Quote:
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” – A.W. Tozer

Series takeaway:
Your success (growth and quality) as a sheep will be completely dependent upon your proximity to the Shepherd.

*Last week refresh:
We all log time in the valleys of life, we accumulate hurts and David is reminding us that God is WITH US in every step. We’re invited to let God soothe our wounds and let Him ALONE be your ultimate source = satisfying your greatest needs. He will see you through the valleys of life.
As we traverse through we’re to focus on God's power and presence more than our problems & pressures. Don’t tell God how big your problems are – remind your problems how BIG your God is! AND because your cup overflows…you’re special & significant and you’re never pushed away from the presence of your Good Shepherd. Whether in the valley or mountain-top.

Tonight we turn to verse 6:

Because God is good I can expect His goodness and His love. I can count on His protection and provision. I can expect that no matter what happens to me, God will bring good out of it somehow. He watches over those He loves.

David's not saying only good things are going to happen == He is saying only goodness will follow. Good things will always come out of whatever happens - even the bad, the evil, and the difficult. God will insure that good will come out of it. (see Romans 8:28)

God's GRACE IS ALWAYS WORKING IN YOU. Not only His goodness will follow you but "...His LOVE (mercy) will follow me all the days of my life." LOVE = ‘chesed’ in Hebrew it's: loving-kindness – the closest word we have in O.T. to the New Testament word: GRACE. It speaks to God’s covenant love, one he can’t violate or break. ‘loving-kindness’ = God’s devoted & loyal love - will follow me all the days of my life.

G.R.A.C.E. = God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Grace is the fact that God gives you what you need, not what you deserve. Q) Aren't you glad God doesn't give you what you deserve? God's goodness will take care of you in the good days, God's LOVE will take care of you in the midst of the bad days.

This is a psalm about shepherding -- "The Lord is my shepherd".
So, here's a "Livestock Lesson:" You lead sheep, but you drive cattle.
The difference is that sheep are led from the front. The shepherd is in front of the flock. He leads and they follow. Cows are driven from behind to keep them moving. If you were to go to the Middle East and see a shepherd leading a flock of sheep, you'll see a shepherd at the front and one or two sheep dogs at the rear, keeping them in line. God's Goodness and LOVE are like his "divine sheep dogs".

Jesus lays some incredible truths out in the gospel of John. John 10 he declares himself to be the "Good Shepherd". The one who lays down his very life for the sheep = they lack nothing! He also reminds us in John 14, that he's preparing a place for us in eternity to be with him forever.

Heaven is waiting for YOU.
God says, I've got this good life planned for you and surely my goodness and love will follow you through it here; BUT that's not the end! I've got something else at the end! David builds this Psalm 23 to a crescendo:
The best is truly yet to come!

(also see 2 Corinthians 5:1) - We're going to live forever in one of two places -- heaven or hell. They are both real places. You will spend eternity in one: it’s your choice. With the Shepherd or without. Choose carefully (the Scriptures say…) = Death, for Christians, is a transfer, a promotion. It's on to better things.

Remember: Earth is the warm up act. This isn't the big deal. You're going to spend 60, 70, 80 maybe 90 years here on earth. But you'll spend thousands, millions of years in eternity -- heaven or hell. This is the appetizer, the preschool. This isn't the big show. And it does all boil down to who you know - not how good you are. So, don't buy into the world's system. Don't live by a short-sighted plan or on a superficial level. Live in light of eternity.

Think About It:
Q) if God’s goodness and love follow us – in our presence; what does my presence bring to others around me? Do I bring with me God’s goodness and love with me when I travel and interact? That’s a good question to ask yourself – do people leave your presence having experienced a bit more of that or do they leave experiencing something different…?

*Psalm 23 reflection:
If I know the shepherd, I don't have to fear anything. I don't need to fear deficiency, because the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need. I don't need to fear loneliness, for He is with me always. I don't need to fear mistakes, for He guides me on the right path. I don't need to fear failure, for He restores my soul. I don’t need to fear the valleys & challenges of life, because he will lead me through. I don't need to fear the future, because His goodness and LOVE are going to chase & cling to me all the days of my life. I don't even need to fear death, because I will dwell in the house of the Lord and in his presence, forever.

Jesus is your Good Shepherd = HE delivers protection, provision, peace, providence, His presence, and ultimately, brings us home to paradise!

Series takeaway:
Your success (spiritual growth and quality) as a sheep will be completely dependent upon your proximity to the Shepherd.
-Memorization Challenge: how'd ya do at memorizing Psalm 23? *couple days left in January - go for it!

Need Prayer? ....we've got some of our prayer team and pastors available following service to pray with you. Or you can text the word "prayer" to our phone number: #520-300-9001 to submit your prayer request or submit one via our new app. We look forward to partnering with you in prayer.