Sermon Title: Walking in the Valley
The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He lets me rest in grassy meadows; He leads me to restful waters; He keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of His good name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because You are with me. Your rod and Your staff—they protect me. You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the LORD’s house as long as I live. (CEV)
Difficult times often seem bleak and hopeless. Maybe the hardest and most difficult of times is when we lose something or somebody that means so much to us, and the seemingly lack of purpose for that loss. During those times, it often appears that we are walking through a long, hard “darkest” of valleys, one in which we will never depart. It is there that the psalmist writes God, Our Heavenly Shepherd, meets us and gives to us “a table” and a “cup” that spills over.
Theologian R. Ellsworth writes the following concerning these verses: “David affirms that God’s provisions for his guests are both constant and abundant. The constancy of God’s provisions means that God’s people have them in every situation and circumstance. We have already noted that the saints of God have enemies in the hour of death. They have them all through life as well. These enemies are the world, the flesh and the devil. Knowing about these enemies, David here subjects God’s care to what we might call the ultimate test. He asserts that God’s care cannot be negated or destroyed by these fierce enemies. David sees himself sitting at a banquet table while they gather all around. While they threaten and snarl, he feasts. Such is the care of God!
David emphasizes the abundance of God’s care in these terms: You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (v. 5b). It was customary in those days to receive a guest by anointing him with fragrant perfume and with a cup filled with a choice wine. In this way, the host indicated that nothing was to be considered too good for his guest. David declares that God’s care surpasses even this. His head had been anointed, and his cup was overflowing. Such care compelled David to say: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; …(v. 6a). God’s goodness is that disposition which causes him actively to seek the wellbeing of his creature. His mercy is that quality that inclines him to relieve misery. Because he had seen so very much of God’s faithful care in every conceivable situation, David knew he could count on God’s goodness and mercy every step of the way.”
God provides His goodness and mercy, in every way and every day, because of His great love for us. And because of that, though we go through the valley, we can experience His peace, blessing and ultimately, eternal life. We will talk more about these things on Sunday as we complete our sermon series, “Lessons from Psalm 23.” Hope to see you then!
