord. Restoration of the soul or renewal of life would have reminded the original audience of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a time where there was a restoration and a rest that came after work.

Many people now, especially in a capitalistic society, view rest as something that we partake in so that we can work again. However, rest for the soul was viewed as something ultimate for the people of God. God rested after six days of creation, not to make another six days, but because he finished working. David here is using salvation language. This is why even if he is being chased by his enemies, suffering, he can say that he has perfect satisfaction and security in the Lord.

At the end of verse 3, he says God does all of this "for his name's sake." This again is Exodus and salvation language, where God promised deliverance for his people so that his name may be known. So, if you're taking notes, I would mark "for his name's sake," "renews my life," and "the Lord." These are all salvific language. David is using salvation language and is taking comfort not in his circumstances, not in his own ability, but in salvation.

In Matthew 11, Jesus says:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." — Matthew 11:28 (CSB)

Jesus is making a claim here that he can give us eternal, complete, full rest for our souls. This is a promise that Jesus has rest and peace and spiritual renewal to offer. The perfect rest that David is talking about is something that can only be found in the Gospel. The green pastures that the Lord makes us lie on, the still waters that he leads us by, the perfect peace that he brings us is only found in Jesus Christ and in the Gospel. He's saying that salvation gives him all that he needs.

And you know what a proper response to this as a Christian should be? What does David confess in light of this truth? He says, "I have what I need." In another translation, he says, "I shall not want." How can you even say that? It's a pretty bold claim—you're saying you have all that you need. David is teaching us from this Psalm that the Gospel, that salvation, is all that we'll ever need. "I shall not want" again is translated often as "I have all that I need." These two translations work hand in hand because often our wants become felt needs. We convince ourselves somehow that our want for acceptance, attention from someone, or recognition is a need, and that it will satisfy our souls. But David is saying, we should not want any of these because we have all that we need.

One thing sin does to us is make us think that we are more than sheep. Sin tells us that we know what is best for us. We know what will satisfy us. We know where we need to go to fill ourselves up. I promise you, if you go to any other fields of grass other than the one our Shepherd provides, you will not be filled. You will not find satisfaction or the security you long for. If you think marriage, a family, or a lot of money will satisfy your soul, you are wrong. So, it might be helpful to ask yourself, "What green pastures do I turn to when I want to rest? What am I trusting will satisfy my desires? What do I run to in order to satisfy my soul?"

Maybe you're a single man or single woman in this room desiring marriage. That's a good desire, but we need to be vigilant to make sure it never becomes a need. Because as soon as it becomes a need, you'll start to turn to your own pastures. David is saying, "If the Lord is our shepherd, and if he provides us with perfect peace, what more do we need?" Brothers and sisters, if you have Christ, if you have perfect peace with God, what more do you need?

I remember a while back, someone was spreading rumors about me and I was thinking of every possible way I could justify myself. For me, it was a need. I needed to do this. But during this time, providentially, I read the most helpful thing I've ever read in my life, where the author said, "Why do you care so much about what other people think about you? Why are you trying so hard to justify, to prove yourself? Christ has declared you righteous in the court of judgment. God has accepted you. What more do you need?"

I remember talking to a brother in Christ who was so ambitious in life, striving for the next best thing, not being content with what he has now. And one day it struck him: he wasn't finding satisfaction or security in the Gospel but kept wandering off to his own pastures. And the question he asked himself was this: "My soul, why are you keep striving? What more do you need? Your worth comes from what Christ has done for you, not what you do." Do you see from these examples that the Gospel gives you everything you need? There are many books that apply the Gospel truths to our every desires. I encourage you to read *The Gospel Primer* where Milton Vincent, the author, goes over 31 ways the Gospel gives us all that we need. And *The Cross-Centered Life* by C.J. Mahaney is a similar book that aims to do a similar thing. So, let us strive to find that peace and comfort in the Gospel. This is what David is delighting in. So, every time our soul feels like it lacks something, we should take ourselves through the Gospel to see if it can be satisfied. If you're not a Christian in this room, I wonder if your deepest satisfactions, if your deepest desires have been fulfilled. If your need for peace has been met. I wonder if you are hoping in anything else.

