On this first anniversary of my fathers death, it is especially comforting to me. /Length 316 A Psalm of David. He restores my soul. The first part of the verse is clearly about life, using the words all the days of my life. Where do you need to study Gods word, so you are better prepared for Gods will? The Lord protects, guides, and supports us. And David had lost many things that led to the writing of this Psalm. C. Death followed David everywhere. But dont forget all the great times you had together. Not like you lecturing yourself, but rather praying into the hope that the day will come when you and I might say with fully certainty I shall not want. They had sang songs of Christs birth together. The LORD watches over you--the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. What your feeling is expected. David had learned to smile at death. She was a real Christian for many years. The Lord is my Shepherd. She was born on June 14, 1946. 23:4 ). From the Lectionary for Mass, no. While we may see this as a natural part of life, this was not how God designed this life to be. . After a number of years, God put Abraham's faith to its greatest test. Prophets have foretold the way of Jesus. 8"2UF@'x.s!3@9]8|,Uv QYtLM'FL 6EG:81#. 0000032765 00000 n One afternoon he was preparing to board a train to London when he spotted a man in ragged, dirty clothing begging for money from passengers along the station platform. "The Good Shepherd" (Psalm 23) Introduction. Even though I walk through the . For the non-believer for the one who does not believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the phrase "You return mankind to the dust" continues as a judgment for sin. Its our hope. It also speaks to the present. And even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.". The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. 1 Keller, Phillip. God once again spared them. /O 45 He infected us with his life, and helped us to see the light. /Filter /FlateDecode God loves us like a Father He will protect us, b.) We are not surely exactly what we want, just that we are unsatisfied with what we have. Thank you. O Eternal God, our Father, from whom we come and to whom we go, grant us the favor of Your divine presence at this time in our earthly pilgrimage; assure us by Your Holy Spirit that the one we serve, even Jesus, has conquered death and is alive forevermore; enable us to view our temporal lives in the light of the eternal; and so may our spirits grow calm and our vision clear. /ViewerPreferences 42 0 R I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. a.) Psalm 23:2-3 ESV. Your email address will not be published. << I am completely satisfied with Gods providence and care of my life. God spares nothing to care for me. 0000002052 00000 n God is frequently described in the Bible as being like a shepherd who cares for and tends to a flock of sheep. Biblically, prophets shine the light on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. 3 Tests Of Plagiarism: Do Your Sermons Pass Them. (a) It is impossible for there to be a valley unless there are mountains. First, David's faith rested in God. Fear can be a powerful, debilitating, paralyzing influence in our lives. Even when she did not know what she wanted. All of us can both rejoice and grieve, due to the goodness of this wife, mother, and friend. Jesus, as the ruler, who will come out of the people and shepherd the people. He took our sickness and placed it upon himself so that we might live. Otherwise, I find it quite usable. Will you do that today? I love the imagery you created with light and shadow. Ashley was contagious. Oh Fr. And so is Thomas question, How can we know the way (John 14:1-6)? >> The staff with its large crook at the end serves to support the sheeps body when it crosses a dangerous chasm. And please dont hear what I have just said as an answer or explanation. Have you personally received Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God and as your Good Shepherd? Carey: Henry Carey, 1723 Psalm 23 Joseph Addison, 1712 DOXOLOGY The Lord my pasture shall prepare, And feed me with a shepherd's care; His presence shall my wants . The walk you are experiencing today is a temporary one. Knowing that his wife was beautiful, and fearing that the Egyptians would kill him, in order to marry his wife, Abraham instructed Sarah to lie, and to represent herself as his sister, not his wife. Their son, Isaac, was born to them in their old age. He hasnt left you to figure this out or find your way on your on. It would be dishonest of me if I didnt tell you this but it is in moments like that that I question everything I think and believe about our Creator. As we sit in this room, and mourn but also celebrate the life of Brandy, our soul feels dead, it feels no joy or rest. David killed lions and bears with his own hands. The light is always shining behind the shadow, and the shadow will never overcome it. Last Sunday my wife and I were in South Carolina on the way to church when we received the news that Ashley had died. The source of this hope is to be found in the texts of both passages which you have heard today. You feel like you cant see a foot in front of your face. We want to know that our life matters. Psalms 23:4. = Believe that Jesus died for you and rose again. We want to know that we can depend on God and the way God cares for us. Psalm 23 is a passage that tends to stay with us for the whole of life. