God’s Loving Kindness

God’s Comfort in Psalm 23 During Suffering

Well good morning beloved. I have a word to bring to you, and it's a word. It's a little different than what is planned in today's bulletin. Some of you know over the weekend our son Nehemiah got sick, and we didn't know what was wrong with him.

And so thankfully we brought him to the emergency room. And it's where we found that he had appendicitis a pretty serious case of it, and so he was Operated on yesterday, and so the family is home resting and watching online with us today but as a father.

When your son is sick, and you don't know what's going on. And you don't know what's going to happen when you're in an emergency room you begin to think the worst and so What was a comfort to me? Was God's Word?

The Lord Is My Shepherd and I Shall Not Want

God's Word particularly found in Psalm 23, and if you would allow me to deviate from Series and Ephesians for just one week I'd like to bring you The word that God comforted me with and I'm sure he will comfort with you to you as well this morning.

So if you can please turn to Psalm 23 and please stand when you have that reading. Here you this morning the word of the Lord from Psalm 23. Lord is my shepherd. It shall not want it makes me lie down in green pastures.

It leads me besides still waters. He restores my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Even though I walk through the valley the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me.

You repair a table before me the presence of my enemies, and you anoint my head of oil my cup over flows. Surely goodness and mercy Shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

You may be seated. Benevolent father we come before you the true shepherd of our soul. We ask God that you would grant in us the gift of thy Holy Spirit. To remove every iniquity every high and lofty thing that be lifted up against the knowledge of Christ in God.

And we pray God that you'd give us that still peace Leading us by those green pastures that we would see you as the all-sufficient one In whom we have no need nor want. Lord may we receive this good word from you in Jesus name.

Amen. Again, it's in the trials of life. It's in the difficulties of one's life that you find yourself asking the question What if? What if the worst happens? What if the worst happens to my child what if the worst happens to me to my house to my finances.

To all that I need and all that I know. Do you know him who is enough? Who's sufficient? Who's your pastor your shepherd the one who leads you in difficult times? You know Psalm 23 is a psalm that is often preached from during funerals or Emotional circumstances and it's in itself an emotional psalm as King David Writes this psalm from a place of despair.

And he finds himself in need of comfort and he finds his comfort in his God. And he begins this by saying in verse 1 again that the Lord Yahweh Jehovah is my shepherd. I Shall not want. Now it's it's missed to us.

Because we no longer live in a time of antiquity where you had shepherds and and gnomons walking and surrounding the land but yet when you understood the beauty of this imagery That his shepherd his job is To look after his sheep to tend to his flock.

To protect them to love them to feed them to direct them and to protect them also from enemies and. So when the Lord Reveals himself to David as his shepherd the response from King David is appropriate.

I shall not want. I shall not want. The response that he sees from this shepherd from this king from this Redeemer from his God was then verse 2. He says he makes me lie down in green pastures. Understand the context of what's happening here in King David's life when everything is falling apart when his life though he is King is marked and mired by controversy.

Controversy with Bathsheba with killing a man and even losing a child. He says in the midst of all the difficulties of life in the midst of trial in the midst of loss. He says he makes me lie down in green pastures.

You see life can throw different things at you at different times. On Friday morning. We my family was planning an entirely different day and then our son Suddenly got ill and very ill very quickly. And so by God's grace, we were able to get him to the hospital.

And as he laid in a hospital bed, and we didn't know what was going on I began to ask myself. What could it be? Why is he sick? What's going on God? Why are you allowing this? It's interesting that even the preacher begins to question the goodness of God the sovereignty of God when Trials and tribulation hits home.

When it hits near and dear to your life and to one's life you begin to quickly ask yourself the question that many Bible writers and Heroes of the faith even asked themselves and it's a grand question of why?

Why would you allow this God? This child is done. Nothing. He's innocent as it by most standards and and so God why him? Why not me? Why not me as a father you in as parents many of you may know that you would gladly take the place of your child.

Who's in pain? You gladly bear their trials their pain their hardship their sorrow. Because you love that child. Because you want what's best for that child. Now once you know guys that this morning. God is your father and God as our father Feels very similar towards us and then when he sees you in your pain in your sorrow in the difficulty of life He's not unaware.

