REVIEW

• Ephesians 2:10 says in the Amplified Version that the good works we are called to walk in is [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].”
• Psalm 27:13 says, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Notice what the Easy to Read Version says - “But I really believe that I will see the Lord’s goodness before I die.”
• So, that is why we are looking at the 23rd Psalm. It is because I believe that it is a beautiful, poetic description of what this good life that God has prearranged and made ready for us to live really looks like.
• We spent the first couple of weeks looking at the first phrase of verse one which says, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” We found that this is one of those covenant-keeping names of Jehovah which reveals to us His nature. And we saw that it is important for us to know our God like David apparently did. This will produce boldness and confidence in Him, being the heartbeat of our faith. We saw that Jesus revealed Himself as this Good Shepherd, having come to give us life and life more abundantly. We also learned that as our Good Shepherd, He knows our name just as we are to know His name and that He speaks to us and leads us.
• Then last week, we saw that when we come to know the Lord as our Shepherd and are hearing from Him and being led by Him, then we “shall not want.” In other words, He will always guide us into the place of not lacking, having a need, doing without, diminishing or decreasing.  
• We learned that this is not just referring to spiritual things either. While we certainly do not want (or lack), spiritually speaking, David was not referring to spiritual things. He was talking about natural things! But when it comes to some “believers,” you would think that David said, “Thou shalt not want!”- not believing a Christian ever needs to desire or want things. But we need to lose that “Yeah, but” mentality that likes to write off concrete promises that God gives us. Church, our experiences do not dictate the truth and validity of God’s Word. Indeed, let God be true and every man (and experience of man) a liar (Romans 3:4)! Our prayer today should be, “Lord, elevate our experiences to match the standard of your truth rather than us watering down your truth to match our experiences.”
• Yes, the Lord wants us to increase in every area of our life and cause our path to shine brighter and brighter until Jesus comes back. This is His way of doing things and the work of the blessing in our lives. We looked at several Scriptures that validate this. Here are a few:
  1. Psalm 115:14-15 
  2. Proverbs 4:18
  3. Psalm 34:8-10

• But we saw that there are varying degrees to us not lacking, and that is all determined by us - us seeking first the kingdom of God and being generous. We looked at Luke chapter 12 (& Matthew 6:33), Philippians 4:19 & Psalm 37:25, and saw how important it is to be doing what He tells us to do and be led by Him. Our part is that we must choose the good life - hear and know His voice, and do what He says. God is always willing to forgive and redirect you if you're willing to repent and follow. If you're not following your shepherd, you may well lack. But if you follow Him you will not lack.
• We should EXPECT the goodness of God in every area of our lives.
• But we must say what God says to receive what His word says. Speaking to the contrary will not result in receiving the good things of God.
• Saints, we need to live our lives seeking to be a blessing to God’s kingdom with everything - including our finances. And one thing I can assure you of is, when you do this, You cannot out-give God! He will bless the work of your hands and your seed sown! You shall not lack! And why? Because you have made the Lord your Shepherd! Amen!
• The good life God has prepared for us is a life of no lack! 

 
GOOD, GREEN PASTURES
 
Now notice that David goes on to say that the Lord your Shepherd, who will not let you lack, also “makes me to lie down in green pastures…”
 
The term “green pastures” literally describe “pastures of tender grass.”
 
The word “pastures” describes the abode or habitation of shepherds. But like a shepherd, God is not leading us to barren and fruitless places. He is looking to bring us to places of “tender grass” (i.e. good places for His sheep to dwell). The Hebrew word for “green” describes “new grass,” not mature grass ready for mowing, but grass that is just sprouting and young. What does this teach us? It teaches us that the Lord does not tend towards giving us old, used up stuff. He desires to give us a new life, a new beginning, a fresh start. He makes all things new and He has made all things good. Amen.
 
We see a similar terminology to this used in Ezekiel 34:14-15 when the Lord said, “I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God.”
 
So, we see here the Lord acting as the Shepherd of His people, feeding them in good pasture and making them to lie down in this rich pasture. Notice the word “good” being used here. So, these “green pastures” that our Good Shepherd is leading us to are good pastures, good and green pastures that are on the high mountains of Israel, hallelujah! When you truly know the love of God, it will be almost impossible to wipe the smile off your face.
 
Again, increase and elevation are involved in this good life. This is the life that the Lord desires to make us lie down in. However, don’t get the wrong impression by this terminology (i.e. to lie down). According to Ezekiel’s prophecy (and many other Scriptures), the Lord’s will is to take us higher, not lower; to be exalted, not debased! Amen!   
 
THE FREE WILL OF THE SHEEP
 
Now the phrase “He makes me” might give one the wrong impression about how the Lord operates. The Lord is not in the business of “making” us do anything. The Lord gives free-will to mankind.
 
This is why the ungodly make ignorant statements like, “I just don’t believe that a loving God would ever send someone to hell.” Well, that’s true to a certain extent; He doesn’t send people to hell. But they choose their own condemnation. They choose serving a sin and satan over choosing the Lord’s free gift of salvation. Therefore, they receive the same lot as their master, the devil. It is really that simple.
 
So, no, the Lord is not making us do anything. Always remember: when God is involved, free will is involved. Therefore, He did not make us choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior, nor will He make us choose this good life that we are talking about either. We all are living our lives on various levels of God’s good, acceptable and perfect will for us.
 
So, we should never say things like, “Why is God blessing them more than me?” or “Why do I struggle with this and not them?” That is implying that God alone is the variable and we do not have a say in the quality of life that we are experiencing. Saints, the truth is that we are as close to God right now (i.e. experiencing His presence etc.) as we want to be - and this also applies to other areas of our life. We can choose (the good) life (see Deuteronomy 30:19)!
 