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. 76 0 obj In death, we want to know that not everything you knew of expected changed. Others understand it as the power of resurrection. The Lord Jesus Christ then died for our sins, and suffered the penalty, our penalty, of death. Its a cruel hoax. Then I spoke with Z., Ashleys wife, and my denials gave way to silence and tears. The mother angrily replied, They dont have numbers, they have names!. God is our shepherd, and we are his sheep. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. In the face of a world that spends obscene amounts of money to convince us via advertising that we have great wants and only the right clothes, toys, cars, or even vacations can fill them how radical it sounds I shall not want. From the Gospel of Matthew, we get a glimpse of the scripture lesson we hear most around Epiphany. (John 1:29). This is the best funeral sermon Ive ever read/heard for a tragic death. It is in moments like this that I face the fact that death is an everyday reality. We received that news with overwhelming shock and disbelief. David could rejoice because the Lord, his Shepherd, was with Him. If so, you will no longer be enslaved by the fear of death. It is like trying to spray perfume on a bag of trash and expecting it to remove the smell. Others might speak of it as the Divine, the Holy, the Mystery. Funeral Sermon for Elizabeth Radons / Rev. This is what the Good Shepherd has done for us. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me ( Ps. Let me illustrate from the life of Abraham, how the fear of death imprisons us as slaves, and how faith in Jesus Christ frees us. The psalm goes on to say, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. The final verse of Psalm 23 is one that addresses both life and death, and even bridges the two: Verse 6 - "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.". God gives us a place of prominence. And considering all these things, the words of the 23rd Psalm sound like the words of a man who was lost. The Christian can be thankful for the failures of those whose lives have touched their own because of the assurance that "God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 3 He restores my soul. I dont want to accept that reality. A. Psalm 23:4: Courageous Faith: E. Erskine. If we are serving alongside God as sheepdog, do we know andlove the sheep? There can be no shadow without light. God will never leave us or forsake - He is always there for us. Psalm 23 is a highly personal Psalm for David. In the Revelation to John it is that one seated on the throne saying, See, I am making all things new (Revelation 21:2-7). And you, Bethlehem, in the land ofJudah, God is loving, and present, fiercely and tenderly holding all of us whom God lovingly created. For centuries the Twenty-third Psalm has been one of the most treasured passages in all of Holy Scripture. Scripture: Its a matrix in which God and everything and everyone are connected. But what the Word of God does make very clear is that as we move through such times, God is with us. Message. This is the reason why Jesus came to earth. The Sawi then realized that this was what God had done for them. Only those who believe that Jesus died for them will be saved. He was not afraid of dying because God was with Him. The fighting stopped, and all was quiet. The rest have no hope. This was Abraham's faith, and thus it overcome his fear of death. Why do they need a shepherd? This is a Psalm of David and David was a shepherd. And then he would tell me about you Z., and you M., and you O., and you R., and you A., and you too T. You all are the threads woven throughout his matrix. The text which I have just read from the Book of Hebrews expands on David's words in Psalm 23, explaining how David's faith in God can free him from the fear of death. It is in moments like this that I have no answers, explanations, or understanding for myself or for you. The value of the words and their expression at the end of life is well established. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me . Thank you Anne. Jan 10, 1988. A. That is the one critical constant in changes of our lives. And I will not pretend to have any today. From where is my help to come? (Psalm 121) are no longer the psalmists words. The soldiers of each side joined together and ate together, and sang a few songs together that had different words, but common tunes. All shall be well. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; God had called Abraham from his homeland and brought him to the land of Israel, which He promised to give to him and his descendants. Psalm 23:4: Deep Shades: A. S. Brooke. preach the funeral sermon. Hear us today, Father, and grant these requests of Your people. Life is really real here. It was conversations I began having with Judy Gambill about 2 years ago that granted me new fresh insight on Psalm 23. Psalms 23:1-6, John 6:37-40, Psalms 6:1-10, Denomination: And I think you know exactly what I mean and how I feel. R/. 2009-2023 Michael K. Marsh and Interrupting The Silence, All Rights Reserved. What is the one thing necessary for a shadow to exist? He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. She treated many as if they were family. 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