It's not lost to him the pain that you've encountered the pain that you are going through the trials and tribulations that you may be in and He too desires to take away that pain that sorrow and in the cross of Jesus There really is a exchange of my sorrow my grief placed upon him.

So that through the cross of Jesus I can have peace peace even in the midst of the storm. You see the promise of Christ. Isn't that he will take and remove from you the difficulties the trials the sicknesses that may knock on your door but instead That in the midst of those trials in the midst of that storm He shall make you lie down as if all things were a green pasture.

He'll make you lie down and As if you had no need or want He will prove to be sufficient for you and me even in times of great trial and tribulation. The word in Psalm 23 verse 2 in the end of it says he leads me besides still waters.

You know, you don't appreciate the still waters. Until you see and experience the craziness and and hecticness of life. When life is chaotic and you're in an emergency room and nurses and doctors are running in and out.

You know what? You need at that moment is to be beside still waters. This is a very real thing for me that which I just encountered that I was praying to God and saying God I need your peace right now because I'm falling apart.

Because I'm seeing my little boy sick and hurting and we don't know what's wrong with him. And The Lord was gracious enough to lead me besides still waters. As he is to you. Verse 3 he gives us a promise associated with the leading that God provides as our shepherd and says he restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. Recognize what God does and why he does it. God is able to restore our soul and he doesn't do it solely because of you. But he does so for the glory and the advancement and the fame of his own name all things that God does.

Every calamity that he allows and every blessing that he provides comes from the same place. For the glory and renown of his own name. You must recognize this truth this morning. That whatever your lot is in life Whatever blessing or curse God allows and bestows on you.

May it be said That he is enough. May it be said by the believer. That whatever my lot be Blessed be the name of the Lord. We see this in the trial of Job when Job went through unspeakable trials. That you and I can only Cannot even begin to fathom, you know, we read the book of Job as if it's a child's story.

We read the book of Job as if it's a it's a story for kids and yet in it we see this man. Everything is stripped away from him. His livelihood his stock his his family his wealth his marriage his possessions his children die.

Friends. Job is no mere children's tale. Job went through Unspeakable horrors. And what did Job say? The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. And he sends he ends of this. Blessed be the name of the Lord whether he gives.

He's good. He's blessed. He's glorious and that's how we tend to live life. Right when God is blessing us and giving us we we tend to celebrate those things but he's also the God who can take away and when he does when he does because Life is inevitability.

We all die. Ten out of ten people died. This is the thing that we're all marching towards and When he does take off away. Whether it's a small child or us in old age. Is he still not good? Is he still glorious?

Can you still say with full faith and assurance blessed be the name of the Lord friends. We can say we can sit here in the pew and think about what we would do theoretically. Maybe you've gone through a season of life, which was extremely difficult.

Maybe you lost someone you loved and these things are put was put to the trial and it is until You are in that place of sorrow and despair that you truly have to make your faith your own and declare with men of faith in Scripture that he's enough and that God is still good.

Even when bad things happen. This is what it means when he says he restores my soul. God is able to restore you in whatever circumstance you find yourself in he leads me. God is leading you in paths of righteousness.

Not in sin because it's so easy when life is hard when trials come our way. To look at those things and think God has cursed me. God is disappointed in me. God hates me. Therefore why even pursue him?

Why even do what is right if all I get is curse after curse after curse and yet. That's not what God leads us through. He leads us instead to the paths of righteousness to do the right thing. Even when it's hard to follow him.

Even when there seems to be no hope and when you are in the pit of despair itself you Can know this that he leads even to the paths of righteousness and he does so again for his own namesake. Verse four is when it gets heavy.

He says even though I walked through the valley of the shadow of death. Now this word in the Hebrew is very ambiguous. It gives the connotation the shadow of death of a shadowy substance of an unknown it's likened to often to shield in the Old Testament to the grave.

And yet Even though you're walking through the shadowy Substance of life and you don't see what's on the other side God's Word is to you. I will fear no evil. For you are with me your rod and your staff.

