I Lack Nothing

OK, so last week, Pastor Milton introduced the Psalms and he set the bar really high. It's a tough act to follow, and so I will attempt to follow the act, but in that message, we were encouraged to cherish the Psalms. And so today, we're gonna take a look at Psalm 23. Now, I know that you are familiar with the Psalm.

It is referred to at funerals and you may recall Psalm 23 being read during the memorial service of a loved one. A couple of days ago, Pastor Milton read Psalm 23 during Marlene Brugge's memorial service. President Bush recited part of the Psalm when he addressed the nation on September 11, 2001. We have watched funeral scenes from movies or television shows in which we hear the minister saying, The Lord is my shepherd.

Believers and non-believers alike are able to quote from this Psalm. Last Sunday, one of our care groups together quoted the entire Psalm from memory. And so today, we're gonna invest our time meditating on this familiar psalm. I want to ask you to turn in your Bible then to Psalm 23 and before diving into the Psalm, there are a few points that I think bear mention.

Psalm 23 is structured around two metaphors. In verses 1 through 4, the Lord is a shepherd, and in verses 5 through 6, we see the Lord as our host. The psalm begins with tranquility, progresses toward trial. And it ends in triumph.

Tranquility is experienced in lush, soft green pastures and alongside still waters as one's soul is being restored. Trials surface as the psalmist describes, walking through the valley of the shadow of death. And triumph marks the later portion of the Psalm where David confidently declares that God's goodness and loving kindness will follow him all of the days of his life and beyond the grave when he will find himself dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. Tranquility, trials, and ultimate triumph.

In this Psalm, we encountered truths about God that sustain us throughout everything that life in a fallen world has to offer. This psalm reminds us that what we say about God should result in conversation with God. Theology that does not impact our relationship with God is deficient theology. It is good for us to speak truth about God, but speaking truth about God should always result in speaking directly to God.

The Psalm underscores the value of trials. The Lord ordains trials in our lives so that we might cling to him and as a result, learn about him. The psalmist knew what it was like to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and yet such valleys do not undermine the comforting truths about God that are revealed in Psalm 23. Perhaps you are here this morning and your burdens seem too big to bear.

You struggle to make sense out of life. You feel alone, and it seems like no one cares. You are struggling with sinful thoughts, desires, words, or deeds, and you think that you can never change. You feel hopeless.

Maybe you are here this morning and you simply feel tired. You are exhausted. And worn out. You are running on the treadmill of life and it feels like you are getting nowhere.

You feel burnt out. Perhaps recent news is not what you wanted to hear. The biopsy has come back positive, and now you are engaged in a battle for your life. It could be that a loved one has passed away and the grief feels unbearable.

Whatever your burden, the psalmist can relate. It is likely that David composed Psalm 23 from the perspective of one who has faced the ups and downs that life has to offer. He knows what it is like to feel alone. He has faced his fair share of enemies.

He has witnessed death. He understands what it is like to bury a loved one. He has struggled with his own depravity. And he has faced the consequences of poor decisions that he has made.

His journey through life qualifies him to speak to you and to me this morning, and today he reminds us through Psalm 23 that we as believers lack nothing. There is nothing that we need, that we do not have. The shepherd of our souls gives to us everything that we need that is spiritually good for us. The psalmist would want for us to join with him in the declaration, I shall not want.

Another translation of this phrase is, I lack nothing. And so our message this morning is entitled I lack nothing We will consider 10 reasons why the believer can say, I lack nothing. Reason number 1, the Lord shepherds His people. If ever a Psalm could stand on a single verse, it is Psalm 23, and the line upon which it could stand is verse 1.

It reads, The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want, and the rest of the Psalm hinges upon this particular verse. The Old Testament contains dozens of names for God, but in our passage today, the psalmist refers to God as Yahweh Rohi. The Lord, our shepherd, an entire sermon can be crafted around this name for God.

Time does not allow. But understand that David in describing the Lord as shepherd draws from the experience of many years. The Lord puts us in life situations that assist our understanding of God. David had been a shepherd when he was a boy, and here many years later under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he describes the Lord as his shepherd.

But the Lord is not any shepherd. David says, the Lord is my shepherd. The use of the first person possessive pronoun my underscores intimate relationship. David understands that the shepherd cares for and is always watching out for his sheep.