So, you see, the Lord our Shepherd doesn’t drive us. If He did, He would have been called the “Good Cowboy” instead of Jesus calling Himself the Good Shepherd. You see, a cowboy drives his herd. He ropes and ties them. However, a shepherd leads, guides and calls his sheep. Therefore, the Lord is not in the business of making us doing anything. No, He calls us. He bids us to come follow Him. He gently leads us in the way we should go. And that way is on pastures of tender grass. Amen.
 
LAYING DOWN IN PEACE
 
Now it has been said that sheep will not lay down unless they are truly at peace, and oftentimes this peace comes as a result of them knowing that their shepherd was present with them. So it is with us:
 
David said in Psalm 4:8, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell safely.”
 
Here, David gives us a big key to sleeping well - it is learning to lie down in peace. And the major key to doing that is found in the second half of this verse: “for (or, because) You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell safely.”
 
So, us entering into that peace referred to here is determined by us believing in our hearts that our Lord will cause us to “dwell safely.” In other words, He will cause us to live a life that is guarded, protected and kept by Himself alone. 
 
You see, the “you alone” is an important part of this phrase too. It denotes that the Lord Himself is the One who we see as being able to make us live safely (not with any help of our own, I might add). And did you know what worry and anxiety really are? They are us not believing in our hearts that it is God alone who will keep us safe and sound. Amen?    
 
Church, when we get the revelation that our God is indeed with us and He alone is the One that will protect and defend us, we will indeed be at peace - particularly when we see that the objects of those fears that come up are the Lord’s problem and not just ours.
 
IT IS NOT OUR FIGHT
 
It is important for us to realize that the battles we face are not just our battles; they are His battles.
 
Do you remember the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles chapter 20 - how God began to speak to them and said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15)
 
What an awesome statement this is that the Holy Spirit made at the end of verse 15 - “The battle is not yours, but God’s!” We would do good to continuously reflect on this truth in order to remind us that the battle is not ours, but the battle truly is God’s.
 
You see, this powerful phrase has a whole range of applications to our lives:
 
These “ites” that Jehoshaphat had coming up against him were types and shadows of the kingdom of darkness that we wrestle against under our New Covenant. And these demonic forces manifest themselves in many different ways. Their effects range from the more obvious demonic devices such as depression, oppression, sickness, and poverty to the subtler areas of darkness such as bitterness, envy, strife, and selfishness. So, when it is written that the battle is not ours but the Lord’s, this applies to any of these different “ites” that come against us today.
 
For example, when we see the enemy working to destroy our marriages - trying to generate strife and bring division between us and our spouses - we should remember that the battle is not ours, but God’s. Sure, in the middle of these difficult situations, the enemy will feed us the lie that our marriage is hopeless and that our spouse will never change. Sure, he will try and deceive us into thinking that we better defend ourselves lest we be taken advantage of.
 
But the truth is that the battle for our marriage is not ours, it is God’s. God is able to create hope where there seems to be hopelessness. God is able to bring change when change seems impossible. God is able to heal, restore, and even prosper our relationship with our spouse no matter how discouraging our situation seems. It is His battle, and He is resolved to fight it for us. Hallelujah!
 
Do you know what happens when we see the challenges we encounter as our battles? Our pride will cause us to attempt to take things into our own hands. For example, when we have lost loved ones, we feel such an urgency to see them come into the light that we allow that fear of their present course to drive us. When this happens, we will take every opportunity that we get to hammer them with the truth and witness to them. While our motives are good, we need to also understand that the battle for our loved-one’s salvation is not ours; it is also the Lord’s battle.
 
We need to understand that we cannot make anybody see the light; only God can because no one comes to Jesus unless the Holy Spirit draws them (John 6:44 & 16:8). Therefore, we should just rest in Him - trusting that He is fighting that battle and drawing them to Himself - while at the same time being open to share the truth with them as the Lord opens up the opportunities.  
 
You see, understanding that each and every battle we encounter in our life is the Lord’s battle and not our own is such an important part of the Christian life. It is a principle that we see all throughout God’s Word and He desires us to understand: We are victorious only by the grace of God and not by any works that we have done. We are saved by the grace of God. We are healed by the grace of God. We are prosperous by the grace of God. The proud are the ones who are self-sufficient. But we need to walk in humility and realize that God’s grace is Him fighting all our battles for us, and it has been His plan for mankind since Adam. The awesome thing is the battle is the Lord's, but the victory is ours. He does all the fighting and we get all the blessings, when we let Him fight the battle by not fighting it ourselves.
 
Therefore, every battle we find ourselves in - whether it be over our ministries, over our physical health, over our finances, over our families, or over our own souls - God has said that all of these are His battles and, therefore, should not concern us in the least. When we get bills that are a challenge to our budget, we need to recognize them as God’s battle. Hold them up and say, “God, you’ve got mail.” Thank you, Jesus!
 
THE ROOT OF FEARING DEFEAT
 
Let’s now draw our attention to the phrase that the Holy Spirit included before He said that the battle is not ours, but God’s. Again, He said, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
 
By including that word “for” before this phrase we have just covered, God is telling us why we are not to be afraid or dismayed when these “ites” come against us. So, what was the reason that He gave them not to fear? It was because it was not even their battle; it was God’s. He told them not to be afraid or dismayed because the battle was not even theirs to fight.
 
You see, if the battle was ours then we would have every reason to be afraid because we know that we have limitations. We know that there are many problems that we will encounter that are beyond our control. So, if these battles were indeed ours, we most definitely would have every reason to be afraid.
 
But let me ask you a question: Are you ever afraid of God losing any of His battles? Of course, you are not. So, can you guess the only reason why we ever get afraid when alarming situations enter into our life? It is because we see them as our battles. Yes, the only reason we become dismayed is because we incorrectly see these huge and insurmountable problems as our battles, and not God’s. Therefore, the very root of the fear of defeat is not being fully persuaded that the battles we encounter are the Lord’s battles and not ours. That is the gospel truth, my friends!
 