The Perfect Companion: God With Us in the Valley

This brings us to our second point: perfect companion. After David declares that God is the perfect shepherd, that he restores our soul and leads us, David shows us where the shepherd leads us. If you know this Psalm already, you know where we're headed. We're headed to the darkest valley, to the valley of the shadow of death. But here's where there's hope for you: if you are in a valley in this moment, know that the Lord has taken you there himself. Sometimes, the paths of righteousness or the right paths that God leads us will lead us into a valley. God knows what he's doing when he takes you through the deepest valley. He did not abandon you; he took you there himself. He's our perfect companion. Let's read verse 4.

Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. — Psalm 23:4 (CSB)

David says, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil." If you're an older saint, you'll know that suffering is a part of your life. If you are a new Christian in here, know that your life will have suffering. You are not promised a perfect, sinless life. There will be times God takes you to the valley, and the Gospel doesn't promise a perfect sinless life. Dark valleys during the time this Psalm was written were marked with utter darkness, coldness, and possible threats lurking all around you. Think about it: there were no flashlights back in those days. It's completely dark.

And this is the bad news: we will all go through valleys. There will be moments where we're depressed, maybe grieving the loss of someone close to us, fighting and frustrated with the sin in your life you just can't seem to get over. There will be times where it hurts to say you love God. When you say with your mouth that you believe that God is for you, but it's hard to believe it in your heart. There will be moments where you feel defenseless, where one more tragedy might prove to you that God doesn't love you, and you feel like you will break any second. Maybe it's a heartbreak, a betrayal, guilt over your sin. Maybe it's physical pain you're going through that reminds you that death is coming soon. The valley, the suffering you are going through, is real. It's not just an illusion. This is reality. This is where God has brought you.

But here is the good news. Notice that word in your Bibles, if you have the CSB. Look at the fifth word in the fourth verse: "Even when I go *through* the valley." We are walking *through* the valley of the shadow of death. You are not walking *into* the valley. You are not wandering *around* in it. You are walking *through*. And this means the valley is not ultimate. The valley is not the final destination. That means whatever hell you might go through here on earth, you will make it out. If you are suffering here and now and you are a Christian, you should never say, "This is it." Because David is saying, "This is not it. You are just going through. You're going through the valley on your way home, and you will make it out." This is a promise from David to you.

Another piece of evidence David gave to know that this valley isn't ultimate is the Hebrew word for "the darkest valley." In the Hebrew, "the darkest valley" translates to "the valley of the shadow of death." But why is this significant? May we never glance over the word "shadow." David's mocking the valley. He's saying something equivalent to, "O death, where is your sting?" Think about it. What is the shadow of death going to do to you? A shadow of a car is not going to run you over. A shadow of a spider is not going to bite you. The shadow of a knife will not stab you. David is saying, "The shadow of death cannot kill you." Why? Christ has defeated death. All that's left is the shadow. By his resurrection, he's conquered the evil powers. He's defeated every sin. That is why whatever valley you're going through is not final.

If you're on your deathbed, slowly passing away, and it seems like death is coming over you, you must know from Scripture that it is only the shadow of death that you are going through. Death is not final for you. It's the same with any amount of guilt. Guilt is not ultimate. Why? Because Christ took your guilt and bore them on the cross. All that's remaining, all that's left, is the shadow of guilt. This is why Paul is able to press on. He says in Philippians, "Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on" (Philippians 3:13-14). So, whatever valley you are in, whether it's the valley of the shadow of death or valley of shadow of guilt, know that you are going to make it through. Press on. Death has no more sting.

