KNOWING THE LORD AS YOUR SHEPHERD
PSALM 23
Date Teaching Given: October 2, 2023
You do not need to fear because your God is awesome. He is greater and bigger than anything you are facing.
When things get chaotic and uneasy, you have to know the God you serve. Know Who He is and what you can expect Him to do.
God will perform His Word.
Get into the Word of God to find out Who He is.
Psalm 23:1
The Lord is your Shepherd; therefore, say, “I shall not lack.”
Lack brings uncertainty, fear, worry, anxiety, doubt, and unbelief.
Lack is from the enemy and meant to distract you from God.
Know Who God is so you can trust Him in times of uncertainty.
God provides– a shepherd feeds (provides for) his flock.
God directs– a shepherd guides your path.
God will show you where to go, what to do, and what to say.
God is your Shepherd in all circumstances, regardless of what the world and your five physical senses are telling you.
God is a multiplier.
God will always show you where to be, but you need to be willing to let God direct where and when you go.
God protects– a shepherd shields his flock.
God is your protector.
The purpose of a shepherd is to guide his sheep to safe places, protect them from harm, and provide for all their needs (food, water, and shelter).
Jesus is our Shepherd.
The adversary does the opposite of God. He tries to lead people astray, away from God. He doesn’t want you thinking for yourself or trusting God. He leads you into bondage and slavery with free worldly things.
Who are you focusing on? Where is your trust? Who is providing for you?
God is going to use a lock-in to protect His people when the time is right. But this is not the same as the world’s lockdown. And during this lock-in, your job is to praise, worship, dance, and remain excited because you have a firm, focused foundation on the Father. You can be at peace and do those things because your trust is in the Lord.
Isaiah 54:17
You do not need to fear or worry because your peace is part of your heritage through Christ Jesus.
Say, “I am not going to fear because no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Nothing the enemy wants to do will be done unto me. I have a Blood Covenant with You, Father God. I will not fear. I will not panic. I will not lack. I will not accept sickness or disease. I will not accept any damage to my body, my children, or my household, in Jesus’ Name.”
You have the Blood and the Name of Jesus. Use them. Plead the Blood of Jesus over yourself, your family, your property, your home, your finances, your job. Anything that is yours, you have the right to plead the Blood over.
The Blood of Jesus is the final and perfect sacrificial lamb.
The Blood of Jesus is your weapon against every evil attack.
God’s Word is your weapon against every evil attack.
God’s Words are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63).
God’s Words are a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).
Psalm 23:2-3
God will give you rest and peace no matter the situation.
God is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
The word ‘refresh’ means to give new strength and energy and to reinvigorate.
Being in the presence of the Lord refreshes you (Acts 3:19).
The word ‘restore’ means to return someone or something to a former condition, place, or position, to repair or renovate.
God will refresh and restore your life (anything and everything that has been stolen from you).
Instead of saying, “I’m tired,” “I’m sick,” “I’m broken,” or “I’m poor,” you should say, “Lord, You are the God Who is restoring everything that has been stolen. Thank You, Father God, for restoring it back unto me. I won’t stay this way. Thank You, Father God, that You are renewing and restoring me day by day. Thank You, Father God, that You are the restorer. I praise and thank You, Father God.”
God is restoring everything that’s been stolen from you- your family, marriage, relationships, jobs, finances, health, sound mind, and anything else.
Jesus has already provided health and healing through His death on the cross and His resurrection (Isaiah 53:5).
You have a responsibility to boldly demand and reclaim all that has been stolen from you.
God’s light will destroy all darkness (John 1:5).
God leads you in the path of righteousness, uprightness, and right standing with Him (Romans 5:1).
Once you have made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, you are in right standing with God because of what Jesus did for you.
But we can’t reap the benefits of righteousness or right standing with God if we are living in sin.
No matter how many mistakes you make, repent, receive God’s forgiveness, and then you are back in right standing with Him.
The adversary will tell you you’re unworthy of forgiveness and try to condemn you, but those are lies.
