I'm going to read the entirety of the psalm.
The focus of our exposition today will be in
verse 4. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not
want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores
my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness.
For his namesake. Even though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no
evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your
staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before
me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed
my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness
and loving kindness will follow me. All the days
of my life. And I will dwell in the house of
the Lord forever. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.
Father, we come to you this Lord's Day. Father,
we recognize our desperate, desperate need for
you to work through your word. Lord, we ask at
this time. that you would bless the ministry
of the Word of God that you have ordained. Lord,
we ask that your Spirit would accompany the ministry
of the Word and work mightily in the hearts and
minds of your people. Father, your Word is described
in the Scriptures as fire, as a hammer, and as
a sword. Lord, we ask that you would use your
Word to warm the hearts of your people. Father,
we ask that you would use the word to smash sin
to pieces in our lives. And Father, we ask that
you would use the word to pierce through the
soul that doesn't know Christ. Lord, be with
us. Help me to hide behind the word of God, that
it may accomplish its work, that your spirit
may bear witness to its truth. We ask these realities,
we ask these things, Lord, in the name of our
precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
You may be seated. How a person goes through
suffering is very revealing regarding their faith.
Their spiritual maturity and their character.
In many ways, suffering manifests the inner spiritual
life of an individual. What is present within
their soul. How active and how strong the justifying
faith that God has given to them. How vibrant
the inner man and the inner life is in their
lives. We forget, because of the nature of suffering,
that times of trial are supposed to be meaningful
in our lives. Many times we get so wrapped up
in the issues of life, the issues at hand, that
we forget that times of hardship ought to be
meaningful for us as God's people and for those
around us as God's people and even for unbelieving
men and unbelieving women who observe and see
the believer suffering. It speaks volumes to
those that are around the sufferer. Now today,
we're going to speak about how the believer ought
to suffer from Psalm 23, verse 4. David says
this, he says, Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil,
for you are with me. Last week we talked about
the reality of suffering and hardship that's
universal, without exception. The fact that it's
inevitable in the life of every single believer.
But we haven't talked too much about in Psalm
23. about the manner, the fashion, or how a believer
is to go through suffering and trials. We know
that they're inevitable. That's clear by the
way the world works. That's clear from Scripture.
So how, brothers and sisters, ought the believer
to suffer when those inevitable circumstances
come into their lives? That's the question that
we will talk about today that we'll address in
this message, how believers ought to suffer.
Now, I speak primarily and almost exclusively
to believers today. And the reason I say that
is because believers, because of the work of
grace, because they are God's covenant people,
because the Spirit of God dwells within them
and they have a new nature by the grace of God,
because they've been enabled to respond by grace,
to grace, and in grace, they can and they have
the ability to suffer. in a distinctly different
way from the unbeliever. The Christian can and
should suffer differently than the unbelieving
man and the unbelieving woman, the unbelieving
world around them. So I speak to believers today.
This morning, we have to consider three things.
We must consider the believer's acceptance or
willingness to suffer. We have to consider the
believer's composure in suffering. But we also
must consider the believer's determination. In
the midst of hardship. When they go through the
valleys and the shadows of life. Starting with
the first. The believers acceptance of hardship
in their life. Or their willingness to go through
hardship in their life. Notice in the text in
verse 4 David says this. He says I walk through.
the valley of the shadow of death. That is a
personal, volitional activity on David's part.
When suffering comes, when hardship comes, when
the darkness comes, David says, I walk through
it. It's something that he himself does. In a
sense, we could say he submits to the suffering.
He receives it. He accepts it. That's the card
he has been dealt by the sovereign hand of God.
Therefore, he submits to that providence in his
life. He walks through it himself, using his
own mind, his own will. He's the one that takes
the step. to put his one foot in front of the
other foot to get through it. Not somebody else.
David. So it's a personal volitional activity
on the part of David. Now, it's important that
we understand that we're not talking about being
a masochist. Someone who seeks out and enjoys
displeasure, pain, and suffering. That's not
what we're talking about. We're talking about
the fact that as a believer, we believe that
God is sovereign. He is good. He is faithful.