In response to this, David makes a second confession: "We shall not fear. I fear no danger." David goes on to say, "I will fear no evil for you are with me." And David means what he says. In other translations, it says, "Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." I mean, who walks in the dark? I was talking with some friends I'm close with, and we were sharing past experiences in our lives. Something we had in common was one thing we do: we turn off the lights in our houses and we'd run to our bedrooms because we were scared of ghosts. No one walks in the dark, but David is walking. How can he not fear? David says, "For you are with me." David's faith in God drives his fears away. If you are fearing here today in whatever valley you are going through, have faith in God. If you don't want to fear, you must know that the Lord above the heavens and the earth is with you. Whether you feel it or not, the Lord is with you, and that is the truth.

Notice how David switched from talking about God—"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul"—to talking *to* God. He says, "You are with me." In the valley is when David turns to God and starts talking to him. He's teaching us that when we're in the valley, we must not only know truths about God, we must know God himself. We must not turn to ourselves or look at the darkness. We must turn and look to God. When you're in the valley and you see more darkness than you do God, it's important to know that God is still with you. This truth should give us the motivation to see God through different means he's ordained. Maybe it's through prayer or through Bible reading. We should be confident that we can find God. "Seek and you will find." Why? He is right next to you.

Two ways we feel that the Lord is with us is by his rod and his staff. "Your rod and your staff—they comfort me." These are the ways that God shows that he's with us. These are the ways God wants us to feel comforted. The rod in the Old Testament was used by the shepherd to protect the sheep. The shepherd typically wielded the rod to fend off predators, hitting them or scaring them. David is taking comfort in the truth that the shepherd is with him wielding a weapon. David himself knows a thing or two about shepherding, and he describes to Saul once what it's like as a shepherd.

David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.” — 1 Samuel 17:34-35 (CSB)

Brothers and sisters, if David was this good at shepherding, know that Jesus knows even better how to shepherd us. When evil comes your way, he is not passive. He's aggressive. He knows how to protect his sheep. He will chase down the lion or bear or whatever it is. So, when fear, when evil comes your way, does your faith in Jesus drive those fears away? Are you trying to figure out these evils by yourself or are you taking them before God? Because he has defeated sin, you know how it ends. You shall not fear.

Now, a staff is not the same thing as a rod. A staff was used in Old Testament times to count sheep and to hit them so that they go back into the fold if they ever went astray. It was used for discipline. And David, interestingly enough, is saying he finds comfort in God's discipline. Something we need to grow a theology of if we are to be healthy Christians is discipline. God disciplines those he loves. One way to know that you are a child of God, that God loves you, and that God is with you is if you are being disciplined. If you've ever been rebuked and it changed you to love the Lord better, you've experienced God's love.

Leaving sin unpunished is not a loving thing to do. We might think it's judgmental to judge someone for sinning, but actually letting them glean on pastures that can poison them is not loving at all. This is why we practice church discipline at this church. We're not judging or condemning someone when we discipline them. We are warning them that whatever they are doing is actually killing them. For that reason, if we want to feel Christ's presence with us in the church, if we want to be a church that does not fear evil, we must practice discipline. John D. is helpful in this, and he says, "If discipline leaves the church, Christ leaves with it." Do you see how beautiful these promises are of the rod and staff? When we're at the highest in our Christian life, being protected from evil, thriving because God has protected us, we can know he is with us. But even when we fail, even when we need to be disciplined, David wants us to know that the Lord is with us. His presence with us is not dependent on our performance, but purely on his goodness. What makes you a child of God is not that you're doing good or not that you're doing bad. What makes you a child is that God is with you.

If you're not a Christian in here, and you're in the valley of the shadow of death, know that there is no guarantee that you will make it through. You have every right to be afraid. You are wandering without a shepherd in a dangerous valley. Think about it. When's the last time money, recognition, a relationship gave you more than a temporary relief from your unsatisfied soul? These things, these shepherds, these gods you're hoping in, are not worth it. Here's a quote from a philosopher who lived an accomplished life. Here's something your shepherd says about deep valleys. He says, "The life of man is a long march through the night, surrounded by invisible foes, tortured by weariness and pain, towards a goal that few can hope to reach and where some may tarry long." If you are not a believer, this is true for you. You have no hope. So, repent that you are a sinner, that you have offended a holy God, that you've made yourself a shepherd, and trust that Christ took care of those sins for you and that you can have life in him.