The shepherd knows the needs of his sheep and he takes action to meet such needs. David understands also how dependent upon the shepherd the sheep are. Sheep are dumb Directionless And defenseless, the shepherd knows this and as a result is extra vigilant in his watchfulness. There is a special bond between the shepherd and his sheep, especially as the sheep are trained to respond to his loving care.

The reference to God as a shepherd is a theme throughout the entire Old Testament. When Israel blessed his son Joseph, he refers to the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, Genesis 48:15. Isaiah declares to the nation of Israel that a day is coming in which, quote, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for him. Behold, his reward is with Him and his recompense before him like a shepherd.

He will tend his flock in his arm. He will gather the lambs and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead the nursing ewes. In Ezekiel 34:11 to 16, God declares, behold, I myself will search for my sheep, and I will seek them out.

As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for my sheep. I will deliver them from all of the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day, and I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own lands, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel by the streams and in all the inhabited places of. The land. I will feed them in good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel.

There they will lie down in good grazing ground, and they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will lead them to rest, declares the Lord. I will seek the lost. I will bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and I will strengthen the sick.

The reference to Jesus as a shepherd also comes to us through the New Testament. In John 10:11, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd, and he goes on to say, the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. John 10:14, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me. This communicates intimate relationship.

In 1 Peter 2:25, Peter proclaims, That you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. First Peter 5:4 says that when the chief shepherd appears, this is Christ, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. In Revelation 7:16, the writer speaks specifically about those coming out of the great tribulation who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and the writer declares, they shall hunger no more.

Neither thirst any more.

Neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any heat, for the lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd and shall guide them to springs of the water of life, and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes. David's assertion that the Lord is his shepherd is foundational to his next statement. I shall not want. This is not to say that David has no wants or desires, but all that his soul truly longs for is the Lord Himself.

And because he sees the Lord as his shepherd, it follows that he is satisfied. David knows that all of his spiritual needs, all of what is good for his soul's well-being is provided for him by the shepherd of his soul. David is so abundantly satisfied by his shepherd, who knows how to meet every legitimate need that he concludes that he has no want. David was doing well when he composed this Psalm, but we know that there were times when David struggled.

We see, for example, in Psalm 73 2 through 12, where David spends considerable time focusing on the prosperity of the wicked. In verse 12, he declares, behold, these are the wicked and always at ease. They have increased in wealth, and he says, surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence, for I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning. And then beginning in verse 16, he says, when I pondered to understand this, When I pondered to understand how it is that it seems that the wicked prosper, he said, It was troublesome in my sight.

It was a source of grief. It bothered him. And he says to himself, It was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God. Then I perceived their end.

Psalm 73 begins with David being a man of many wants. It is not until David comes into the sanctuary of God and beholds the shepherd that his soul finds contentment. Later in Psalm 73:25, David declares that when he is with God, I desire nothing on earth. The Lord is my shepherd.

And I shall not want. In Psalm 23, David declares that he lacks nothing, and this is because he is finding satisfaction in the one who is the shepherd of his soul. Often we seek fulfillment in the wrong places. For example, we seek fulfillment in other people.

A woman looks to her husband to be the source of her satisfaction. She expects her husband to be only what the Lord is able to be, and when he fails, and he will, she is left sorely disappointed. In failing to find her contentment in the Lord, she is unable to say, I shall not want. A young man seeks fulfillment in what others think about him.

He wants badly for others to think well of him. He tries so hard to be cool in front of his peers. He wants to be popular and as long as he seeks such fulfillment in others, he will inevitably be disappointed. Such a person cannot say, the Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want. What David has learned is that the ultimate source of his soul satisfaction is the Lord, who is his shepherd. Well, let's continue with the 2nd reason we can say, I have no lack. Number 2, the Lord gives me rest.

It says that he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters, and take note of the Lord's initiation of these activities. The Lord makes me, the Lord leads me. You get a clear sense of the Lord's involvement.

It is the Lord who knows where the green grass is, it is the Lord who knows where the still waters are, and it is the Lord who takes me to such places. The imagery that comes to David's mind is likely rooted in his youth. When as a shepherd boy, he, he, he kept such careful watch over the sheep, his sheep. You recall when the prophet came looking for a king to replace Saul, David's father said he was in the field tending the sheep.