Sure, if we were asked if we believed that the problems we have were our battles we would deny it, but the evidence of our faith is in our actions. If we are in fear, it is because we do not truly believe God will fight that battle for us. If we are afraid and worried it is for one of two reasons: Either we do not believe God can handle it or we do not believe He will handle it. And usually our deficiency is not in believing that God has the power or ability to do what He wants to. What we are generally deficient in is not in believing that God wants to. In other words, most believers are not convinced that God is willing and resolved to fight all of their battles for them.
 
But the truth is God has said that every battle we find ourselves in that was instigated by the enemy is not our battle; they are His battles. Therefore, if we saw our problems in this light, we would be full of peace in the midst of the storm because we know that God is more than able to take care of these situations.
 
So, my point is: it is both the known presence of the Good Shepherd and knowing that He is resolved to care for His sheep that creates the peace among the flock. Yes, He is there to defend us from the turbulence that arises within the flock and to keep us from the predators that come in from outside of the flock. Amen.
 
OUR RESTING PLACE
 
But notice what else David goes on to say that our Good Shepherd leads us to. David goes on to say in Psalm 23:2 that “He leads me beside the still waters.”
 
Again, He “leads” us. He does not drive us or make us do anything. He leads by that still small voice, by that inward witness. He guides us - for the Holy Spirit has been given to us to “guide” us into all truth and to lead the sons of God.
 
So, what is He leading us to? We are told here that He leads us “beside the still waters.”
 
The phrase “beside the still” come from the word menuwchah and describes a “rest or resting place.” It describes a comfortable, still and quiet place or thing (and in this case, that thing is “water”). So, these “still waters” could literally be described as “waters of rest” and for us to be led beside these still waters would describe us being led and guided alongside places of rest - places that are quiet, still and comfortable. Amen.   
 
In fact, this is actually the word that was used to describe the Rest of God referred to in Psalm 95:11 - the same Rest that the writer(s) of Hebrews describe in Hebrews chapter 4.
 
Now this “Rest” was an obvious reference to Canaan, the Promised Land, and was described as a rest in contrast to their 40-year journey in the wilderness - which was a feeling of never belonging, always moving and striving, never experiencing the fullness of the blessing. And sadly, that is where many Christians       live - in the wilderness, living from miracle to miracle (which means they are also living in crisis to crisis) and experiencing this striving, working, and arduous lifestyle. There is a better life, saints! Yes, I said there is a better life! And that is - living in the blessing of Canaan where we enter into His Rest, having taken His yoke upon us! Maybe Jesus healed so often on the sabbath because it was easier for God to work when His people were resting. Amen!
 
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God - where we can cease from our works, our striving and busyness. This is the Sabbath that we are called to observe - where we learn to rest in the work of another - namely, the Lord Jesus Christ’s work on the Cross. Its ultimate fulfillment will be when we leave these tents and live in the eternal rest in the Kingdom of God, but there is also a rest to be experienced now.
 
JESUS, OUR SABBATH
 
Now this leads us into an important biblical principle that was first referred to in the beginning during creation, then was instituted under the Law, and finally was fulfilled in Christ - the Sabbath. 
 
So, let’s start out by looking at this commandment that God gave His people…
 
In Exodus 20:8-11, God gave them the Ten Commandments and said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” In this Scripture, we see how He gave His chosen people the Sabbath by comparing it to when He rested from His work in creation.
 
Now it is important to understand that God did not “rest” in the sense that we think of resting. When we think of resting, we think of recuperating because we are fatigued, but this is not what is implied here. God rested on the seventh day, not because He was tired and exhausted. He rested because the work was finished and complete. There was nothing left to do.
 
This word “rest” described more of a cessation of activity, the ending of effort. A good example of what transpired here is an artist who was working to paint a beautiful masterpiece and then when his or her picture was completed, they lean back in their chair observing their completed masterpiece maybe with their brush in the mouth. This image in no way describes an artist laying down his brush because it got too heavy. No, he rested from his work because his work was finished and complete.
 
God had created the heavens and earth and all that is within them and saw that it was all “very good” (1:31). It was finished! His work was complete! So, He was attempting to get His people to see that the work of creation had been completed. Therefore, He gave them the Sabbath to illustrate to them that they are to rest in God’s finished work of creation and redemption. 
 
So, what is our attitude to be regarding the Sabbath? Are we to keep the Sabbath or not? Well, let’s look over at Colossians chapter 2 and, in this passage, we will see the true purpose of the Sabbath and how we should be fulfilling it…
 
THE SABBATH WAS A SHADOW
 
Colossians 2:11-15 says, “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
 
So, notice here that things like circumcision (another big point of contention), water baptism, and all the other “handwriting of requirements” (i.e. the commandments of the Law) have been fulfilled in us who are in Him. Amen! 
 
Now notice this… Paul goes on to say in Colossians 2:16, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths…”
 
In other words, because the law has been fulfilled in us through the finished work of Christ (i.e. “so”), we are to let no one judge us in food or in drink (this is dietary laws of the law), or regarding a festival (all the feast days) or a new moon (some other requirement for the Jews to keep) or SABBATHS. Or what? Or SABBATHS! This implies we are not to let anyone judge us regarding keeping the different Sabbaths because we are now under the perfect law of liberty.
 
But why? Why are we free from keeping the Sabbath today under our new and better covenant? Well, continue reading…
 
In verse 17, Paul goes on to say, “which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
Do you see this? All of these requirements of the law - the dietary laws, the feasts, and, yes, even the Sabbath - are shadows of things to come! This means that all of these commands the Lord gave them were meant to foreshadow something which was to come, namely, SOMEONE who was to come - and that is Christ! Praise the Lord!
 