They comfort me. They comfort. There's a comfort for you today. There's a comfort for all of us in the cross of Jesus Christ. There's a comfort for us in the midst of the difficulty of life in the midst of dark shadowy pain of Unknown of sickness of disease of economic uncertainty of Relational uncertainty there is a hope for us.

That there be a comfort and there be the erase of the fear of evil. Such assurance can be yours today in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has purchased for us through his life death and resurrection an assurance before God.

That we like the psalmist can say with full faith with full confidence that the Lord is my shepherd. That my shepherd came. He lived a life that you could not live. Holy perfect blameless that the death that we deserved was raised again on the third day and as ascended to the furthest reaches of heaven at the right hand of the Father where he now lives in intercedes for me.

And because Jesus live I too shall live and regardless of what happens to me in this life I know I have a home for me in heaven and that home Can be for you as well if you know him today if you are in Christ if you're in Jesus you can have an assurance that you can walk through the valley of the shadow of death and encounter and look face to face with even death itself and know That his rod and his staff will lead you home their comfort.

Their comfort to us. This is what I thought about when I was in the hospital with my son this weekend. Was Lord, I need your staff because what does a staff do? You think of a shepherd staff it? Holds the shepherd up, but also protects the sheep.

From enemies it guides the sheep to where they're supposed to go. So God's through his staff. He leads me in paths of righteousness. He's showing me the way. Then what he's also doing. He's protecting me with that staff.

Therefore even though I'm encounter with the wolves of life. I can have protection because I look at my Shepherd staff and I know that he is my protector. He's there for me even in the face of adversity.

And it says you are with me your staff you're rotting your staff they comfort me. You can be comforted today by God's staff by his direction for Jesus is indeed the great shepherd of the sheep Jesus. I am this I am the shepherd.

I'm the good shepherd. He said and whoever believes in him Should not perish but have everlasting life. We can have Comfort and peace Even in the face of death itself. Verse 5 it says you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head of oil and my cup over Flows what a beautiful imagery know this. That in time of trial in time of trouble God prepares before you a table a table by the king and The king has invited you to his table and the king says come and feast in the midst of your enemies.

Think of that imagery having enemies and Yet God's saying I love you. I approve of you. I've purchased you through Jesus Christ come to the table. Be part of the family. Don't worry about those who are outside.

Don't worry about the enemies. Don't worry about the wolves. Don't worry about the trials of life your finances your health what it is that you will wear today or tomorrow. What you will put on your plate.

Jesus himself gave us the antidote to anxiety in Matthew chapter 6 where he says seek first the what? The kingdom and its righteousness and all these things will be added to you Jesus surely borrowing from Psalm 23.

That this promise of a table being before us in the presence of our enemies this is what God has prepared for you and for me in Jesus Christ and In and notice what he does. He is as you anoint my head of oil and my cup overflows.

This is Middle-eastern language here in the ancient near at near east. Folks would have to travel by foot mostly to their destinations and when they came to their place of destination the host or the person hosting them would come and bless them with oil of fragrance and Anoint their head of oil.

So it's basically like a bath because after a day of walking you're probably not smelling very good. You probably aren't looking as nice as you did when you began that journey. And what the host does is that he got he brings you before him and he he washes you he cleanses you.

He puts oil on you so that you have this sweet fragrance now. And that's what God has prepared for you and me at his table. When we go to the table of the Lord and we we are in the comfort in the presence of our master he sees all that you have gone through and When you are in the difficulty of life, you probably don't come out smelling the way you want.

When you get beat down and beaten up by life and by life circumstances. It changes you it alters you and yet at the table what God provides. It's a sweet fragrance and anointing of oil over your head.

So that he covers all of your deformities. He covers all of your weakness. He covers all the things that you've gone through and not only that but then He puts a cup before you and that cup isn't just filled a little bit.

It's not a stingy table. You go to this table and he fills it up so much so that it over flows. That's the cup of God's goodness. It's a cup. It's a cup of God's anointing for you. It's the cup of the Holy Spirit flowing into your life so that you become in you a wellspring of life swelling up to eternal life.