It is the Lord who makes me to lie down in green pastures. David describes himself here as comfortably laying upon a thick bed of lush, soft green grass stretched out. It is insightful to know that sheep do not lie down easily. Philip Keller in his book A Shepherd's Look at Psalm 23 says, it is almost impossible for sheep to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met.

Because of their timidity, they are reluctant to lie down unless they are free from all fear. Because of the social behavior within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free from these pests can sheep relax.

Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger. Only when free from fear, friction, flies, and famine. Our sheep contented to lie down, and only the shepherd can provide the trust, peace, deliverance, and pasture that is needed to free the sheep from them.

It is the Lord who leads me beside the still waters, says the psalmist. Sheep experience thirst and need water for survival. But the very water that they need can be a source of danger. Rushing water, for example, can sweep the sheep off of his feet, resulting in death.

Sheep are reluctant to drink from anything other than still water. Sheep are dependent upon the shepherd to lead them to that still water. It may be but 50 ft away from them, and they will still fail to find the water. We have pictured for us a scene here of absolute peace and tranquility.

David declares that the shepherd of his soul has brought him to such a place. He proclaims that his experience of the peace and rest of green pastures and still waters is rooted in the Lord's work in his life. In the New Testament, we hear the Lord declaring, come to me all who are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The writer of Hebrews says that we have, we who have believed, have entered into rest.

For those of us who have come to faith in Christ, we have rest. By God's doing, we have been made to lie down in green pastures and have been led beside the still waters. And so let us turn to the next reason that we can say that I have no lack. Reason number 3, the Lord restores me.

The Psalmist says, he restores my soul. The word restore can mean brings me to repentance. David affirms that the Lord is the one who brings him Into repentance. An example of this can be found when the Lord confronted David through Nathan the prophet.

You may recall the story. David sees a beautiful woman from a distance and he ends up committing adultery with her. He follows up by having her husband killed. Much time passes before Nathan the prophet confronts David.

Nathan tells a story about a rich man with many lambs who stole from a poor man his only lamb. David's anger burned within him because of the injustice, and David declares that such a man should be killed. It was then that Nathan said to David, you are the man. Nathan goes on to speak sternly regarding the seriousness of David's sin.

David was told he would suffer much and that the sword would not depart from his house. David responded by confessing. I have sinned. Against the Lord.

And then Nathan affirmed that David would be forgiven. We can read about David's repentance in Psalm 51 and in verses 12 to 13 in that Psalm, he declares to God, he says to God, he prays to God, restore to me the joy of thy salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then, I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will be converted to thee. Some commentators see Psalm 32 as a fulfillment of David's promise here.

Whether that is true or not, Psalm 32 without question is written on the other side of David's experience of a restoration in his life. Listen to what David says in Psalm 32, beginning in verse 1. How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered, how blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. He goes on to say in verse 3, when I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.

For day and night, thy hand was heavy upon me. This is grace. My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Sela, ponder, meditate.

And then in verse 5, he says, I acknowledged my sin to thee. And my iniquity, I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord. And thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.

Sela Meditate, ponder. You see, he is able to begin by saying how blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven because he was on the receiving end of such a restoration, and what a blessed thought for us as God's people to know that the Lord restores. Perhaps you are here this morning and you are weighed down with the guilt and burden of your sin. You look back and that you have failed.

You are struggling with guilt and discouragement. Listen carefully to David's words. He restores my soul. Let's turn to the next reason that we can say, I lack nothing.

Reason number 4, the Lord guides me. The psalmist says he guides me in the paths of righteousness. The word guide carries the idea of leading and directing. He leads me, he directs me.

The Septuagint uses the Greek word that can be translated teach. He teaches us, and in his teaching, he's determined to lead us along the paths of righteousness. We know that God guide. guides his people through his written word, and we can refer to Psalm 19, for example, we listen to what David says regarding God's word, the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.

The judgment. of the Lord are true. They are altogether righteous. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them, thy servant is warned in keeping them. There is great reward. All 176 verses in Psalm 119 highlight the centrality of God's word for spiritual growth. In verses 9 to 11 in that Psalm, David says, how can a young man keep his way pure?

