Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: P
Program Code: P000007
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00:18 Hi and welcome to Praise. I'm Kelly Mowrer.
00:21 Today we're gonna spend some time thinking about 00:23 the wonderful lessons found in Psalm 23. 00:26 The Shepherd song and so many of us 00:27 know this pretty much by heart. 00:30 And sometimes in my life I've been tempted to turn over, 00:32 just skip over the words. 00:33 I enjoy they're pretty poetry but I don't really 00:36 relate to them or make them real in my heart. 00:38 But during the past couple of years, 00:40 I've come to realize this is so much more 00:42 than just a beautiful illustration. 00:44 It is one of the most comprehensive complete 00:46 pictures of God and His love 00:48 contained in a single Bible chapter. 00:51 Listen now as Annette Campbell sings this beautiful song. 01:18 The Lord is my Shepherd 01:25 I shall not want 01:32 He makes me lie down in green pastures 01:39 He leads me beside the still waters 01:46 He restores my soul 01:52 He leads me in paths of righteousness 01:59 For His name's sake 02:07 Even though I walk through the valley 02:13 Of the shadow of death 02:20 I will fear no evil 02:26 For You are with me 02:39 Your rod and Your staff 02:42 They comfort me 02:51 You prepare a table before me 02:58 In the presence of my enemies 03:05 You anoint my head with oil 03:11 My cup runs overflows 03:19 Surely goodness and mercy 03:25 Shall follow me 03:28 All the days of my life 03:32 And I will dwell in the house of the Lord 03:37 Forever 03:44 Forever 03:50 Forever 06:22 David who was a shepherd himself wrote 06:24 "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." 06:28 And my tendency used to be to give the first part 06:31 of that verse about the Lord being my shepherd 06:33 as kind of an introduction to the second half, 06:35 I shall not want, and that's the part 06:37 I would focus on, having no lack, not wanting for anything. 06:41 But then I began to hear things about sheep. 06:44 I realized if God said that He was my shepherd, 06:46 it's because He wanted me to think about not only Him 06:48 as a shepherd but myself as a sheep. 06:51 I wasn't strong like a lion, swift like an eagle. 06:54 I heard that sheep were incredibly foolish 06:57 that they will wander off the path looking at 07:00 any old thing that catches their attention. 07:03 They are dirty creatures, they never get clean 07:05 if the shepherd didn't clean them. 07:06 And sheep are defenseless, they have no way to protect 07:09 themselves against enemies that have claws or fangs or poison. 07:13 God said a good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 07:18 He says, I am the good shepherd. 07:21 We are all His sheep. We are dirty. 07:24 We are defenseless. We are wandering. 07:27 How very much we need our Shepherd and His love. 07:31 Listen now as Reggie plays 'The Love of God.' 10:28 As David describes what Jesus 10:30 our Shepherd does for us, he writes, 10:32 "He makes me to lie down in green pastures. 10:36 And He leads me besides still waters. 10:39 He restores my soul." 10:42 How many, many times I crave rest and peace 10:45 and I long to be refreshed. 10:47 There are some things that can provide 10:49 some momentary peace like a vacation or good night sleep. 10:52 But only God can restore us and provide lasting rest. 10:57 You know one day a man was walking along 10:58 feeling as though he's about to break 11:00 from the heaviness of his burden. 11:02 So he paused and seated down for a minute. 11:04 As he looked more closely, he was astonished to see 11:07 that most of his burden was borrowed. 11:09 It was either borrowed troubles from yesterday 11:11 or borrowed worries about tomorrow. 