Beyond Sunday - Psalm 23
Beyond Sunday, Week of July 21, 2024
“God is With You” Psalm 23
Thoughts: Pastor Lacey’s message on Sunday reminded me of an experience my wife had several years ago, when God made it abundantly clear to her that, “I am with you!”
Having accepted a leadership role with our previous church back in Olathe, KS, she was scheduled to speak soon before a gathering of church staff and volunteer leaders. Preparing for that address she began to experience some anxiety, so much so that she was having trouble sleeping. One night lying awake, full of anxiety, she recited over and over, Philippians 4:6, which begins, “Do not be anxious about anything…” Telling the Lord “I am trying!” Wondering “How am I supposed to do that?”, she heard in her spirit, “Go back one sentence, and you will see.” The previous verse, Philippians 4:5b gave her the answer, “The Lord is near.”
The next morning, she awoke refreshed, and quickly wrote out her speech. I was immensely proud of her as I watched her humbly and confidently deliver God’s story in her life. Pastor Lacey described the effect of the “The Lord is near” in Psalm 23, as the strength, peace, and confidence the sheep felt, like my wife, because of the proximity of the Shepherd to his fold.
Read: Matthew 6:31-34, Philippians 4:4-13, 1 Timothy 6:6-10
• Depending on the version of the Bible you use, Psalm 23 begins with the message that because The Lord is our shepherd, we “…lack nothing…” or we “…shall not want…” But let’s be honest with each other, okay? We humans are not easily satisfied.
o Jesus addressed our natural human needs and desires, and how we should view them. What does that passage from Matthew reveal to you about our God, His character, and His priorities?
• Pastor Lacey told us how sheep cannot “lie down in green pastures,” that is, find peace, unless they are free from fear, tension, aggravation/irritation, and hunger.
o I confess that too often I allow minor irritations of life to rob me of my peace. Which of those four issues plagues you the most? How could you respond differently and be more peaceful?
o Our greatest hungers are spiritual and emotional. We frequently seek to ease those hungers with the wrong things—not necessarily bad things, but not the best things. What hunger do you most need satisfied, and what are you looking to for satisfaction?
Read: Genesis 3:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:4, John 10:10, Romans 4:17
• Lacey warned us not to believe that liar, Satan, and the “I am…” lies he feeds us. Moses believed that he was too insignificant and “slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 3, 4) But God did mighty things through him. Gideon was hiding from Israel’s enemies, the Midianites. But God called him a “mighty warrior” and used him to defeat Midian. (Judges 6, 7)
o What “I am…” lies of the enemy might you be believing?
o When we say things like, “I am …depressed…anxious…too weak…(insert negative feeling, or lie of Satan here),” we are making little agreements with the enemy. How would it change things for you to say instead, “I FEEL…, AND ‘I can do all this through Him who gives me strength’”(Philippians 4:13)?
o What Truths does God want to “…call into being…” in you; things He designed you to be but you have not yet become?
Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Galatians 6:2, Ephesians 4:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:11
• When we “feel off,” believing those “I am…” lies of the enemy, or when we are suffering some trial, it can be tempting to withdraw from community, to hide our shame and/or imperfections, or try to go it alone. But as Lacey said, that is the time we most need to lean into community, to seek comfort, strength, and encouragement from our brothers and sisters in Christ.
o Describe how you have received comfort from God. How can you offer similar comfort to someone in your community?
o In what area of life do you need to be comforted, strengthened, encouraged? To whom (individual or group) will you turn for what you need?
o What does it mean to you to be built up by another person? Who has previously built you up and how?
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:19, John 5:24, John 14:1-3
• Psalm 23 ends with assurance that our future is secure.
o What questions, if any does that raise for you? How do all those Scriptures help?
Read: Psalm 42
• Even King David, who penned Psalm 23 to express his confidence in and closeness with God, occasionally felt distant from God. In Psalm 42, he cries out about feeling “downcast” (that is anxious and/or depressed), and expressing his thirst for God. To help him overcome his feelings, David remembers how God was with Israel in conquering the Promised Land, and recalls times he personally felt close to God in worship.
o Describe a time(s) when you felt close to God.
o For what situation do you need to “Put your hope in God”?
Read: Mark 1:15, Psalm 16:5-7, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 118:6-7, Colossians 3:2
Pray: Ask God to make His presence in your life obvious—to you and to others, to fill you with His peace and with confidence. Perhaps, like Pastor Lacey, you feel the need to repent in some areas. Her examples were focusing on what we don’t have versus what we do, walking in defeat versus victory, forgetting that He is with us in all our trials offering us courage and strength, and having our minds on earthly things instead of eternal things. Add to or delete from that partial list as appropriate and turn to God in repentance.
Next Steps:
• A great way to experience God’s presence is to participate in 21 Days of Prayer. Click here to get more information.