And his answer to the question is, by keeping it according to thy word. With all of my heart, I have sought thee. Do not let me wander from thy commandments. Thy word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee.

David's commitment to God's word is a critical component of God's guidance in his life. The Lord's guidance involves the goal of spiritual growth. He guides his sheep into paths of righteousness. Such paths may include difficult terrain through which our faith is tested.

Yet God's overarching goal in our lives is the impartation of his righteousness in us. He wants for us to grow in our sanctification and to manifest the fruit of righteousness. Why does the Lord do these things? Why does he make me to lie down in green pastures, lead me beside still waters, and guide me into paths of righteousness?

The psalmist has an answer. And he says, for your name's sake. He restores his sheep for the sake of his own name. He is committed to and concerned for his own glory through all who belong to him.

The great shepherd will not fail his own sheep, otherwise, he would cease to be great and the honor of his name would come into question. As we fast forward into the New Testament, the Lord's commitment to his own is demonstrated at the cross of Calvary, where our shepherd laid down his life for his sheep. He took upon himself all of the wrath for sin that you and I deserve. There is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Our salvation through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has been made secure, and the Lord has done this so that we would live to the praise of His glory. As we move forward, the careful observer will note a shift. From talking about the Lord to talking directly to the Lord. With such a shift in mind, let's turn to the next thing that the Lord does.

Number 5, the Lord protects me. He protects me. In verse 4, we read that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

We have no promise from the shepherd that we will not face trials. The shepherd would often direct his sheep through rough and rugged terrain in search for green pastures and still waters. The threat of danger was very real. The sheep could fall off a cliff's edge, be swept away by strong currents, experience separation from the rest of the flock.

They could fall prey to the elements or wild animals hungering for a meal. But the shepherd sees to it that his sheep are accounted for. He protects his sheep, and he will bring them to the place of green pastures and still waters. He will leave the 99, and he will go after the one because of his love for his sheep.

Likewise, the shepherd of our souls may direct us through trials and seasons of difficulty. He may take us through rough terrain because he knows that on the other side of the journey, we will find what we need. When we find ourselves walking through the valley of the shadow of death, we can echo David's words, I fear no evil, for thou art with me. What a comfort to know that in the darkest of times, we are never alone.

We may at times feel alone, but we walk by faith and not by sight. We know based upon the authority of God's word that we are never alone. David affirms this elsewhere in Psalm 139 7 through 10, where he says, Where can I go from thy spirit or where can I flee from thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, thou art there.

If I make my bed and she, oh, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell on the remotest part of the sea, even there thy hand will lead me, and thy right hand will lay hold of me, my friend. Rest assured, when dealing with dark days, speak the words of the psalmist, thou art with me. When your great shepherd hung on the cross for you, he experienced separation.

He cried out the first verse of Psalm 22, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? We know the answer to his question, as he bore our sins on his back, and as he died in our place, God the Father turned his back on him. Jesus experienced a separation that you and I never will. The Bible declares that there is nothing that can separate us who are his sheep from the love of Christ.

Therefore, we need not fear, for the Lord is with us, and he will never leave us. I affirm to you this morning that we do not lack. Well, let us move to number 6, the Lord feeds me. The Lord feeds me.

during the summer, a number of folks from my care group celebrated Olivia's birthday by going to a Lebanese restaurant in Alhambra named Wahib's. I like to say that word Wahibs. If I have my facts straight, and listen to this, we began eating at 6:30 p.m. Not AM PM.

From that time until 10, we were greeted with an onslaught of food that would, I guarantee you, stagger your imagination. I'm still staggered as I think about it. I lost count of the number of courses that came our way. I remember declaring several times to the people at the table, save room for the main course.

Make sure that you don't eat too much. You want to save room for the main meal. Be careful, the main course is coming, and I said this about 7 or 8 different times. Every course filled the entire table, and the tables needed to be cleared after each course in order to make room for the next tsunami of food to sweep across the table.

By 9 o'clock, my family alone had 4 large boxes of food filled with leftovers. I'm talking large boxes, not this large, but legitimate big size boxes filled with food, filled with leftovers, and then came the main course, followed with coffee. And dessert, baklava. The owners of Wahib's prepared a feast for us.

