Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved Psalms, depicting God as the Good Shepherd who leads, provides for, and comforts His people. Pastor Fredo reflects on the peace and security that comes from knowing God is our shepherd, guiding us through life’s valleys and leading us to still waters.
Pastor Fredo highlights how this Psalm reassures us of God's constant presence, even in the midst of life's most difficult circumstances. It's a call to trust in God's provision and care, knowing that He is always with us, leading us to a place of restoration and peace.
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Chapters
Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved Psalms, depicting God as the Good Shepherd who leads, provides for, and comforts His people. Pastor Fredo reflects on the peace and security that comes from knowing God is our shepherd, guiding us through life’s valleys and leading us to still waters.
Pastor Fredo highlights how this Psalm reassures us of God's constant presence, even in the midst of life's most difficult circumstances. It's a call to trust in God's provision and care, knowing that He is always with us, leading us to a place of restoration and peace.
--
Support content like this and the vision of Sandals Church at http://sandalschurch.com/support/
Join our email list for content updates: http://sandalschurch.com/subscribe
Download the Sandals Church App: http://sandalschurch.com/app/
If you have questions, need prayer, or want to get connected, please email us anytime at online@sandalschurch.com!
What is Sandals Church Podcast?
At Sandals Church, our vision is to be real with ourselves, God and others. This channel features sermons and teaching from Pastor Matt Brown and other members of the Sandals Church preaching team. You can find sermon notes, videos and more content at http://sandalschurch.com/watch
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
For whatever reason, I have always struggled to pray. And so, as this new year begins and as many of you think about new routines that you wanna give yourself to, especially for those of you who follow Jesus, I wanna invite you to learn to pray the Psalms with us. It's a practice I picked up years ago that really saved, my ability to learn to pray, to speak to God honestly about how I was feeling and what I was thinking. And so every single day on sandalschurch.tv on YouTube, we're gonna be releasing, praying the Psalms, a psalm a day. We started in January 1st and every day you're gonna get a new psalm, but the opportunity to read the psalm with us, to reflect on a phrase, and then to respond to God in prayer, how to pray through the psalms.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
This has been a gift to me in my own journey with Jesus. I pray that it's a gift to you, and so would you join us. Grace and peace.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
We continue praying the Psalms today and we come to Psalm 23. David writes, the Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake. 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.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
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.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
As many of
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
you know, Psalm 23 is maybe one of the most recited, read, and requested Psalms, in human history. I can't think of too many funerals that I've done where someone hasn't requested Psalm 23 be read, mainly because there's such comfort in the Psalm, there's such hope in the Psalm, and the picture that we're given of God, Yahweh, as a shepherd to David, but ultimately as a shepherd to all of us, is so good. The Lord, Yahweh, is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He leads me to places where I can rest, we're told.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
He refreshes the soul. I love that David, in the midst of all of this comfort and this picture of life and refreshment, doesn't dismiss the reality though that we often will walk through dark valleys. And even though there might be cause for, fear to be stirred up in our lives, He says, I will not fear. Why? Because the Lord, my shepherd, is with me.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
And both his rod and his staff, different aspects of the shepherd's rod, comfort him. This is beautiful. He goes on to say that there's a feast that's even prepared for him. He has a seat at a table even in the presence of his enemies. In other words, in a time of battle, it's not likely that you would be able to sit and eat, that you would feast.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
Right? Oftentimes, those kinds of moments and celebrations would, would would be paused in until victory was won. But here, there's there's this picture of someone who's enjoying life even in the midst of his enemies, as if to say that that God will hold you, God will provide for you, even in the midst of conflict. You have a shepherd who provides for you. And then this beautiful declaration that goodness and love will follow you today, follow you all the days of your life.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
You will dwell in the house of the Lord, which is really a way for you to understand God's presence, that we will always be in the presence of God. And so by way of reflection, even though I just walked through the entire Psalm again, I just want to draw our attention simply to verse 1. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. As you
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
go about your day today, as
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
I go about my day today, the reality is we will be drawn to other kinds of shepherds. There will be other people and other things that will draw us in and try to lure us in to allow those things to lead us and to provide for us. And so, by way of resistance, would you declare with me today that Jesus alone is our good shepherd? That despite all the other things that might pull you away to try to lead you, only He, only Jesus, and His voice can guide you through life. Only Jesus can guide you through the darkest valley.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
Only Jesus can bring refreshment to your soul today. And it's because of who He is and what He's done for us that we have the confidence that goodness and love will follow us all the days of our lives. And so, would we confess, Lord, that there is a temptation today to allow other kinds of shepherds to lead us to life? But we acknowledge and confess that you alone are the good shepherd. You alone will lead us to life.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:
You alone will lead us to pastures that are green, that refresh our soul. And so even though we might walk through tribulation today, even though we might walk through conflict today, you are our good shepherd. And so help us, Holy Spirit, to hear His voice as we're led by Him. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.