Finding Courage In Our Crisis
FINDING COURAGE IN OUR CRISIS
Psalm 23:1-6 (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. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 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 goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
What is the passage in the Bible that God often uses to calm your heart in times of crises? Or what is your go-to verse or verses when you are going through very difficult times? As for me, it would definitely be Psalm 23.
This Psalm really became special in my life in 1994. While we were living in the Philippines, the Lord allowed my family to go through a major crisis. My Dad, who was then about 65 years, suffered a heart attack. When we brought him to the hospital, we were told that in order for him to survive, he needed to go through a triple-heart-bypass surgery. Now, during those times, these types of operations were not yet as common in the Philippines compared today, plus, they were really expensive. So, you could imagine how our family, especially our mom, were so anxious and stressed out because of all the uncertainties. As a family, the only thing we can really do was to completely trust the Lord. Fast forward, on the day when my Dad was going to be operated, I vividly can remember, as they wheeled him to the operating room. There was only one chapter in the Bible that he kept reciting over and over again. It was this powerful Psalm—Psalm 23. Since then, the Lord gave me a deeper appreciation of this beautiful passage.
This is the main reason why as I think about the crisis we are all going through today, I am naturally led to preach on this Psalm. I am fully aware that our Covid-19 crisis is not an ordinary one. It’s not only endangering us because of the virus. It’s affecting us also economically, socially, and spiritually. I know that there’s always a challenge to preach on a familiar text because it is so easy for many listeners to assume that they already know everything that needs to be known from it, but my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will allow us to receive some fresh insights from this Psalm as I tackle our theme this morning – “Finding Courage in Our Crisis.”
With this theme, our key verse will come from the first part of verse 4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” If you carefully examine these words, the emphasis should be on the phrase – “for you are with me.” You see, at the outset, we need to acknowledge the fact that God, in His goodness, will still allow us to go through some “valleys.” These “valleys” are the dark and dangerous crises in our lives. However, the main difference is that we do not go through with them alone. We have this full assurance that God will always walk with us in every crisis.
It has been said that in Chinese, the word “crisis” is written with two distinct characters. One pictograph can mean either “tragedy” or “danger.” The other means “opportunity.” I love this representation because it is very true in all the crises that God allows in our lives. On the one hand, we cannot deny that there’s a pressing danger. But there is also the opportunity to see how God will help us cope with our crisis, even overcome it.
Let’s have some context before we start studying our text. With Psalm 23, the main question is the timing of its writing. Did David write it when he was a shepherd boy or when he was already an aged king? For many Bible scholars, the common consensus is that he wrote it when he was an aged king. It means that this Psalm was not written by an inexperienced teenager, but a veteran King who went through a lot of tough and difficult battles in life. So, we have to look at this Psalm as a grand testimony of King David of how God’s presence sustained him through all the “ups and downs” of life. Now, in order to appreciate this Psalm, let’s break it down to three big mandates:
1. APPRECIATE THE GOD WHO SHEPHERDS US
When David made a declaration in verse 1 saying, “The LORD is my shepherd,” he and the people in Israel understood perfectly what shepherding means. But for most of us today, we are not as familiar with this concept, so it is highly possible that we would fail to appreciate the reference of the Lord being our shepherd.
Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to explain to you this important designation of Jehovah God as “LORD,” being rendered in all capital letters. As I said, whenever you see this rendering, it refers to the most excellent name of God being “Yahweh.” Remember, the three major concepts again:
“All-sufficient” – He is able to exist without needing anyone or anything.
“All-powerful” – He is able to do everything. Nothing is impossible to Him.
“The Sovereign One” – He reigns over everyone and everything.
What makes David’s declaration so special is the fact that this very powerful God is not someone who is distant; He is relating personally and closely to him and all His people as their Shepherd.
Having said this, we need to establish the fact that we, as God’s people, can perfectly be represented as sheep. Do you know why? If you study these creatures, you would realize that they are the most helpless and defenseless animals. Unlike the deer, they don’t run very fast and they don’t know how to defend themselves. So, they are so vulnerable to predators. Also, they don’t even know where to find places to eat or drink because they are so bad with directions. They can really get lost easily. For these reasons, they need to be totally dependent on a good shepherd, so that they would survive. No wonder we have this verse in Isaiah 53:6 (ESV): 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.
The Bible is quite plain in telling us that everyone who does not have Jesus Christ in their lives is lost and far from a relationship with Him. This is the very reason why Jesus came and went to the cross in order to be our Good Shepherd. Jesus Himself said:
John 10:11 (ESV) 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Therefore, it calls on us to examine ourselves, whether or not He is already our personal Shepherd. Going back to Psalm 23, King David was confident in saying, “my shepherd,” because he was aware that he has a personal relationship with Jehovah God. We, too, can say the same thing if we have invited Jesus Christ into our lives as our Savior and Lord. Remember, we are like sheep that desperately need God as our Shepherd. Without Him, our lives will be miserable.
You know, if there is something that this deadly virus has clearly proven today, it is the fact that all of us weak and helpless; that we all need God in our lives.
2. ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRESENT BLESSINGS AS HIS SHEEP (vv. 1b -4)
As David talks about “Yahweh” as His Shepherd, he began introducing us to some of the benefits that he has enjoyed as His sheep. I would like to submit to you that in order to better understand our passage, it would be better to break it into two major sections. First, we will highlight verses 1b – 4, which applies to our present life here on earth. And second, we will cover verses 5-6, talking about our future blessings.