And I want to tell you. That even though such a feast was a sight for sore eyes, that feast that Wahib's prepared pales in comparison to the feast that our host, the Lord Jesus Christ, has prepared for us. The psalmist declares, Thou dost prepare a table before me. You get a sense that the Lord desires to dine with us.

It pleasures him to dine with us. Relationship and fellowship and intimacy and hanging out with us at the table of fellowship is something. that he wants. In Revelation 3:20, the Lord stands outside of a lukewarm church, and he declares, behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and I will dine with him, and he with me. You see, the Lord is our host who is pleasured to welcome us into his home where we can sit and dine with him. I have no want. But what are we to make of the following phrase in the presence of my enemies?

Being surrounded by enemies cannot rob us of our fellowship with God. We are able to dine with Jesus at the table of fellowship, even if surrounded by our enemies. And I submit to you that God is actually pleased to feed our souls lavishly in the presence of enemies. They are no threat to God's ability to nourish and sustain us.

In fact, God is pleased for our enemies to observe our feasting. Such feasting glorifies the Lord and may even provoke such enemies to jealousy. You recall the church's first martyr, Stephen. Stephen showed no fear and in fact was feasting on the Lord when being stoned to death by his enemies.

One such enemy was a man named Saul. There is little doubt that Stephen's martyrdom made an impact on Saul. Saul never forgot Stephen. Saul would go on to become Paul, perhaps the greatest church planter of all time and the author of 13 of the 27 New Testament books.

We can therefore say, I lack nothing. Because even when surrounded by enemies, our heavenly host feeds us. And when our enemies see that we are feasting, they may find themselves desiring the God. That we worship.

Well, let us now turn to reason 7 that we can say, I lack nothing. Number 7, the Lord anoints me. The psalmist says, thou hast anointed my head with oil. David could have in mind here the occasion when he was anointed as king.

A parallel passage might be Psalm 89:20. I have found David, my servant. With my holy oil, I have anointed him. We know from 1 Samuel 16 that the prophet Samuel anointed David as king, and David could have that in mind.

Without question, being anointed as king would have been quite an honor mixed with fear and joy. What a responsibility. What a privilege. It is both a fearful and joyful thing to be granted such a high position.

We also know that oil is associated with joy. Psalm 45:7 makes reference to the oil of joy. And so David could have in mind here, the idea that the Lord to him is a cause for joy. Another possibility fits the theme of the Lord being a host, being our host.

As a host, the Lord is graciously anointing David's head as a way of expressing hospitality. The Lord is pleased to welcome David to a feast, where he pours the oil of joy over his head, and he proceeds to fill his cup. What a blessing to know that as our host, the Lord sees fit to anoint our heads with oil. He is extravagant in his desire to welcome us into his home.

And without question, it is his desire that we experience the joy of Him being our gracious host. Let's now consider the 8th reason that we can say, I lack nothing. Reason number 8, the Lord fills my cup. The psalmist says, my cup overflows.

As if it is not enough that our host prepares a lavish feast and pours forth anointing oil over our heads, he goes one step further. He fills our cup to overflowing. We have more than enough to quench our thirst. Our heavenly host is not content to give us a few drops, though that would be good enough.

Instead, he gives us an abundance. He fills our cups so that they overflow. Our cups cannot contain the abundance of blessing that he desires to pour into our lives. The psalmist acknowledges that the Lord is a generous host.

He feeds us, he anoints us, he fills our cup to overflowing. We have been given so much. The psalmist is overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord. He believes he has been given so much, and yet there is a sense in which you and I have been given so much more.

We, unlike the psalmists, are able to look back through the lens of the New Testament and realize that we have so much more reason to rejoice. We look back and we behold our Lord crucified on a cross for our sin. We see Jesus breathing his last and then giving up the ghost. We observed his lifeless body buried.

In a tomb And we behold him. For 3 days. Until his lifeless body miraculous miraculously springs to life. We see that Jesus is raised bodily from the dead, and we stand amazed in the presence of Jesus, the Nazarene.

The apostle Paul talks about the unfathomable riches of Christ, unfathomable. I can't comprehend all of what the Lord has given to me. The riches are unfathomable. Indeed, brothers and sisters, our cups are filled with overflowing.