He is just. It is the Lord, capital L, capital
O, capital R, capital D, that is our shepherd.
And he is the one that leads us to the valley,
through the valley, and out of the valley. So,
we're not going around looking for it. We don't
go, oh, pain, whoo! Brothers and sisters, that's
not what we do as believers. No, we recognize
the seriousness of the situation. We recognize
that God is sovereign. And we humbly accept and
receive the circumstances of life that God has
given to us in and out of that sovereignty. That's
what David is doing. It might help us to understand
if we think about someone who is unwilling to
suffer or somebody who believes that suffering
is unacceptable in their life. I imagine that
you already kind of have ideas in your mind about
what I mean by that. There are times when suffering
comes into an individual's life, and what does
it do, brothers and sisters? It creates a squirming,
a wiggling, a flailing in a person's life where
they want to get out from under it. Get rid of
this. Let go of this. Do away with this. I don't
want this. Lord, take it back. They're unwilling
to suffer. If we think about our own lives with
that reality in mind, there are several symptoms
that show us why we personally are unwilling
to suffer at times. Think in your own mind, in
your own heart, for just a brief moment. What
are some reasons? Or what are some things in
your life, in your heart, that show you don't
want, What are some symptoms of the underlying
causes? Well, we could think about bitterness,
resentment, being cranky, frustrated, persistent
anger, which you don't know, you don't quite
seem to know the cause of. Hopelessness. Or despair.
Now, those are the symptoms of a person that
doesn't want to go through suffering. Now, what
are the underlying causes of those symptoms?
Pride. Vanity. Self -righteousness. Wrong thinking.
And lack of faith. And a person's soul. Now,
how is that so? What exactly do I mean by that?
Well, when a person says, I'm unwilling to go
through this. I'm mad. I'm angry. I'm frustrated
at the Lord. And I'm mad and I'm frustrated and
I'm angry at people around me because of my circumstances.
What are we saying? I don't deserve to be here.
I'm better than this. This shouldn't be my life.
I'm a good person. I do good. I'm a righteous
person. I help other people. I should not be
in these circumstances. I'm above these circumstances.
I don't deserve this. Brothers and sisters, what's
the root cause of that? Self -righteousness and
pride. Maybe other people should be here, but
not me. What about squirming and flailing in
circumstances and being unwilling and unaccepting
of loss, grief, mourning, hardship, and pain
in our lives as a result of wrong thinking or
lack of faith? are you frustrated with the circumstances
that come upon you? Why do you like the good
circumstances from God, but not the difficult,
hard circumstances from God? Why can we rejoice
so easily in these, but we cast our joy aside
so easily in these? Why does our faith seem so
vibrant in the pleasant, good times? but then
all of a sudden it sinks down and it becomes
a drag and difficult and heavy and almost evaporates
in the hard times. It could very well be not
self -righteousness, not pride, not vanity, but
the fact that you don't understand who God is.
It could be the fact that you are ignorant of
the sovereign character of the living God, that
He isn't just a God. who is over the good, pleasant
circumstances of life, but he is a God that is
sovereign over every circumstance in this life.
Every single one of them. Wrong thinking down
deep can result in misery in one's life when
suffering comes. Or it could simply be a lack
of faith. You know who God is. I know that God
is sovereign. I know that He's good. I know what
the Bible teaches. He superintends and He works
out all things for the good of His people. But
you find your heart despairing anyways. You find
your heart sinking over and over. You feel as
though you're being downcast, cast down over
and over. It's not your understanding in this
issue. It's the strength or the vitality or the
vibrancy of your faith. You know the truth, but
do you believe the truth? There's all kinds of
reasons, many, many beyond what we've mentioned
here, that can cause a person to be unwilling
to say, I walk through. the valley of the shadow
of death. There are many underlying things that
make a person say, if I'm going through this,
you're going to drag me through this, Lord. I'm
not walking through it. Somebody's going to have
to push me, shove me, pull me through. But I
refuse to accept this reality in my life. Brothers
and sisters, we need to learn. From Job. We need
to have the same attitude, the same faith as
our forefather Job. We read in Job chapter 2.