Actually, this word “substance” literally means “body.” So why would we continue hugging the shadow of the One we love when we have their body? That would be weird! 
 
So, what does this teach us? It teaches us that the Sabbath is simply a shadow of Christ and, therefore, Christ is the fulfillment of the Sabbath. Yes, saints, JESUS IS OUR SABBATH REST!
 
IT IS FINISHED
 
Let’s look at another passage where the Lord gave His chosen people a command concerning the Sabbath and we will see this more clearly…
 
Deuteronomy 5:15 says, “And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”
 
Notice the word “therefore” in this verse… Being redeemed from Egypt is a type of our salvation, so this is why He commanded them to keep the Sabbath. He did it with His mighty hand and outstretched arm. Therefore, Jesus brought us out of the kingdom of darkness and we should rest in His finished work.
 
Practically speaking, God gave them one day a week not to work to illustrate to them that they are not their own source. In other words, the Sabbath had an element of trust to it. You had to trust the Lord that He could do more by His mighty hand and outstretched arm in 6 days than you could do by your arm and hand in 7 days. It was to illustrate to them that they are not their own Savior and Provider - God is. 
 
So, this is what we need to understand about the seventh day - that when were we made a new creation in Christ that His work in us is complete. Therefore, we are not a work in progress. His work of grace in our spirit is finished! And it was not by our own hands that we are saved - Jesus did the work Himself.
 
This is why Jesus said on the Cross just before He gave up His spirit that “It is finished!” He was saying that the price that needed to be paid for our salvation was complete. He was saying that what He hung on that Cross to accomplish was sufficient. Nothing else needed to be done! The price needful for our redemption had been fully satisfied and we are complete!
 
You see, the word “sabbath” obviously means “rest.” In fact, the words “seven, sabbath, & rest” all come from the same basic word in the Hebrew shabat. And we know the number seven in biblical numerology describes “completion.” Therefore, we see the meaning of the Sabbath… It is that God indeed rested on the seventh day because His work of creation was completed. Amen.
 
So, we being children of God who have been made new creations in Christ Jesus ought to also follow our Heavenly Father’s pattern - know that the work of the new creation (i.e. salvation) has been completed within us and now we are to rest from our works of the flesh that seek to accomplish what has already been accomplished in us through Christ Jesus. Amen. We are complete in Him. The work of salvation has already been accomplished within us, so now we can cease from our works (i.e. works that seek to justify and obtain what can only be received by faith in His grace) as God ceased from His works. We must cease our WORKS of righteousness (which are not good enough) and REST in the work that Christ did to atone for our sins.
 
Therefore, we can rest in all the works that Christ has done for us! He has paid the price and done everything that needs to be done in regards to our salvation!
 
The number seven in Biblical numerology describes “perfection and completion.” Thus, our salvation and the new creation we were made is perfect and complete! There is nothing left undone! God made all things good in the beginning and God has made all the things that are new in us good! When God looked over all that He had made, He said it was very good! Likewise, God looks at His work in us and says it is very good! We have passed inspection!
 
Now let’s go over to Hebrews chapter 4 where the Sabbath is further explained:
 
THERE REMAINS A REST
 
Hebrews 4:9-10 - There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Now the physical fulfillment of the Sabbath will be when we enter in the rest of heaven, but the spiritual fulfillment is the rest we have entered in positionally. Just as the Promised Land was the fulfillment of rest promised to the children of Israel & Joshua - we can partake of Canaan then and now…
 
You see, just as God gave Israel the 7th year Sabbath (which they never observed) and also the 7th day Sabbath, God has given us two fulfillments of this type and shadow…
 
There is the Sabbath rest of the next life (i.e. the new heavens and the new earth) and there is a Sabbath rest we can experience every day in this life through our position in Christ. In other words, just as there are three phases to our salvation - one being when our spirit was born again and where old things passed away and all things became new positionally. Another being that we can taste of His salvation in our soul and body now here on this earth as we renew our minds to who we are in Christ and have His Spirit come upon us. And thirdly being when Christ returns, and we receive our glorified body - there are three truths regarding the Sabbath - we have already entered into that rest spiritually as our spirit has been made perfect and complete in Him and our salvation is at rest. Secondly, we have the promise of practically entering His rest everyday as we cease from our own works and self-effort and trust in the work of another. And, last but not least, we will enter that habitual eternal rest when we pass from this life to the next. Amen.    
 
You see, there therefore remains a rest for the people of God - and while being persuaded that God has completed the work of salvation within you is super important - learning to receive the rest that is available to us daily is also super important:
 
LIGHT AND EASY
 
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
 
Notice that twice in this passage Jesus makes reference to “rest.” We must understand that one rest is given, the other is found. One is experienced when we come to Christ upon making Him our personal Lord and Savior. This is the positional rest we have entered in to. But there remains a rest that we can partake of experientially - and that is when we exchange our weakness for His strength, when we learn to wait on the Lord and draw near to Him in fellowship. This is when we will run and not grow weary, when we will walk and not faint. Amen. (See Isaiah 40:31)
 
Learning to taste and see that the Lord is good and that He is our strength when we are weak is such a vital truth to experience. Oftentimes, we gravitate towards doing things in our own strength and we begin to pull a “Martha”- being troubled with much serving. This is when we must become more like Mary who learned when to sit at the Master’s feet and draw her strength from Him. Strength for service comes from fellowship. This is when we yoke ourselves up together with Him and He does the majority of the pulling. “Burnout” comes as we do all the pulling ourselves. This is not what the Lord intended. The Master said, “Take MY yoke upon you (i.e. get yoked up together with Me) and I will give you rest.
 
Friends, the Christian life is meant to be light and easy, not heavy and hard. And the moment we begin to feel like our burden is heavy and hard is the moment we have simply realized that we are taking our own yoke and are not benefiting from Him pulling the weight for us.
 