And the Spirit surely through the imagery of the anointing and the cup overflowing is The one who comforts us in the absence of Christ. Jesus says I leave you not as orphans. He says I will leave. Jesus promises disciples that he would that he had to live.

Die, and he would ascend to his father. He says I love I leave you not as bereaved children as orphans. I shall send you the Comforter. I shall send you the Holy Spirit who is from God and he shall lead you into all truth and he shall be your comfort.

The comfort that God provides us through his Holy Spirit. If you know Jesus today, you've been filled with the Spirit. But sometimes in life we feel as if maybe we've lost connection with God. We've lost connection to the Spirit.

What can we do in that circumstance? The Bible says is to remember the table. Come to the table of God. Come to his table and receive blessing and life and Liberty. And his and remember his staff his rod which are comfort so that you too can come to the table of God and you can have your Head filled with anointing oil and that your cup can overflow With the blessing that God provides in Jesus.

God’s Goodness and Mercy Pursuing Us

Verse 6 says surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. What a blessing. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. So I thought to myself this weekend at the hospital and when I try to comfort Nehemiah with surely goodness and Mercy shall follow us.

Shall pursue us. You've been pursued by someone or something. It can be a scary circumstance. Can it. I want to share a few a quick story in The South during the time of segregation brother many churches Were segregated and So you had a segregation of whites and blacks and in the South and in 1950s There was a particular well-known black preacher who went south and he was doing a circuit of preaching that different churches and And as he was driving to his next church and destination, he noticed that there was a big truck Following him and this truck had a shotgun right there that you could see in the glass through the mirror and So the brother would driving down the street.

He took a right the truck took a right. Drives down this whiny road and the truck is following him to through this whiny road. This African American brother then turns left and the truck turns left. So finally him and his and his friend who's in the car with him.

They they slowed the car down and they said okay. I think we're gonna have to brace ourselves for what might come next and so they Park and the truck parks right behind them. Out of this truck comes out this big burly white guy and he knocks on the window of the car and So this black brother, he brings a window down and as tough of his voice as he can he says Can I help you?

And the white gentleman said Are you brother so-and-so? He says why yes, I am. He's. I thought you were you see I've got a blanket. I've got a car full of blankets and food and and goodies for you and I've been trying to get you to slow down all day and says you were going quite fast there weren't you there buddy.

And The brother responded by saying brother. We cannot outrun a blessing. Amen. Amen. You can't outrun a blessing. Sometimes in life you feel like you are being pursued and Sometimes that can be a scary thing but know this that God is pursuing you through the cross.

That God is pursuing you with his goodness with his mercy. It shall follow you all the days of your life and The hope and desire of our lives shall be this that I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

That should be our hope and stay is to be in the midst of God his presence And his people for all eternity. And this is the hope that anchored me over this weekend. This is the hope that anchored me during this time of difficulty even now.

Anchoring me and it can anchor you. But I want to turn your attention to one more place in Scripture. You know, there's a place in Scripture where we see the metaphor of Psalm 23 Come to life in a tangible way and I want to show you where that is.

I want you to turn if you can to 2nd Samuel chapter 9. 2nd Samuel chapter 9. Let me set this stage for us. King David is enthroned. The house of Saul has fallen and King David is reigning on his throne.

And in verse 1 of 2nd Samuel chapter 9, it says and David said is There anyone left at the house of Saul? That I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake. Think about this for a moment. The old king is gone and Usually when a new king and a new lineage comes into power.

The job of the king is to demolish destroy and kill anyone of the remaining family so that there is no one who can contest the authority and the new lineage of the new king and yet Saul. Though he was wicked and removed and God placed in David King David is still looking for someone of the house of Saul not to destroy them.

Not to persecute them not to kill them but instead to show kindness for Jonathan's sake. Verse 2 says now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba and They called him and today and they called him to David and the king said to him Are you Ziba?

And he said I am your servant. So here you got you have an old servant of the old king. He's called up before the new king and he says I'm your servant. He's like, I'm your guy. Whatever you need I'll get just let me live and I'll serve you.

Well and King and the king said Is there not still someone of the house of Saul that I may show him or show the kindness of God to him? You see the king's heart Was not to extend wrath towards his enemies, but to extend kindness.