The Perfect Host: Feasting in the Presence of Enemies

This brings us to our last point: perfect host. Let us read the rest.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live. — Psalm 23:5-6 (CSB)

David has been tracking the movement of the sheep from the green pastures to the still waters into the valley. And notice how we are not out of the valley, and it is in the very valley that God prepares for the sheep a feast. David says, "You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies." In ancient Israelite times, the lord or master of the house only provided the food or only presented it. With Abraham and his servant, when Abraham presented the food to the three men, his slave prepared the food and he just presented it. But David is saying, "God is preparing his sheep food." David wants us almost to be offended by how good God is to us. He wants us to know that the perfect God serves us before the presence of our enemies. David is saying it's possible to be in whatever valley you are in and feast with God.

He continues on to say that God anoints our head with oil and makes our cup overflow. An anointing here does not mean a ritualistic anointment like they did with kings; it means lavishing. He's giving us everything. And oil was used in those days to clean the hair and welcome guests. And to say that your cup overflowed meant that you had all that you needed. The idea of a prepared table was important to people during this time. People would talk about how good certain tables were compared to other tables. And David is saying, "God has the best table." Feasting with God, communing with God, being with God is the best thing your soul can do. Your soul can rest in.

What David is painting for us is a picture that shows the almighty God preparing this perfect table where enemies are looking in. It's like when Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners and the Pharisees were looking and being like, "How dare he eat with those sinners? Why would he eat with those sinners?" God is showing grace to the point where enemies take offense. David wants us to know that God, in the midst of any valley we are in, welcomes us to feast with him. Do you know our God to be such a welcoming and gracious God?

Maybe you're suffering from pain, from guilt, from shame, from fear of death. If you are a Christian in this room, it is not once you make it out of the valley that you will feast with God. It is in the valley you are in that God prepares a table for you. It is now. He invites you to feast with him now. You don't need to go to a repenting booth. You don't need to do better with your devotionals in order to feast. Maybe you didn't have the best week and you feel regret and guilt about how distant you were from God. It is in that very valley, it is in that very state of guilt that you are in, that God prepares a feast for you.

And there's some wisdom here, I think, for marriages. For the married couples here, if you ever get into an argument or fight, or maybe the other person wronged you, one thing you must not do regularly is neglect your spouse with your presence. You can't make them feel like they have to earn your forgiveness and your presence again. That's anti-Gospel, and it says something about your understanding of the Gospel. God never does that to us. Instead, he prepares a feast for us. So, prepare a feast for them. Lavish them with grace that they may feel secure and comfortable, knowing that there is forgiveness.

In light of this grace, David makes a declaration, something he's certain of. He says, "Only goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." In other translations he says, "Surely." It's like he turns back to look at all the confessions he has made and says, "If this is all true, I am certain that only goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." And the word here is "pursues." The Hebrew word is "pursue" or "chases." This is an audacious claim. Imagine you sinned against God and you feel guilt and shame and your confidence is shot down and you just isolate yourself, hiding from God. You know what is chasing you? Goodness and mercy, not guilt, not judgment, not punishment, but goodness and mercy are chasing you. That means resenting yourself because of your sins is not a good thing because it's not those emotions that should be chasing you, but God's goodness and mercy. Mercy is chasing after you. Forgiveness. Christians live off forgiveness. Know that you are a child of God, and if you are a child of God, goodness and mercy are chasing you down.