In fact, all of Psalm 23:2 teaches us this one principle:
 
For example, the entire phrase at the beginning of this verse, “Me makes me to lie down”- comes from one Hebrew word - the word rabats. This word literally means “to stretch oneself out or lie stretched out.” Thus, the reason that this word is translated “to couch” in a couple of places. Therefore, this word describes “reclining.” So, we might translate this first half of Psalm 23:2 like so today: “He helps me to take a load off and to rest & relax.”
 
You see, if we are not joyfully serving the Lord, then we are not serving the Lord the way He intended for us to.  When we are living the Christian life correctly, we will live a life that is full of peace and joy.  It is only when we try to live the Christian life in the arm of the flesh that we become miserable, feeling unfulfilled.
 
Saints, it is not the Lord’s will that any part of our Christian walk feels like “work.” Sure, it is not always pleasant putting the flesh under, and sure, it is not always easy to go through the various trials we fall into. But if everything always seems arduous and an uphill battle, then we are likely missing it in some way.
 
You see, the reason working for the Lord is light and easy is because we are yoked up together with Him. In those days, oxen were yoked up together in order to share the load they were carrying. So, if we have been yoked up together with Christ, then we can be certain that He will bear the entire burden! This will result in our walk being light and easy, as opposed to heavy and difficult. The only time that it becomes laborious is when we, of our own accord, unyoke ourselves from Him and try to carry the weights of this life ourselves. This is when the Christian life becomes burdensome and overbearing and we, as a result, lose our joy.  
 
But, no, Christianity is not intended to be burdensome. Again, there is certainly discipline over the flesh and the resistance of temptation involved in the life of a Christian, but in regard to our growth and increase in every area of our walk, it is God Who carries that entire burden. Praise the Lord!
 
Therefore, to lie down in green pastures describes our Good Shepherd leading us, His sheep, to places of comfort, rest and relaxation - like a spiritual couch or recliner. Amen!
 
As we have seen, the leading us beside still waters teaches us the same - that there remains a rest for the people of God - a stream that makes glad the city of our God. It is beside these still waters that we find rest for our souls.
 
May you find rest for your souls today and experience the Sabbath rest - a quality of this good life - that is found only in Christ. Amen.   

REVIEW
 

• Ephesians 2:10 says in the Amplified Version: “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].”
• Psalm 27:13 says, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Notice what some other translations say:
  1. The Passion Translation says, “Yet I totally trust you to rescue me one more time, so that I can see once again how good you are while I’m still alive!”
  2. The Expanded Bible translates it, “I truly believe I will see the Lord’s goodness during my life.”
  3. The Easy to Read Version says, “But I really believe that I will see the Lord’s goodness before I die.”
• So, God apparently wants us to experience His goodness right now in the land of the living and has made a way for us to live this good life. But what exactly is this “good life?” What does it look like? It looks like the 23rd Psalm…
• Now that’s a lot of “me’s, my’s and I’s,” isn’t it? But it is significant that he didn’t once say, “us, we, our, etc.” It is because He is our personal God. He didn’t just send Jesus to die for us all. He sent Jesus to die for you and for me on an individual level too! And that is what we camped on last week - the importance of knowing the Lord as our own individual Shepherd, Provider, Healer, etc. We saw how the first line in this Psalm is one of the redemptive, covenant names of God - Jehovah Ra’ah (The Lord my Shepherd). So, we can boldly say - The Lord is my Shepherd!
• We saw how this bold statement by King David was obviously a result of him knowing His God. This is what caused his confidence when facing Goliath and what his faith was based on. We looked at others like Abraham, Moses, and the Apostle Paul - how each of these men knew their God which created them to believe and do things that some might call “presumptuous, arrogant” or just outright “unwise.” But the main difference between these guys and many of us is that they did not just know what they believed; they knew whom they believed (2 Timothy 1:12). For example, the Apostle John declared time and time again in his gospel that he was the disciple whom Jesus loves. But for someone to say that this is not being humble would have to say that the Apostle John was in pride - and I can assure you the apostle of love was not a high-minded person.  
• But we looked at Daniel 11:32 which says that it is the people who know their God that will be strong and do great exploits, not just the people who know about their God. We must see His face and become intimately acquainted with Him. Then, and only then, will our confidence level be where it needs to be. Then, and only then, will we become persuaded in Him backing us up and being our shepherd.  Then, and only then, will we say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” (Psalm 91:2) You see, just as it is important to personalize His promises, it is also just as important to then speak them.
• But the good news is that the same confidence that David, Abraham, Moses and Paul had, you and I can have, because under this new and better covenant we all can know Him from the least to the greatest (Hebrews 8:10). Amen!
• So, when we see here in Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is My Shepherd,” what should be our response? We should boldly say, “I will say of the Lord: The Lord is My Shepherd. I shall not lack! He will provide for me! He will take care of me! My enemies are His enemies, and He will deliver me! Amen!”
• Then, last week, we looked further into this first phrase of Psalm 23 by looking at what Jesus had to say about being our Good Shepherd…
• We learned that if Jesus is our Good Shepherd, then that means He does good. Psalm 119:68 says that He is good and He does good. The New Living Translation says it this way- “You are good and do only good…” The reason I hammer this point is because most Christians will say God is good but then they accuse God of doing all these bad things in our lives. No, if He is good, then He does good. Amen?
• We saw a couple of things from John chapter 10 that illustrate His goodness:
  1. Verse 11 says that He is the Good Shepherd because He lays down His life for the sheep. So, we learned that the Lord’s goodness was ultimately illustrated in Him putting Jesus on the Cross for us because there is no greater example than Him laying His life down for us. But we also learned that if God did not spare His Son for us, then how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things (Romans 8:32)? Amen! (We will learn more about that this week)
  2. We also saw in verse 10 that our Shepherd is good because He came to give us life and life more abundantly. I love the way some other translations expound upon this verse: The Amplified Bible says, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” The Message Bible paraphrases this last part of the verse as so: “more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”
• Someone might be thinking, “Yeah, but the Bible teaches that we will suffer too!” Sure, there is suffering involved in the Christian life, but what exactly is that suffering. Well, the New Testament makes it clear that suffering is taking up our Cross and following Him. In short, that means not getting your own way all the time and laying your life down for others. That is suffering. The New Testament also teaches us that we will suffer persecution, rejection and even possibly martyrdom. These are things we are not redeemed from. However, that is as far a biblical suffering goes. Contrary to popular belief - biblical suffering does not include sickness, infirmity, poverty, etc.- for how can we be called to suffer something that Jesus paid the price for our redemption from?  
• We also saw that in John chapter 10, there are some specific promises given to the Good Shepherd’s sheep. In verse 3, Jesus said that His sheep:

1. Hear His voice.
2. Are called by name.
3. Are led by Him.

• First of all, we learned that while it is certainly important to know that the Lord is not just our Shepherd, but that He is my own personal Shepherd, it is also important to know that our Shepherd knows us individually and specifically. So not only can we know His name; He knows our names too! In other words, He knows who I am individually and who you are personally. He knows our names - which is not just knowing that we are Joe, Mary, etc.; it is knowing our personality, character, etc. He knows everything there is to know about us! This is so super important to understand because it, too, creates confidence in God - that He knows who I am, what I need, what I like, etc., etc., etc. He knows me and, therefore, will not leave me hangin’! Amen!
• Secondly, as His sheep, we hear and know His voice. This is such a crucial part to the Lord being our Shepherd because hearing from God and doing what He tells us to do is the key to living the good life. The problem is that, for many believers, they never learn how to hear from Him and then, for others, they don’t do what He tells them to do. We are going to look into this further this week, but this is an important factor to walking in the quality of life that He has for us.
• Finally, as many as are His sheep are led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14)… This is the predominant way that our Good Shepherd guides and directs us - through the leading of His Spirit. We saw how He leads us similarly to how He bears witness with our spirits that we are His sheep - by a simple knowing. (I would encourage you to go back and listen to a series I did back a couple of years ago on this very subject - How to hear from God and be led by the Holy Spirit - because it goes into much more detail than I can here in this series)
• Church, these are the benefits of the Lord being our Jehovah Ra’ah. Therefore, when we say the Lord is my Shepherd, we are also saying, “I hear and know His voice”, “He leads me”, and “He knows me.” 

 
WHEN SHALL I NOT WANT?
 
Now, let’s move on to the second half of Psalm 23:1 where David said, “I shall not want!”
 
So, what he is basically saying here is, “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want!” In other words, the Lord being His Shepherd and him knowing that the Lord is His Shepherd was the factor in him being able to make such a concrete statement like this. We will get more into this at the end of today’s teaching… 
 
Now I encourage you to check your heart on this one truth because, in my experience, there are those out there who, when they hear promises just like this, will give you the “Yeah, but…” In other words, they will give you all the reasons why this is not true all the time. They will give a laundry list of “Yeah, buts…”
 
Church, our experiences do not dictate the truth and validity of God’s Word. Indeed, let God be true and every man (and experience of man) a liar (Romans 3:4)! Our prayer today should be, “Lord, elevate our experiences to match the standard of your truth rather than us watering down your truth to match our experiences.” And everyone said, “Amen!” 
 
You see, when it comes to some “believers,” you would think that Psalm 23:1 said, “Thou shalt not want!” In other words, they don’t believe a Christian ever needs to desire or want things. And while we certainly are forbidden to be covetous, that does not mean that we are in error if we are believing God for His prosperity. These people also like to say things like, “Yeah, but we are all going to struggle at times...” Yet we shall boldly say, “I SHALL NOT WANT!” They say, “Yeah, but what about Job?” Again, I will say of the Lord, “I SHALL NOT WANT!”
 
I encourage you - get on God’s side by lining up your belief system with God’s Word! Dare to believe that His Word is indeed true! This is getting out on the limb where the best fruit is! Amen.
 
Now there is another group out there who believe truths like this that say, “I shall not want,” but automatically attribute these promises to spiritual things. And it is certainly true that we lack nothing and want for nothing with spiritual things. For, He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3) and He has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness and has made us partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). However, notice that this Psalm is not titled, “A psalm of David when he was singing about spiritual things...” In fact, when David wrote this psalm, he wasn’t thinking about Ephesians 1:3 and 2 Peter 1:3&4! No, He was thinking about natural things just as he was not talking about a “spiritual bear” and a “lion demon” when he referred to God delivering Him from these things in 1 Samuel 17:34-36. He was referring to how the Lord, His Shepherd, would never leave him hanging in any area of his life, which included financially.
 
You see, the Jews didn’t believe like much of the church does today that all of God’s promises are referring to spiritual, heavenly things. They actually believed God desires to bless them in this life, and guess what? As a general rule, they are blessed in this life! God’s blessing is upon the Jewish community and they are generally successful people according to the world’s standards.
 
But the church tends to make the mistake of separating these things and only applying God’s promises to eternity, while God cares about the whole man, not just our spirit. In fact, the Lord cares about your body, to where He has made provision for its redemption and glorification in the end. And I got news for you - He cares about your body now too! Yes, He always made sure that the Hebrews temple was sufficiently provided for and, in many cases, was extremely beautified. Therefore, our bodies which are called the temples of the Holy Spirit, are meant to be provided for.   
 
DEFINING “WANT”
 
Now, this word translated “want” here literally means this: “to lack, to be without, to have a need, to diminish or decrease.”
 