To extend mercy surely goodness and mercy shall pursue. It says in verse again 2nd Samuel 9 now in verse. Still in verse 3. It says Ziba said to him said to the king. There is still a son of Jonathan.

He is crippled in his feet. And the king sent him where is he. And Ziba said to the king He is in the house of Machi or the son of Ammiel at Lodabar. Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machi or the son of Ammiel at Lodabar.

Verse 6 says in Mephebosheth. The son of Jonathan the son of Saul came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. Let's stop there for a moment as you see the imagery. King David is extending kindness and mercy to the son of Jonathan and He is from a place called Lodabar.

Now you probably don't know much about Lodabar, but let me just give you this tad bit of information. Lodabar is the hood. It's the ghetto. It's the place you don't want to be in Jerusalem. It's the place.

It's it's the place where all the rejects are in Lodabar we see this elsewhere in scripture and regard to this place called Lodabar and Yet this son of Jonathan Mephebosheth is called by the king from the from the ghetto.

Brought forward to the palace. You got to think of the imagery here from rags. Literally to riches the poorest of the poor being brought forward to the king's palace. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

Surely Mephebosheth doesn't know what's coming next. He says it says that he he comes to David he falls on his feet and on his face and pays Homage. Now the scripture tells us that this man Mephebosheth.

He is crippled in both his feet. And it says in verse 6 at the end of it it says. And David said Mephebosheth. He answered behold. I am your servant. Now a Lot can be said about the tone and inflection in King David's voice.

We don't have that recorded in scripture obviously. But you can imagine how the tone would affect where the story goes next if King David had said Mephebosheth. Probably not good news. For Mephebosheth.

But if he saw Mephebosheth, he says Mephebosheth. Then you probably know that through the inflection of his voice. There's goodness and mercy that's going to come to this man and Surely King David calls this man with a heart of a tone of mercy of goodness.

And it goes on to Satan in the serpent. He responds by saying behold. I am your servant. Mephebosheth says I he understands there's a new king in town. There's a new man in charge. He wants to be in his favor.

He says King David. I'm your servant. I'll be your man. Whatever you need. I'll get. It goes on to say in verse 7 and David said to him Do not fear. Isn't that good. Think of Psalm 23 again. Even though I walk through the valley the shadow of death I shall fear no evil.

He says to Mephebosheth his work King David's words of Kindness to him do not fear for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan and I will restore to all the land of Saul your father and you shall eat at my table always.

Isn't that an incredible display of kindness. Mercy that here is a man of the former King who tried to kill David enemies by all accounts and yet David extends to him a hand of mercy not judgment a hand of kindness and not wrath.

You see Psalm 23 in full display here in the story of God extending kindness through David to Mephebosheth. And he says in verse 8. And he paid homage and said what is your servant that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I See Mephebosheth knew his place.

He knew the condition of his soul. He knew the condition of his crippledness. And he says what good am I to you my king that you show me favor. I'm like a dead dog. I mean you you could not get worse than that in the ancient context.

Dogs were not pets that you kept at home. They were scoundrels that were outside the city walls begging for food and eating dead Carcasses, these are not pets that you kept at home. And he says I'm a dog.

I'm a dead dog. That's how bad I am. Mephebosheth knew his condition and you and I Ought to know our condition as we've gone through the book of Ephesians in chapter 2 verse 1. We were recalled and we remember that though you were dead and your trespasses and sins you too were no better than a dead dog like Mephebosheth and yet God being rich and mercy Made us alive in Christ by grace.

You have been saved. You see the loving-kindness of God the same loving-kindness that he promised would pursue us all the days of our lives and That's it says also back in 2nd Samuel chapter 9. Verse 9 it says.

And then the king Called Ziba's Saul's servant and said to him all that belong to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson and You and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce.

That your master's grandsons may have bread to eat. But Mephebosheth your master's grandson shall always eat at my table. According and it says. Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants. Then Ziba said to the king according to all that my lord the king commands his servant.