You can boldly go to the Father (Hebrews 4:16).
Put on the breastplate of righteousness, and you have right standing with God (Ephesians 6:14).
When you repent, God chooses not to remember your sins. God doesn’t condemn you. He will correct you (with His Word), but He will not condemn you.
Delayed obedience is still disobedience. When God tells you to do something, you need to be quick to do it.
God has said it is time to get serious; be either hot or cold, not lukewarm. Choose your side, the side you are going to trust in (Revelation 3:15-17).
God is your restorer and will restore you as if the enemy has never touched you.
Before the Israelites left Egypt, God restored everything that had been taken from them- their peace, strength, health, finances, and freedom.
Your job is to walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Psalm 23:4-6
The rod protects, and the staff guides.
Even in darkness and chaos, God still guides, directs, provides, comforts, and protects; you will not stay in the shadow of death because He leads you to Him.
Say, “The Lord is my protector.”
God is your comforter.
In the presence of your enemies, even if they surround you, God still is working on your behalf, anointing you with His resurrection power and giving you His Glory.
The resurrection power destroyed death and the curse. That resurrection power lives in you.
God’s goodness and mercy follow you everywhere, and they overtake you.
If God’s goodness and mercy are everywhere you are, then there is no room for the enemy.
The Lord is your Shepherd; therefore, you need not fear, and you shall not lack.
God’s grace and mercy are new every day.
God wants you to know Him as your Shepherd- guide, provider, protector, comforter, restorer.
Who are you going to magnify?
The one who is evil and brings sickness and disease? Or,
The One Who is only good and from Whom all goodness and mercy flows?
God’s presence is your dwelling place (Psalm 91:1, 90:1).
Your enemies cannot be in the presence of God.
Your responsibility is to always walk in love. Walking out of love removes us from God’s presence.
Psalm 25:4-5
God guides us.
God is your teacher. He will teach you how to pray, what to say and do, and what not to say and do.
As David did, ask God to guide you in His truth and His faithfulness.
His truth will set you free (John 8:32).
He is faithful to perform His Word (Jeremiah 1:12).
Be attentive to God and wait expectantly on Him.
Don’t go by your five physical senses (2 Corinthians 5:7).
You need to trust God and know Who He is, what He says, and what He will do (Hebrews 10:23).
Psalm 27:1
The Lord destroys darkness and evil because He is light.
His presence destroys the power of the enemy.
God saved you from death and the curse.
He is your salvation.
With God, you can laugh in the face of your adversary because there is nothing and no one to fear.
God is a refuge and stronghold for you. His arms lead you to Him, where He is protecting, directing, providing, comforting, and teaching. He is truth, salvation, light, life, and everything you need.
Psalm 26:1
God is your vindicator.
The word ‘vindicator’ means a person who clears someone of blame or suspicion; a person who shows or proves something to be right, reasonable, or justified.
One of God’s foundations is justice.
Most of the Psalms were written by David.
David was a psalmist who wrote songs.
David knew God and was able to face a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:34-36), and he faced Goliath (1 Samuel 17:20-53) and Ziklag (1 Samuel 30) confidently. He was confident because he knew and reminded himself of Who God was.
David had his faith and trust in God and Who God is.
God is looking for people who are willing to be Joshuas, Calebs, Davids, and Daniels.
God gives you the ability to have that type of faith and trust in Him– that of Joshua, Caleb, David, and Daniel.
Satan is the author of confusion, not God (1 Corinthians 14:33; 2 Timothy 1:7).
God is your Shepherd, leading, guiding, protecting, and providing for you. He is your light, comforter, salvation, strong tower, stronghold, refuge, and vindicator.
Everything in God’s Word is what He has promised. It is His Will. And His Word doesn’t fail. God doesn’t fail.
When you are under attack, praise and thank God that no weapon formed against you will proposer (Isaiah 54:17).
God is your Shepherd; therefore, you shall not lack.
God’s truth sets you free.
