Title Beyond Worries
Contents
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters” (Psalm 23:2).
1. Introduction: The structure of Psalm 23 and the thesis of the text
- In verse 1, the poet makes a general confession that God is his shepherd, and then in verses 2 to 5, he talks about why he should live with Jehovah God as his shepherd. What he confesses in verse 2 is that the Lord is the God who supplies, rests, and guides his life.
2. Body: Why God is Our Shepherd
1) Shepherd who supplies: “In green pastures”
- Green pasture is food for sheep. Since pastures are rare in Palestine, the people there live an advantageous life in search of water and pastures. So, when the sheep graze on the pasture, the Good Shepherd climbed up a high tower and thought about where to take the sheep to feed them when the pasture was finished, and searched for a new pasture. David experienced the grace of God to provide for his needs in this way.
- We fail to live up to our callings because of worries and worries about the future. The cause of these concerns and worries is that personal faith toward God does not stand upright. God is the one who will take care of us best in this world, but without faith we can never depend on God.
-People collect material things as the best way to cope with their worries about the future, but only with the grace of God pouring out, we can live a life free from lack with the help of heavenly resources. The way a child of God pleases God is to rely heavily on God. Anxiety and anxiety bring only doubts about God and the corruption and suffering of our love for God, and this is by no means a life of faith with personal submission.
2) Shepherd who gives rest: “Sister”
- Life on this earth is a life without rest, living as if being chased by something. So we miss rest from time to time. To rest means to be relieved from all anxieties, worries, and anxieties. From the day he was anointed, David spent the restless days of his life under the threat of numerous enemies. The place where such a poet felt rest was in the arms of God who personally loved him. When the poet accepted Jehovah God as his shepherd and embraced him, he found rest in it.
- There is no other alternative in faith. All the whispers that we can be happy without living in obedience to Him and loving Him are all the deception of the devil. Our life is like a small boat floating on a wavy sea, and we cannot be free from worry and anxiety. The only way to find rest on the path of life is to personally love God and rely on Him. When we rest in God's grace and at peace with Him, the soul enjoys true rest.
3) The shepherd who leads: “He leads”
- There are times in life when we don't know where our life is going. Even an experienced captain cannot show his skill when the fog is full. How often in our lives do we regret our judgments, even when we seem to know the way of life? So we need God's guidance.
- The deeper our faith, the more we depend on God to make decisions in prayer. And this is what God, the Shepherd, wants of our sheep. We do not know how mysterious God's guidance toward us is. Therefore, the happiest life is a life led by God. However, God does not guide us as we treat animals or slaves, but He wants us to lead us personally as a father does to his children.
- Sometimes we don't know why God makes us go through so many difficult steps in our lives, but if we live by faith, after time passes, we realize the purpose God has led us through. Through trials and tribulations, the poet developed faith to depend completely on God, and the belief that he was nothing without God. It is this kind of absolute dependence that God wants from us.
3. Conclusion: Live in relationship with God the Shepherd - Therefore, the most precious thing is the relationship with God the Shepherd. Has God ever made a mistake in guiding us? He is always faithful. We can find true rest only by relying on God's guidance, and while we live with the Lord as our shepherd, we are not shaken by the storms of tribulation and the waves of trials. This is the faith we need. May we be saints who find rest in what God provides, are led by Him, and live in His love. 2003-12-07