Psalm 23:4-6 — Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever.

Have you ever felt afraid? So afraid you feared for your life?

On several occasions I have felt fear, an airplane ride when I was a teenager that turned into a very turbulent ride due to a thunderstorm. Another occasion when I was at Martha's Vineyard with my family and the boat that we had to take back to the mainland was caught in a storm and the captain had to stop the boat and turn it into a wave in the hopes it wouldn't capsize. Hmmm, I guess I've had a few issues with storms. Happily, both of these incidents were nothing more than fear that I had in myself, in both cases the pilot and captain knew how to handle the situation. Thankfully I also had God on my side and I'm sure he was with the navigators of the plane and the boat. We all have stress that weighs on us. People that take away our feeling of security, Illnesses that scare us.

As Christ followers we all have this assurance- in every crisis, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” When our vision is blurry, our thinking foggy, and we have trouble looking up and seeing Him clearly, His presence is always with us.

Psalm 23:4-6 gives the promise that Jesus; provides protection for His Flock. Jesus is our Good shepherd and we are the sheep of his pasture.

Jesus takes away fear.

Verse 4 - Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

1. Many people fear death because they have no hope of life after death. Death's a taboo in our society; but let's think about it and work out a strategy. It's the most important thing we all face and it's kind of unavoidable. If you want to live well you must surely want to die well.”

Many people in America have a vague and fuzzy hope in some kind of life after death. Many see life as meaningless like the Greek Philosopher, Socrates. He drank poison hemlock and lay down to die. His friends asked him, “Shall we live again?” The dying philosopher could only reply, “I hope so, but no man can know.”

Jesus promised that even during the time of death he is with us. We can know beyond any shadow of doubt that those who put their faith in Jesus Christ go immediately after death into the presence of Jesus. There are no stopovers; it's a direct flight. Just as Jesus said to the repentant thief on the cross: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise,” so he promises to all who live and follow Him. (Luke 23:43)

When a person lives in fear of death without hope death is a tragedy.

God so created humankind to have a longing in their heart for life after death. Jesus said in John 14:3 “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.”

God has placed a homing instinct in every human heart. Salmon have a homing instinct to return every year to spawn in the rivers of their birth. Swallows return to the mission at San Juan Capistrano every year.

As Christians we have a homing instinct. We have eternity in our hearts. “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

To face the reality of death is to begin to enjoy life. Sometime take some time to write your funeral eulogy and epitaph. What would you want your epitaph to read?

• She loved God and loved people
• He consistently shot par
• He loved the Church
• She had a PhD
• He drove a BMW
• She represented Jesus in India
• He was an encourager
• He stood tall for Jesus

For what it's worth here is the epitaph I would like to be remembered by: Pam cared about people, the church, the church family and Jesus.

Jesus promises to deliver us from the fears of life.

Jesus tells us how to face the fears we face in life. John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Ann Landers was an advice columnist, she reportedly received 10,000 letters a month from people. She said the number one problem that people have boils down to anxiety. People worried about losing loved ones, money and health. Ann said, “People are afraid of life itself”. This could be described as “anxiety of the heart:. That is what we find to be the number one problem today, anxiety of the heart.

Whatever fears you face you have the promise that Jesus is with you and will not allow you to suffer beyond what you can bear.

As you face a new day you can sing: “If Jesus goes with me I'll go anywhere. It is heaven to me, Wherever I may be, If He is there? I count it a privilege here His cross to bear; If Jesus goes with me I'll go anywhere.”

A 1st grader stood in front of his classroom to make a speech about “What I want to be when I grow up.” He said, “I'm going to be a lion tamer and have lots of fierce lions. I'll walk into the cage and they will roar. He paused for a moment, thinking through what he had just said and then added, “But of course, I'll have my mommy with me.”

Jesus has promised to never leave you or forsake you. The Apostle Paul gives this reassuring word in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus promises to Provide Protection and Comfort

Psalm 23:4b “Your rod and staff they comfort me.”

The Shepherd's Staff served as both a rod and staff. The staff was used as a club to beat off animals and guide the sheep to safety. The Staff also had a crook at one end to reach down in a gully and grab hold of a sheep and pull the sheep to safety.

The rod is like God's Word. The prophet Jeremiah said God's Word was like a “hammer.” Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” The Hebrew writer referred to God's Word as a “doubled edged sword.” “For the word of God is living and active. Shaper than any doubled-edged sword, it penetrates even to diving soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

The Crook of the staff represents the comfort the Holy Spirit gives. The Holy Spirit is called the “Comforter.” Jesus said in John 14:16-17, “I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor/Comforter to be with you forever — The Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

In times of fear you have nowhere to turn; you turn to the Lord Jesus. He is there and you have the Holy Spirit comforting you and despite danger you have an inner peace, “All is well with your soul.”