So will your servant do so. Mephebosheth ate at David's table? Like one of the king's son like one of the king's sons. That's the loving-kindness of God though you Were alienated from God. You you were an enemy of God because of your transgression and sins.

God while you were still sinners. Sent Christ Jesus in the fullness of time born of the Virgin to die again the death that we all deserved. He died a sacrificial death in our place. Was raised again on the third day ascended now reigning as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And Jesus extends to you the same Blessing and favor that King David demonstrated to Mephebosheth, which is that he's inviting you to the table the table where goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life and He's also not treating you no longer as enemies, but now as sons Sons even of the Most High God.

This is God's blessing and favor towards you and I in Jesus Christ. So regardless of what we go through in life regardless of what you may be encountering even today know this that there's a table before us and that table God has designed for you to receive an anointing and also Sonship to be most to be daughters and sons of the Most High God.

Verse 12 says Mephebosheth had a young son whose Name was Micah and all who lived in Ziba's house became a fellowship servant. So Mephebosheth lived in Jerusalem and he for he ate always at the king's table.

Notice how it ends. Now he was lame and both his feet. It's the second time in the chapter where Mephebosheth and his deformity is Spoken of. This is a reminder that at God's table We're still crippled.

Think of the imagery of the table for a moment. It's not a table like we encounter here in our modern context where we have chairs. The king's table was very low to the ground. And the king's table didn't have chairs.

You had to sit down usually in a pretty plush place. And and at that table there would be a a dressing for the table skirt. That would be draped over the table and you have all the king's choice food all the meats all the finest wines all the things that you can imagine at the king's table is at the king's table and That skirt that that that is on the table once you lay down at the foot of the table.

Your feet your legs are no longer visible. That that drape that that is a covering for your feet. Which is why again, it's spoken of about Mephebosheth that he's always at the king's table. Yeah, he was lame in both his feet.

Because at that table You couldn't tell who was lame in both feet or not. Everyone was equal in standing at the table. And the same is true spiritually for us in Christ Jesus. We are all lame. We're all Deformed by the fall.

Adam and Eve dropped us all in our heads and Yet when we come to the table There's a covering for our for our crippledness. There's a covering for our sins. You see the drape on the table is a representative of Christ's ransom sacrifice.

Christ's death burial and resurrection applied to you is a covering for our sins for our crippledness for our lameness and surely goodness and mercy Shall pursue us all the days of our lives. May you make it your aim?

To follow Jesus Christ today. The promise of following Jesus is not an easy life it's not a life where only blessings are promised but indeed difficulty and Trials are also marked in the Gospels for us for those who follow Jesus Christ.

May you make it your aim today? To be found in him having that a righteousness of your own but a righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. This can be yours today and the Bible says it very cleanly and clearly.

That if thou confess of thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved. The Bible makes it clear that we're all sinners. We're all crippled and we're all in need of a Savior.

May you come today to him? Repenting of sin. Trusting fully in his ransom sacrifice. And the Bible says that you be transferred from death to life. From a crippled to a son. From one of a son of wrath to a son of God.

May you meet him today at the altar of the table and at the altar of the cross and may he be Enough. Let me pray our great Shepherd. We thank you for your kindness the kindness that you have Expressed to us through the cross in the ministry of your life your death your burial and your resurrection.

That because of what you have accomplished We too can have life. We thank you that you are the enthroned King the king who is conquering his enemies and we are reminded that we too were at one point enemies and Yet you have X you have given us kindness.

And we get to experience that kindness. Even today as we gather with the Saints with the hearing the preaching of your word as we were about to receive the elements of the Lord's Supper and As we go on over our Christian worship and secret service to you today We're reminded that there is room even for rebels like us at the table.

Lord God, may you remind us that in you there is no want there is no need that you cannot satisfy. But even though we walk through live shadows There's a place that you have made for us to lie down in green pastures by still waters you lead us in Passive righteousness you take us for your name's sake.

Lord God, may you remind us of your goodness and your mercy that you promised would follow us all the days of our life and Surely that we can confess with the psalmist That we shall dwell in the house of the Lord always Lord God to you belongs all glory power.

For you are alone worthy and your name and your namesake alone is from and to all things in Jesus name Amen.