Psalm 23:1-6 How God Empowers Me

Psalm 23:1-6 How God Empowers Me

Psalm 23:1-6 How God Empowers Me is a sermon which shows from Psalm 23 how God can empower you through a personal relationship with Him.

This is a famous psalm that is read at funerals. That is great, but it is also a shame. For this psalm contains an affirmation that God will provide for you during your life. This should comfort us while we are living, not after we are dead.

This psalm is the best-loved single passage in the Old Testament. Untold millions have found comfort here in times of sorrow. The images are serene, pastoral, and timeless. The psalm evokes a mood of meditative security. It ends with a ringing triumph: I will dwell in the house of the Lord / Forever.”1

Psalm 23, which begins “The Lord is my shepherd,” is the most quoted of all the Psalms. Tradition says its author was David, Israel’s king, in his youth as a shepherd boy. It is a beautiful picture of God as protector and guide. It has been read, recited, set to music, and illustrated countless times.2

The psalm is very personal. There is no “we” or “us” or “they,” but only “my” and “me” and “I” and “he” and “you.” It is an overflow of David’s personal experience with God. One of the reasons it has such an attraction for us is that we all hunger for such authentic experience with God, and a personal witness to that experience brings us a step closer ourselves.3

It is a psalm that comforts but at the same time empowers. God uses His to empower or strengthen His people. As we close out a school year season and begin a new summer season, I want to share with you different ways God can empower you.

SIX DIFFERENT WAYS GOD EMPOWERS ME4

PROVISION – I have all that I need.

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.” (Psalm 23:1, HCSB)

God empowers by providing. He gives us all that I need. Is it all that I want? No. Is it is all that desire? No. Is it enough for me to make it through life? Yes. You may say: I feel like I am lacking something. Instead of seeking that somewhere else, you might find the answer in knowing this:

“No good thing will He withhold from them that love Him,” the psalmist declares (Psalm 84:11).

If you feel you’re lacking something, know that it is not good for you at this point. Otherwise, your Shepherd would give it to you.5

For example, Psalm 23 tells us that the Lord is our Shepherd, so we shall not lack. Jesus pointed to the birds and the flowers and noted that if God feeds and clothes them, won’t He do the same for His very own children (Matthew 6:25-33)? In Psalm 37, David tells us that in his long life, he has never seen God fail to meet needs (verse 25). His experience has proved God to be worthy of our trust. He will work things out.6

So you can count on the fact that God will provide.

PEACE – I have rest from a weary journey.

“He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.” (Psalm 23:2, HCSB)

God empowers me by giving me peace. He continues to lead me and His leadership provides peace. This is what a Christian means when we say: “We have peace about this.” God helps us to come to a point where we understand that I don’t have to worry. God is going to take care of it. So I can have peace about it. It doesn’t matter what the situation, God gives us peace along the journey.

God’s guidance is personal. He wants to direct us—strait and plain—safely to our journey’s end. God’s guidance is practical. The Lord is vitally interested in directing us in every area, under all circumstances. God’s guidance is perfect—infallible, reliable, and trustworthy. Divine guidance is patient. He leads His children step by step (Ps. 23:2).7

PROVIDENCE – I have guidance in times of confusion.

“He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3, HCSB)

Have you ever been in a large crowd and a parent is calling for the child. That child knows the parent’s voice – even in a crowded room. You’d be surprised how in tune our ears are when we are in danger or confusion. We are able to know that there is someone we can understand and trust. We know that if we follow Mom or Dad’s voice, it will bring us to safety. We follow for Mom and Dad’s sake because they know the right path, the way home.

Have you ever been in a situation that seemed confusing? Where you looked at the situation and wondered: “How am I going to get through this? I don’t see a clear path.” God empowers you by bringing you along the right path. He leads you for His purposes, because He knows what is good for you.

The reason there is confusion is because there is so much noise drowning out God’s voice in our lives. We have the smart phone texting and beeping, we have the music going, we have the social media flashing quotes, funny cat videos and pictures at us, television, and so many other things that can distract us. So we have a hard time distinguishing what God wants because there is so much noise in our world. There is more noise now than there has ever been. So many voices competing for our attention. They tell us the direction they want to take us, even though they may not have our best interests at heart. Not so with God. “His Name’s sake” because that He knows what is good for you.

PRESENCE – I have a companion when the way is lonely.

“Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff —they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4, HCSB)

The rod was a heavy club the shepherd used to kill predators, and the staff, a long pole with a crook in one end, used to round-up the sheep and to guide them along8

It is important to notice the change in personal pronoun as David reflects on his shepherd. In verses 2 and 3, David speaks about his shepherd (notice the fourfold use of ‘he’). But when he comes to the valley of death, David drops the ‘he’ in favor of ‘you’ and ‘your’. He was able to look upon the prospect of death with peace and tranquillity because he knew that it would mean meeting his glorious shepherd face to face.

If we would have the same peace about death as David, we must have the same shepherd. We must always keep in mind as we deal with this psalm that it is all predicated upon the opening line: ‘The Lord is my shepherd’.9

John Piper is quoted as saying:

We are more prone to talk about God when we are in the green pasture and more prone to cry out to God when we enter some fearful ravine.10

PROTECTION – I have safety from my enemies.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5, HCSB)

This is one of the hardest times to sense that God is there to empower us. He is there even in the presence of my enemies. God empowers by protecting.

PARADISE – I have a home awaiting for me in heaven.

“Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.” (Psalm 23:6, HCSB)

In Psalm 23 we learned that God will be our shepherd in the midst of crises. He will accompany us through the valley of the shadow of death. God will protect us when life’s uncertainties and difficulties surround us.

Jesus desires that you experience what he can do as your Good Shepherd (see John 10:1–18). He wants to lead you, guide you, and protect you. He will give you direction, accompany you through life’s transitions, and comfort you during life’s hard knocks. As sheep know their shepherd’s voice and he knows their every need, so Jesus wants to be recognized by us as the one who knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows how we feel and what we’re going through. He is instantly available to lift us if we’ve fallen. He remains close, even during those times when the darkness consumes our soul. He is a faithful provider who promises to meet our needs and even commands us to trust him for our daily bread. For a sheep, nothing conveys greater comfort than to hear the Good Shepherd say, “I am with you always.”11