Dr. Rick Mandl - August 27, 2020
Not Just For Funerals
Not Just For Funerals
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Hey church family. I hope you’re doing well today. I was thinking recently that I can’t remember the last time that I was leading a funeral service where I did not include somewhere within the service, the reading of the 23rd Psalm. It’s just the way it goes. Some parts of God’s Word we tend to associate with certain occasions.
If you’re at a wedding, and they are including a scripture reading, it might very well come from 1 Corinthians 13 which provides us with God’s definition of love . . . Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
On the flip-side, if you’re attending a funeral you may well hear words from the 23rd Psalm Because that’s the Psalm that tells us . . . "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." The interesting thing is that if you study that Psalm you’ll discover that it has more to do with life than it does with death. As I read through this Psalm, I see at least three things that God promises to give us in life.
First of all. . . AS MY SHEPHERD, GOD GIVES ME DIRECTION. David wrote. . . "The Lord is my shepherd," King David wrote, "I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake" The idea of God being our caring, guiding shepherd is one of the most beautiful and comforting metaphors in the Bible. The fact is, left to themselves, sheep don't navigate very well. Isaiah 53:6 tells us . . . “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way;” A shepherd’s job is to guide, and we have the greatest guide. He also promises to meet our needs, which is how we can say with confidence, "I shall not want."
#1 As my shepherd, God gives me DIRECTION. #2. As my friend, God gives me PROTECTION. Psalm 23:4 tells us . . "Yea, 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" That’s important because, life is not always going to be green pastures and still waters; There will also be dark valleys. But God is right there with us in those valleys. Our Good Shepherd not only uses a staff to DIRECT His sheep, but also a rod to PROTECT His sheep from predators like Satan, who "prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.”
THE THIRD PROMISE God makes in this psalm is that . . . #3. AS A HOST, HE GIVES US PROVISION. Verse 5 says . . . "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over." Here we see God not just as a shepherd, but also as a host who provides us with exactly what we need.. David concludes the Psalm in verse 6 with a statement of faith. He says . . . Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." David is saying "God has taken care of me up to this point in my life, and I am sure that in the days to come He's going to do the same." So even though this valley we're all going through is dark… And even though we can't see where we're going, the shepherd who is leading us can. He knows what you need, He's going to provide what you need,
He gives us His DIRECTION, His PROTECTION, and His PROVISION And something we need to never forget. . . David wrote about WALKING THROUGH the valley, not LIVING IN IT forever. May that encourage us as we’re going through the tough times.
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