11:14 David wrote "Cast your burden upon the Lord 11:16 and He will sustain you." 11:19 If anybody watching right now would like to lay down 11:21 your burden and be restored and be refreshed, 11:24 remember what Jesus said. 11:26 He said "Come unto me, all ye that labor 11:29 and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 12:27 Rest, the Lord is near 12:32 Refuse to fear, enjoy His love 12:41 Trust His mighty power 12:46 Fills every hour of all your days 12:54 There is no need For needless worry 13:01 With such a Savior 13:04 You have no cause to ever doubt 13:10 His perfect Word 13:14 Still reassures in any trial 13:36 Rest, the Lord is there Lift up your prayer 13:44 For He is strong 13:50 Trust, He'll bring release 13:54 And perfect peace will calm your mind 14:02 There is no need for needless worry 14:09 With such a Savior 14:12 You have no cause to ever doubt 14:18 His perfect Word 14:21 Still reassures in any trial 14:30 Call Him if you grow frightened 14:36 Call Him with loving care 14:42 He'll lift the burden 14:45 And you'll rest, the Lord is near 14:52 Refuse to fear, enjoy His love 15:01 Trust His mighty power 15:06 Fills every hour of all your days 15:15 Call Him if you grow frightened 15:20 Call Him with loving care 15:27 He'll lift the burden 15:30 And you'll rest, the Lord is near 15:37 Refuse to fear, enjoy His love 16:18 And now David starts to write about something really big, 16:23 not just the petty irritations of life 16:25 or the general work burdens that we all have. 16:28 But the stuff that is so heavy, 16:30 we're afraid it might break us, 16:32 he says "Yea, thou I walk through the valley 16:35 of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, 16:38 for thou art with me, thy rod 16:41 and thy staff they comfort me." 16:44 I did a quick search on my computer Bible program 16:46 and I came up with 144 different verses 16:49 with the words "Fear not." 16:52 You know many times these are direct command from God 16:54 and I'm ashamed that how often I disobeyed that command. 16:57 I walk through the valley of shadow and suddenly 16:59 I'm afraid, I forget all the ways 17:01 that He's helped me before and I worry that 17:03 somehow maybe this time, He'll not be there. 17:07 And if you're weak like, like I am sometimes, 17:10 use these next two songs to both ask God's forgiveness 17:14 for doubting, and then also ask Him 17:17 to strengthen our faith, so that we can know 17:20 His peace and fully and completely believe 17:24 His words to us when He says 17:26 "Fear not, I am with you, be not dismayed, I am your God. 17:30 I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, yes, 17:34 I will uphold you with right hand of my righteousness." 23:19 And then David ends it by saying 23:21 "Thou preparest a table before me 23:23 in the presence of mine enemies, 23:25 thou anointest my head with oil and my cup runs over." 23:29 Look at how God provides for us, it's not haphazard. 23:32 He prepares a table and not just enough 23:35 but just so incredibly, generously and richly 23:38 that our cup is spilling over, it's too full. 23:41 It can't contain all the blessings He is pouring in. 23:43 "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me 23:45 all the days of my life, and I will dwell 23:48 in the house of the Lord forever." 23:52 I've never made a fortune 23:58 And it's probably too late now 24:05 But I don't worry about that much 24:12 'Cause I'm happy anyhow 24:19 As I go along life's journey 24:26 I'm reaping better than I sowed 24:34 I'm drinking from my saucer 24:40 'Cause my cup has overflowed 24:47 Ain't got a lot of riches 24:53 Sometimes the going's tough 25:00 But I've got a friend in Jesus 25:07 And that makes me rich enough 25:14 I thank God for all His blessings on me 25:21 And the mercy He's bestowed 25:29 I'm drinking from my saucer 25:34 'Cause my cup has overflowed 25:43 You know my friend, sometimes in life, 25:45 sadness and sorrow come our way, 25:48 there's not much it seems we can do about it. 25:50 But you know what I found out, one day I looked 25:53 straight up in the heaven and I reached up and touched 25:55 His precious nails, God hands. 25:58 God promised me that He'd be faithful to reach down, 26:01 pick me up and restore me to new. 26:04 I love Him for that today, don't you? Yes. 26:08 So Lord, help me not to grumble and complain 26:15 About the tough rows that I have hoed 26:24 I'm drinking from my saucer 26:29 'Cause my cup has overflowed 26:36 And if I should go on living 26:43 If my way gets steep and rough 26:50 I'll not ask for other blessings 26:56 'Cause I'm already blessed enough 27:01 And this is my prayer for you today. 27:04 May I never be too busy 27:10 To help another bear his load. 27:19 I'm drinking from my saucer 27:23 Yes, 'Cause my cup has overflowed 27:30 Yes, I'll be drinking from my saucer, Lord 27:36 Oh, yes, I will 27:39 This cup has overflowed 27:45 Has your cup overflowed? |
Revised 2014-12-17