So, we can translate this verse- “I shall not lack” … “I shall not be without” … “I shall not have a need” … “I shall not diminish” … or, ”I shall not decrease.” Amen to that!
 
Now it is important for us to recognize why the Lord is against us lacking and wanting for anything. Sure, he wants you to have the desires of your heart and He cares about your own individual needs. However, the biggest reason the Lord wants you to prosper in natural things is so that you can be a blessing to others and that He might establish His covenant on the earth through you.
 
We’ve all heard those people who say, “Well, I’m alright. I don’t need any more.” Well, that’s selfish thinking because they are only worried about having enough for themselves. If you are okay with your current financial condition, praise the Lord! But believe God for all that He has for you so that you can have it to give to others who are in need! Amen?
 
I’m of the persuasion that when we start thinking that way - how we can be a blessing into His kingdom and how we can be used to give more to His cause - then we are positioned to have the seed to do so. But just as the Lord said, “He supplies seed to the sower,” (2 Corinthians 9:10) if we do not have seed to sow, then one possible reason for that might be that God doesn’t see us as a sower. Amen or “oh, me”!
 
A GOD OF INCREASE
 
This word for “want” is used in this latter way in the Book of Genesis to describe how the water “decreased” after the Flood. (It is interesting to note that as the waters of judgment arose the Lord also caused those same waters to lift up the ark. In Genesis 7:17, it says, “The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth”)
 
Did you know that we serve a God who believes in INCREASE? Psalm 115:14-15 says, “May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
 
Now the context of this verse is the blessing that is upon His people. You see, this what the blessing does: it increases people and things - ultimately making that blessed object the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath, etc. The blessing of the Lord always takes us higher, further etc. It always will eventually increase that blessed person or thing!
 
For example, in Isaiah 9:7, the Lord describes to us that His kingdom is an ever-increasing kingdom. Jesus taught us this throughout His parables - that the kingdom of God is growing, increasing and abounding. In 1 Corinthians 3:7, we are told that neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but God who gives the increase. In other words, people are not our source for growth; God is. But so many people fail to understand this. I thank God for men and women who have contributed to my growth, but we must keep a sober opinion that if we are growing, it is God who is giving the increase. Amen?
 
Now somebody might say, “Yeah, but what about John the Baptist? Didn’t he say that he must decrease and Christ must increase?” Sure, he did, but that decrease was a specific part of God’s plan for Jesus’ ministry to gain more influence. On top of that, we should all strive to have Jesus increase in and through our lives: more of Him and less of us. So, we are not talking about increasing just for the sake of having “more for our four and our store.” No, we are talking about increasing for the glory of God and that Jesus might be made known in and through our lives.
 
Another word that we saw for the meaning of this word “want” is “to diminish.”
 
You know, in the world, everything seems to diminish. Our new car will lose that new car smell and new car shine. Our new home will eventually grow old and lose its excitement. Everything seems to diminish. But not in the kingdom; in the kingdom of God, things don’t diminish; they increase.
 
Proverbs 4:18 says, “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” This verse is describing the rising of the sun: As it rises, everything gets brighter and brighter, and then when it gets to a certain point, we have the “perfect day” (i.e. the full light of day). This is to be the life of the righteous and the blessed. Things get brighter and brighter to us - not gloomier and gloomier! Therefore, we ought not say things like, “If I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” Rather, we should say, “Why do I need luck when I am blessed!?! I shall not diminish nor decrease because I am blessed! My path grows brighter and brighter!”  
 
NOT LACKING ANYTHING
 
Now, this same word translated “want” here in Psalm 23:1 was also translated “lack” in other places.
 
For example, it was used this way in Psalm 34:8-10 where David said, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”
 
Notice that in verse 8 he begins by encouraging us to taste and see that the Lord is good. It is important to keep verses 9&10 in this context of the goodness of God because the not lacking here is a product of God being good.
 
Now when he said that there is no want (or lack) to those who fear Him, this fear of the Lord being described here is not the being afraid of God kind of fear. We are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). So, the fear of the Lord is an integral part of not lacking because it is the foundation of wisdom, and wisdom is certainly a big part of not lacking.  
 
When David described the young lions lacking and becoming hungry, he was not referring to baby lions; this is a reference to lions that are in their prime. In other words, even these young lions that are at their peak of strength and can hunt better than at any other point of their lives can go without. They can have days where they don’t catch their prey and eat. What this should teach us is that we need to guard against that subtle deception that if I just have it all together naturally speaking that I will not lack. No, we live in a world - in an economy - that even if you make all the right investments and are the perfect steward of your money, you can still lose everything.
 
This is why we are told in verse 9 that the “fear of the Lord” leads us away from lack. Why? Because respecting God’s way of doing things and trusting Him in this area is what will guard us from experiencing the lack and suffering hunger that even the “young lions” of this world will suffer. Amen? 
 
However, we are told in the latter half of verse 10 that those who seek the Lord - those who put their full confidence and trust in the Lord - will not lack any good thing. Again, we see the word “good.” Not lacking any good thing is a promise from God for all of His children as we put Him first, reverencing and seeking Him first. 
 
This word for “want & lack” is also used in Exodus chapter 16 to describe how when God rained manna down from heaven that everyone had exactly what they needed. The ones who gathered much had nothing left over and the ones who gathered little had no lack (Exodus 16:18). It was also used in Deuteronomy 2:7 & 8:9 to both describe how the children of Israel “lacked nothing” during their 40 years in the wilderness and how the land of promise was a land where they will lack nothing.
 
So, what this teaches us is that there are varying degrees to “I shall not want”: There is the not lacking in the wilderness to where they always had just enough manna and where they were certainly sustained, their clothes not wearing out and their feet not swelling (see Nehemiah 9:21). But mind you now - the wilderness was not where God intended for them to live for those 40 years. In fact, them walking around the same mountain for that long was a result of unbelief, disobedience, etc. However, they still saw the miraculous provision of God and had their basic needs met consistently. Tell me that our God is not a merciful and gracious God!
 