Allow me, now, to begin enumerating our present blessings as His sheep:
A. God Sufficiently Provides for You (vv.1-2)
Just like any sheep, all of us are creatures who are full of needs. And it’s comforting to hear these words that say, “I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”
Being a shepherd himself, David understood the fact it is the responsibility of the shepherd to sufficiently feed his flock. He, then, testifies to all of us that our heavenly Shepherd is very responsive to all our needs. He then states – “I shall not be in want.” With these words, I would like to emphasize that the Hebrew word “want” in our text literally means “Lack.” In other words, God promises to meet our every need, not our every greed. Do you believe this? David reinforces this truth in Psalm 37:25 (ESV): 25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
Of course, we have to be careful not to mix-up our needs with our wants. Lest we become guilty of accusing the Lord of failing to sufficiently provide for us. The truth of the matter is that the Shepherd would even bring the sheep to “lie down in green pastures and beside still waters.” All Bible scholars agree that no sheep will lie down in green pastures unless they are fully satisfied with their food and drink. That’s exactly what our Shepherd does.
B. God Spiritually Purifies You (v.3)
Another blessing we enjoy comes from these words – “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” These words are quite different from the previous sentence because David shifted from physical to spiritual needs.
The phrase “to restore my soul” literally means in Hebrew “to bring back my soul.” There will be times in our lives that God will use our crisis in order to turn our lives around and follow His agenda. In the Bible, the word “soul” is regularly used to refer to the “whole person.” If we connect this idea with the next phrase, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness,” the main emphasis is that God is using our deepest hurts and crisis in order to lead us or purify us into righteousness. This divine process literally restores our “whole being.”
How often have you made some wrong turns or decisions in life and went away from the Lord? David had those times as well. Yet, he appreciates his Shepherd who cared enough to restore him and bring him back on the right paths. Is it possible that God is using our crisis today in order to restore us back to Him? Let’s always be sensitive in what He is doing for us.
C. God Strongly Protects You (v.4)
As I noted earlier, the third blessing highlighted in verse 4 is our key verse in the chapter – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” In the Middle East, there are parts of the year when shepherds have to keep their sheep in the lowlands or “valleys” because the grasses there are greener. So, to bring them there, a shepherd must lead his sheep through dangerous ravines and dark valleys where predators, like lions or wolves, can be hiding and can snatch the sheep.
Notice, there are also shepherd’s tools identified here – a “rod” and a “staff.” Both are used for the sheep’s protection. The rod is used to defend the sheep from their predators, while the staff (a stick with a hook at the end) is used to keep the sheep on the safe path. Well, you and I, as God’s sheep, also have predators who are always waiting to pounce on us and destroy us. Peter warned us:
1 Peter 5:8 (ESV) 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
However, we don’t have to be afraid because God promises to be with us – “for you are with me.” His constant presence with us should give us tremendous confidence in life. This truth reminds me of Moses, who perfectly understood the significance of God’s presence in his journey. For sure, you remember the time when the Israelites decided to worship “The Golden Calf” after God just delivered them from Egypt. God was so angry with them that He told Moses these words:
Exodus 33:1-3 (ESV) 1 The LORD said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ 2 I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
Imagine, they will still inherit the Promised Land, their enemies will still be defeated, however, God would stop going with them. This totally alarmed Moses that he responded to God and said:
Exodus 33:15-16 (ESV) 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
Moses was wise enough to recognize that life will not be the same without the Lord’s presence in their journey. Beloved, we should not lose sight of the blessing His presence brings in our lives. It should be our source of confidence, especially during these difficult and dangerous times we are going through right now.
3. ANTICIPATE THE FULLNESS OF YOUR BLESSINGS AS HIS SHEEP (vv. 5-6)
Lastly, David takes the metaphor to a higher level of praise to the Shepherd. Yes, the Shepherd allows His sheep to go through dark and dangerous valleys, but life is not all darkness and difficulties. On the other side, there are also celebrations and a great banquet that we can anticipate.
One thing we need to recognize is that in the ancient Eastern culture, a “banquet” is very different than going to a fast-food restaurant. For them, it is a fellowship and a celebration. The picture that David brings into this verse is like a great military victory; the soldiers who won and conquered their enemies would be in a grand parade entering the city with their captive enemies. After they have entered the city, they would be ushered into a great victory banquet hosted by the King. The whole kingdom will celebrate while the enemies who had been taken as captives are watching.
Now, it was also customary during Biblical days that in those victory banquets, the host will allow the soldiers, as they enter the celebration, to be anointed with olive oil mixed with perfume and spices as a symbol that they are being honored. And the phrase “the overflowing cup” speaks of abundance and joy during the celebration.
Finally, in verse 6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” The word “follow” here, literally means “to pursue.” In other words, even while we are here struggling in this broken world, God’s goodness and mercy will continue to pursue us. Regardless of what’s happening in our lives, even in times we don’t deserve it, God will never stop pursuing us until we all dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
In closing, I would challenge each one of us to appreciate the fact that the all-powerful Jehovah is our Shepherd in life. And because of our personal bond with Him, we are enjoying His powerful presence every day, most especially in our darkest and dangerous times of our lives. Remember, He will never leave us even for a second, until we are safely home secured in His heavenly place where we will reside forever and forever.
-Dr. Jeremiah Lepasana