And as David ponders the truths revealed thus far in Psalm 23, he is flooded with confidence. His trust in the Lord is reaching a crescendo, and we see this as we consider the 9th reason why we can say, I lack nothing. Number 9, the Lord never leaves me. Verse 6 says, surely, surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all of the days of my life.

David begins with the word surely. And this indicates that what he is about to say is certain. David reflects upon the course of his life and has come to the conclusion that Tove and Hesid will follow him all of the days of his life. Hesid is difficult to translate because it stands for a cluster of ideas, love, mercy, grace, kindness, It wraps up in itself all of the positive attributes of God.

Hesid is one of the Lord's most treasured characteristics. Hesid is a quality that moves someone to act for the benefit of someone else without considering what's in it for me. In saying that goodness and loving kindness will follow me all of the days of my life, David, in essence is affirming that the Lord will be with him wherever he goes. And he is saying that the Lord will relate to him out of the overflow of his goodness and his loving kindness.

David is confident that as he looks into the future, all will be well with him, and he knows that the Lord will remain with him to the very end, even when he takes his last breath and all the way into eternity. And this brings us to the 10th reason that we as God's people can say, I lack nothing. Reason number 10, the Lord welcomes me into his eternal home. The Lord welcomes me into his eternal home.

David concludes on the highest note imaginable. He proclaims, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. David's confidence cannot be shaken, even in dark valleys, even when near death, even when surrounded by enemies. He has already stated, I shall not want, I shall not fear, thou art with me.

He exudes confidence. He looks to the future and he smiles, and he embraces the fact that he will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. In John 14:1, Jesus says, let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. The Lord is preparing a place for all those who believe in Him, and the day will come when we graduate into eternity.

We will be forever with Jesus. We will behold our Savior face to face. The shepherd of our souls will one day embrace us, even as the Father embraced the prodigal and hosted a banquet upon his return home. We will be made perfect.

It will be impossible anymore for us to sin. We will love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and might. Look around You are surrounded. By those for whom the shepherd laid down his life.

And as you look at your fellow saints, you can know with certainty that the day will come when they will be glorious in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene. Brothers and sisters, I do not know what difficulties some of you may be facing. I would never want to make light of the fact that some of you are going through tough times, but as you journey through dark days, you can say to yourself, I lack nothing. The Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want. I love the attitude of the psalmist, an attitude born out of his understanding that the Lord is his shepherd and host. It is an attitude that understands much of what the Lord does for him. It is an attitude that declares, I lack nothing.

I will not fear. And I would like to end this morning with an illustration of such an attitude. A few years back while counseling, I was interrupted by a phone call. My wife had called me from the hospital and she was weeping.

Her dad had been told by the team of doctors that he would be receiving a liver transplant. This had been confirmed several times. My wife and my son, Andrew were visiting Tom in the hospital when she called me immediately after when the doctors came to talk to Tom. They recommended that my son Andrew step out of the room.

They then told Tom that they had changed their mind. He would not be receiving a liver. It was immediately after that Marcy phoned me with this heartbreaking news. As my wife later explained it to me, Tom respectfully asked each doctor if they were in agreement with the decision.

Their decision was unanimous. They had changed their mind. And then Tom kindly asked the doctors to leave. He said, I need to speak with my grandson.

When Andrew entered the room, Tom courageously said, Andrew, The Lord has decided. I will not be receiving. A liver. Papa will be going away.

To see Jesus soon. One week later, Papa Tom went on to be with the Lord. I recall my wife's words when she reflected back on the day the doctors entered her dad's room. She said about her dad, He was so brave.

I submit to you this morning that such courage is rooted in the fact that the Lord is our shepherd and he is our host who is with us during the course of life and who will welcome us into our eternal home. Will you pray with me, please? And as the ushers come forward to take up the offering, Our Lord, we just thank you so much for this precious song. Whether comfort.

Whether joy, whether the treasure. How you, Lord. To give to the church this song. How you, Lord, to work your grace in the life of David.

That David at some point in his life would, would pen the words to this song. Lord, we have been instructed by it, and I pray, Lord, that as a people we would be those who could say, The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. And he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.

Thy rod and thy staff, they protect me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, and my cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all of the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.