“God is With You” Psalm 23
Thoughts: Pastor Lacey’s message on Sunday reminded me of an experience my wife had several years ago, when God made it abundantly clear to her that, “I am with you!”
Having accepted a leadership role with our previous church back in Olathe, KS, she was scheduled to speak soon before a gathering of church staff and volunteer leaders. Preparing for that address she began to experience some anxiety, so much so that she was having trouble sleeping. One night lying awake, full of anxiety, she recited over and over, Philippians 4:6, which begins, “Do not be anxious about anything…” Telling the Lord “I am trying!” Wondering “How am I supposed to do that?”, she heard in her spirit, “Go back one sentence, and you will see.” The previous verse, Philippians 4:5b gave her the answer, “The Lord is near.”
The next morning, she awoke refreshed, and quickly wrote out her speech. I was immensely proud of her as I watched her humbly and confidently deliver God’s story in her life. Pastor Lacey described the effect of the “The Lord is near” in Psalm 23, as the strength, peace, and confidence the sheep felt, like my wife, because of the proximity of the Shepherd to his fold.
Read: Matthew 6:31-34, Philippians 4:4-13, 1 Timothy 6:6-10
• Depending on the version of the Bible you use, Psalm 23 begins with the message that because The Lord is our shepherd, we “…lack nothing…” or we “…shall not want…” But let’s be honest with each other, okay? We humans are not easily satisfied.
o Jesus addressed our natural human needs and desires, and how we should view them. What does that passage from Matthew reveal to you about our God, His character, and His priorities?
• Pastor Lacey told us how sheep cannot “lie down in green pastures,” that is, find peace, unless they are free from fear, tension, aggravation/irritation, and hunger.
o I confess that too often I allow minor irritations of life to rob me of my peace. Which of those four issues plagues you the most? How could you respond differently and be more peaceful?
o Our greatest hungers are spiritual and emotional. We frequently seek to ease those hungers with the wrong things—not necessarily bad things, but not the best things. What hunger do you most need satisfied, and what are you looking to for satisfaction?
Read: Genesis 3:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:4, John 10:10, Romans 4:17
• Lacey warned us not to believe that liar, Satan, and the “I am…” lies he feeds us. Moses believed that he was too insignificant and “slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 3, 4) But God did mighty things through him. Gideon was hiding from Israel’s enemies, the Midianites. But God called him a “mighty warrior” and used him to defeat Midian. (Judges 6, 7)
o What “I am…” lies of the enemy might you be believing?
o When we say things like, “I am …depressed…anxious…too weak…(insert negative feeling, or lie of Satan here),” we are making little agreements with the enemy. How would it change things for you to say instead, “I FEEL…, AND ‘I can do all this through Him who gives me strength’”(Philippians 4:13)?
o What Truths does God want to “…call into being…” in you; things He designed you to be but you have not yet become?
Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Galatians 6:2, Ephesians 4:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:11
• When we “feel off,” believing those “I am…” lies of the enemy, or when we are suffering some trial, it can be tempting to withdraw from community, to hide our shame and/or imperfections, or try to go it alone. But as Lacey said, that is the time we most need to lean into community, to seek comfort, strength, and encouragement from our brothers and sisters in Christ.
o Describe how you have received comfort from God. How can you offer similar comfort to someone in your community?
o In what area of life do you need to be comforted, strengthened, encouraged? To whom (individual or group) will you turn for what you need?
o What does it mean to you to be built up by another person? Who has previously built you up and how?
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:19, John 5:24, John 14:1-3
• Psalm 23 ends with assurance that our future is secure.
o What questions, if any does that raise for you? How do all those Scriptures help?
Read: Psalm 42
• Even King David, who penned Psalm 23 to express his confidence in and closeness with God, occasionally felt distant from God. In Psalm 42, he cries out about feeling “downcast” (that is anxious and/or depressed), and expressing his thirst for God. To help him overcome his feelings, David remembers how God was with Israel in conquering the Promised Land, and recalls times he personally felt close to God in worship.
o Describe a time(s) when you felt close to God.
o For what situation do you need to “Put your hope in God”?
Read: Mark 1:15, Psalm 16:5-7, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 118:6-7, Colossians 3:2
Pray: Ask God to make His presence in your life obvious—to you and to others, to fill you with His peace and with confidence. Perhaps, like Pastor Lacey, you feel the need to repent in some areas. Her examples were focusing on what we don’t have versus what we do, walking in defeat versus victory, forgetting that He is with us in all our trials offering us courage and strength, and having our minds on earthly things instead of eternal things. Add to or delete from that partial list as appropriate and turn to God in repentance.
Next Steps:
• A great way to experience God’s presence is to participate in 21 Days of Prayer. Click here to get more information.
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