II. Jesus is for you in every crisis of life.

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

The Shepherd leads his sheep to a “table” a high plateau, flat area like a Mesa, a feast of green grass for sheep.

Even when surrounded by enemies Jesus is present and gives us protection. Jesus has defeated our enemy number one, Satan. Satan may tempt us, but he no longer has a hold on us. In Jesus we are overcomers.

When adversity hits you, the Lord gives His help and blessing and reassurance that He is still with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Out of adversity and crisis your life overflows with God's love. As you keep your eyes on Jesus the enemies that surround you grow strangely dim and weak.

Paul told the Christians in Philippi to rejoice. Remember that Paul wrote this letter from prison on death row. Here was Paul waiting to find out if he will be sentenced to death or if he would be let go. He had all this to deal with, but he told the believers to rejoice, have joy in your life. How could there be joy in this kind of situation? Because true joy in Christ is not connected to circumstances. To have joy it does not matter if you are going through difficult times. We can still experience true joy in Jesus Christ even in the midst of very difficult and trying times. Paul calls the church of the first century, who faced all kinds of difficulties, to joy.

The anointing with oil is symbolic of the Lord's healing in our life. When the anointing oil of the Lord is applied proud and arrogant hearts become humble and broken.

During summer months insects and parasites buzz around the sheep's head, attempting to deposit their eggs on the damp, mucous membranes of the sheep's nose. When they are successful the eggs hatch and small worm-like larvae work their way up the sheep's nose and into the sheep's head causing intense irritation and severe inflammation.

At the first time of fly season the Shepherd will apply a compound of linseed oil, sulfur and tar to the Sheep's head and nose as a protection against the flies. When the oil takes effect the sheep quiet down and are no longer bothered by the flies.

The little flies and insects represent the many ways little things in your life build up until they become overwhelming. The little agitations bug you and keep you from a good night of rest, it is like an abscessed tooth, it is so painful that you can't wait to get a root canal to take care of the pain.

Only when you face the tormenting bugs head on and name them one by one and take them to Jesus for his healing oil do you overflow with the joy of the Lord and the blessings of God. God wants us to apply His Word to our life and take action. He wants us to be doers of the Word and not just hearers.

The Apostle Paul faced all kinds of hardships in his short life:

• In prison many times,
• Beaten severely with ships and rods,
• Exposed to death time and time again,
• Stoned with rocks,
• Shipwrecked and spent day and night on a ship out of control,
• In danger from both Jew and Gentile,
• Often went without sleep, food and water,
• Everyday Paul lived with his life in danger.

Yet with all his hardships the theme of Paul's writing was “Joy.” Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again, Rejoice.”

A modern translation of Psalm 23 might go something like this:

The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.

He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me. He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining. He reminds me that HE, not my job, is my source. He restores my sanity every day and guides my decisions that I might honor Him in all that I do.

Even though I face an absurd amount of e-mails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I still will not stop - for He is with me! His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.

He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.

His faithfulness and love are better than any bonus check.

His retirement plan beats every 401k there is! When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I bless His name!

III. Jesus promises both abundant and eternal life.

Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (NIV)

Jesus said He came to give us abundant life here and now and not later. In John 10 Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.” “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 KJV)

We live life to the fullest when we have the assurance of eternal life and hope of heaven. In the Old Testament Job suffered much unjust pain and emotional suffering. Yet in Job 19:25-27 he says: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes — I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me?”

When you are prepared to die only then are you prepared to live a life to the full.

#Alfred Nobel's brother died in Sweden many years ago. When Alfred read the newspaper, he discovered that his own obituary had been printed instead of his brother's. He was greatly shocked. Imagine reading your own obituary in the newspaper one day. I'm sure you'd be glad you were reading it rather than the other option.

Much of the obituary had to do with his work with dynamite for which the Nobel's had received fame and fortune. Alfred realized that his life had been dedicated to something, which destroys. He determined from that point on to live the rest of his life contributing to peace. You have heard of the Nobel Peace Prize. It started with the printing of a wrong obituary in the paper.

The Gospel of John 14:1-3 gives this reassuring word: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

The Good Shepherd has promised to guide you through this life and give you a new body at death that will be changed in an instant you are given immortality.

Today do you know the Shepherd? Do you believe He will give you victory in every crisis of life?

Amen

Pastor Pam