If God is pursuing you, if his goodness and mercy are chasing you down, there's nothing that can snatch you out from God's hands. There's nothing chasing you more ferociously than God. So, if you are feeling guilt and shame, know that biblically speaking, those things are not chasing you, but goodness and mercy are. It was never about us transcending to where God was, but God descending to us. It was never dependent on how well we did on our devotionals or how perfect we've been after becoming a Christian. It has always been the grace of our Lord Jesus. If we forget the Gospel and the work Christ accomplished on the cross, we will slowly start moving into a works-based mindset and often find ourselves exhausted and disappointed. Only is it in this Gospel that we can have the confidence to say, "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me forever."

I was blessed enough to share the good news with a friend around a month ago. After the Gospel was presented, he repeated the same question 10 times. He said, "I'm sorry for asking this constantly." And as he teared up, he asked, "Why would someone like God show such an immense amount of grace to someone like me? Why me? And how, how could he even do this? How is this allowed?" This was all made possible only through Jesus Christ. Jesus did everything we were supposed to do, but he received the punishment we were supposed to receive. So that even if we did not live how we were supposed to, we would receive everything Christ was supposed to. This is called penal substitutionary atonement.

Because Christ received our punishment, God's anger and righteous wrath. Because he was a lamb led to the slaughter, because he was a lamb who was abandoned, because he received an anointing crown of thorns on his head and a cup of wrath from God. To those who believe that his actions took care of our sins, we who trust in God are able to walk in green pastures by still waters. We have God by our side at all times. And we have mercy and goodness chasing after us. Are you starting to see that the only reason why we receive so much grace and provision is because of Christ? Christ is always the answer. If you are feeling guilt or shame or whatever you are suffering through, run to Christ. Be assured that he has paid your price in full.

And because of this, David is able to say, "We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." There is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ. You are dwelling in a house that does not condemn you, but where goodness and mercy chase you. A house where even if you make mistakes, there will be food on your table every meal. So, in light of this, we shall not want. We shall not fear, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

If you're not a Christian in here, wouldn't you want this to be true? Where your worth, your lovability, your acceptance, your satisfaction is not dependent on you but dependent on someone else? What Christianity says is that you will never be good enough. But not only does Christianity diagnose your problems, it gives a solution. Jesus Christ is the only way you will ever have peace. So, repent and believe in the good shepherd. Let him make you lie down in green pastures. Allow him to lead you by still waters. Be blessed forever by his presence and let him restore your soul.

Now, you might think after hearing this sermon that this is too good to be true. You might think, "David, you've oversold God. Your words are nothing but words because I've never felt this in my life." Well, to you who are in awe or maybe even in denial of how good God is, hear this from God himself. We'll end the sermon with what God says of his children in Isaiah 43.

Now this is what the Lord says— the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel— “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior. I have given Egypt as a ransom for you, Cush and Seba in your place. — Isaiah 43:1-3 (CSB)

Because you are precious in my sight and honored, and I love you, I will give people in exchange for you and nations instead of your life. — Isaiah 43:4 (CSB)

I—I am the Lord. Besides me, there is no Savior. — Isaiah 43:11 (CSB)

Also, from today on I am he alone, and none can rescue from my power. I act, and who can reverse it?” — Isaiah 43:13 (CSB)

This is what the Lord says— who makes a way in the sea, and a path through raging water, — Isaiah 43:16 (CSB)

“Do not remember the past events; pay no attention to things of old. — Isaiah 43:18 (CSB)

Wild animals— jackals and ostriches—will honor me, because I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people. — Isaiah 43:20 (CSB)

You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings or wearied you with incense. You have not bought me aromatic cane with silver, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities. “I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more. — Isaiah 43:23-25 (CSB)

Brothers and sisters, if the Lord is our shepherd, we'll be okay. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for being our shepherd and for providing us full rest and peace, security and satisfaction in our souls. So that no matter what valley we go through, we can have confidence that you are with us and that you love us. Help us to be reminded of your goodness to us forever until we make it home. In Jesus's name, we pray. Amen.