But there is also the not lacking in the promised land which is where there was not just enough provision, but where there was more than enough provision! This is the land of the blessing, where the increase abounds and where God intends for us all to live.
 
You know, if I were to ask you if you wanted to experience either miracles or blessings in your life, which one would you choose? Most Spirit-filled believers would likely vote for miracles, and why? It is because miracles seem more fun and they sound better. But did you know that the majority of the miracles that the children of Israel experienced were while they were in Egypt and the wilderness. In other words, miracles were experienced the most in adverse, unpleasant circumstances. My point is - miracles usually come on the heels of crisis’. So, if you are praying for more miracles in your life, just be prepared to have some alarming situations that require miracles. No, saints, the best place to live is in the blessing because, while miracles bail us out of tough situations, the blessing will prevent tough situations.  
 
Yes, God wants us to live in the blessing of the Promised Land, not the miracles of the Wilderness. Sure, there will be times where we will need miracles and where it seems as though we are in a wilderness, but that is not where we are intended to live. The miracles of the wilderness were not God’s best then, nor are they now. He wants to abide in the blessing of Canaan! Amen!
 
And just because we are looking at mainly Old Testament examples, do not make the mistake of thinking it was different under the New Covenant…
 
Many do. There are lot of people who are under the deception that Jesus was poor and, therefore, wants us poor. But that’s not true. How many poor people do you see having their clothes auctioned off? How many broke people do you see having a treasurer? No, in fact, in Luke 22:35, Jesus asked His disciples, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” Their response was - “Nothing.”
 
So, Jesus’ disciples never lacked! And why? Because the Lord Jesus was their Good Shepherd. Therefore, they did not lack any good thing! Amen!
 
BECAUSE THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
 
And that is a point I want to leave you with today: Us not lacking is always on the heels of Him being our Shepherd! In other words, if the Lord is not truly our Shepherd - that is, if we are not hearing His voice, being led by Him, etc. - then we won’t see the fullness of His provision. Yes, we are responsible to hear and know His voice and also to be led by Him as His sheep, because if we refuse to heed His instructions and follow Him, we are the problem, not God.    
 
Let me give you a few Scriptures that verify this: In Luke chapter 12, Jesus made a promise to ensure His disciples that they never need worry, but that God will always care for them. 
 
In verses 22-30, Jesus exhorts us, His disciples, not to worry about what we should eat or how we will be clothed, etc. He tells us not to have an anxious mind about these things because our Heavenly Father knows what our needs are. Then, in verse 31, He says, “But seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you.”
 
Now Matthew’s account of this says to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness: This is important to bring out because it is not as lucrative for us to seek the kingdom seventh, fifth or even second. No, we are commanded to seek the kingdom and His righteousness first. And as much as most Christians would like to think they are already doing this, I can assure you that most are not seeking first the kingdom of God. Yes, they might seek the kingdom of God to some degree, but the vast majority of Christians do not seek His kingdom first - that is, above their own basic necessities, their own desires, etc.
 
Now, as we’ve made the point of already, God does care about your needs and He wants to give you the desires of your heart, but He has called us to care more about His kingdom’s cause than any other thing. 
 
Now we are still talking about living the good life because how many of you know that experiencing the good life comes by laying our lives down for the greater good of the kingdom. This all needs to be said because experiencing God’s best is greatly determined by seeking first His stuff above our own. Amen?
 
Then Jesus went on to say in verse 32, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
 
Here, Jesus was establishing our hearts in a very important truth - that the reason we do not need to fear or worry about our needs being met is because it is our Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!”
 
So, again, our belief system of understanding the goodness and grace of God is super important in receiving from Him. And this Scripture teaches us that He doesn’t want to give us just enough; he wants to give us His kingdom - the very kingdom that He told us to seek. So, what the Lord was saying here is seek first the kingdom because the kingdom holds all the things that you need and desire anyway.
 
Many miss this because they think seeking the things is how they obtain them; No, Jesus taught us to seek His kingdom and we will obtain them! Why? Because every need and desire are found in His kingdom to start with. Amen!
 
Now a very important point here is how He referred to us as His “little flock.” Little flock of what? Of His sheep, of course! Now a flock of sheep was not a band of pets. You realize that, right? Back then a flock was a business! So, we are God’s business, and God will take care of us! Amen.
 
King David said in Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.” Hallelujah, this means that you can live to a ripe old age, and you will not see the righteous forsaken by the Lord or that righteous person’s children begging for bread!
 
Now someone might be thinking, “I think I have seen this, pastor.” Well, lets define who’s the righteous. It is worthy of noting that verse 26 goes on to say that he is ever merciful and lends; and his descendants are blessed. So, here David is assuming the righteous deeds accompanying the righteous man or woman. But my point is that this person is a GIVER, being ever merciful and lending.
 
You see, this is what makes Philippians 4:19 a reality in our lives…
 
Most of us are familiar with this verse which says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” However, people like to just claim that promise, but many fail to understand the context. What is the first word in that verse? It’s “And,” right? “And” is a conjunction, correct? Well, the premise for God supplying all our need is what? Us seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness based on Matthew 6:33 but also based on this verse because the church of Philippi gave generously to Paul in his need (see Philippians 4:13-18). But when we DO claim this promise and ARE walking in generosity, we are blessed “according to His riches in glory,” which is in proportion to how amazingly rich God is!
 
Saints, we need to live our lives seeking to be a blessing to God’s kingdom with everything - including our finances. And one thing I can assure of is when you do this - you cannot out-give God! He will bless the work of your hands and your seed sown! You shall not lack! And why? Because you have made the Lord your Shepherd! Amen!