The Lord said to Satan, Where have you come from?
Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From roaming
about on the earth and walking around on it.
The Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my
servant Job? For there is no one like him on
earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God
and turning away from evil. And he still holds
fast his integrity, although you incited me against
him to ruin him without cause. Satan answered
the Lord and said, He will give for yes. I apologize.
Verse 4. Satan answered the Lord and said, Skin
for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give
for his life. However, put forth your hand now
and touch his bone and his flesh and he will
curse you to your face. So the Lord said to Satan,
Behold, he is in your power. Only spare his life.
Then Satan went out from the presence of the
Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole
of his foot to the crown of his head. And he
took potsherd to scrape himself while he was
sitting among the ashes. And then listen to what
his wife says to Job. Listen to how she encourages
Job. Then his wife said to him, Do you still
hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.
But he said to her, you speak as one of the foolish
women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from
God and not accept adversity? And all this Job
did not sin with his lips. What can we learn
from Job, brothers and sisters? That yes, we
need to walk with the shepherd and the green
pastures. We need to follow the lead of the shepherd
in the green pastures and the paths of righteousness.
But brothers and sisters, when the shepherd leads
us in the valleys, we need to willingly follow
him. Has God all of a sudden fallen off the throne
when things get hard? Was he on the throne on
Monday and then Thursday he's off the throne?
Is He sovereign when things are good, but He's
not sovereign when things are hard and difficult?
Is He sovereign when your life is going well
and you're prosperous, and then all of a sudden
His sovereignty is stripped from Him whenever
your life is miserable and hard? Brothers and
sisters, the Lord is sovereign in all circumstances.
He's always the Lord. The eternal, self -existent,
all -sufficient, God who is redemptive. And he
is his people's shepherd. The believer must accept
and be willing to endure suffering. That's one
of the initial things that a person must come
to and they must wrestle with when life gets
difficult. You have to get with God. and wrestle
with him until you're in submission to his will
and his purposes. Where you submit your desires
and your affections and your longings and even
your life to him. We must be able to say, I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death. We
also, as believers, ought to have a certain composure
about ourselves as we go through hardship. David
doesn't just say, I, but he says, I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death. Now, normally,
when we think about this term walk, it wouldn't
be abnormal or that unique. It's used. All the
time throughout the scriptures. It's a very common
word that's used regularly. It occurs over and
over and over. But it's interesting and it's
unique in that it's used in this context. Think
about it. He faces evil. Evil is in front of
him. Darkness is approaching. He's in the valley.
He can't get out. Brothers and sisters, it's
tumultuous. It's trying. Yet, he says, I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death. He
has enemies. We know that from verse 5 and verse
6. People who oppose him, people who hate him,
people who most likely want to take his life
and remove him from the kingdom. But he says,
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Now, there are several uses we can look at to
understand this word a little bit better. When
we go back to Genesis chapter 6, we'll look at
Genesis chapter 6 verse 9. These are the records
of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous
man. Blameless in his time, Noah walked with
God. He continued to walk with God. He stayed
with God. He remained with God. We also read
the same thing about Enoch, who walked with God
for 300 years. This idea of continually, steadfastly,
persistently. Walking with the Lord. We can also
look at Genesis chapter 8 verse 3. And the water
receded steadily from the earth. And at the end
of 150 days the water decreased. The words receded
steadily. It's the same word for walk. It's a
gradual, yet a consistent decrease in the water
levels on the earth. It's a gradual, steady,
slow receding of the waters as they covered the
world. We could read in chapter 9, verse 23.
But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid
it upon both their shoulders and walked backward
and covered the nakedness of their father. And
their faces were turned away so that they did
not see their father's nakedness. There's a caution.
There's an intentionality with how they are walking
in this situation. because they don't want to
bring shame or partake of shame upon their father.
There's an intentionality with regards to how
they walk, not forward, but backwards. So when
we think about this idea of walking through the
valley of the shadow of death, we should think
about the fact that David's speaking of a calmness.
A control. A caution. A slowness and an intentionality.
As he walks through this grave danger, this grave
trouble in his life, there's an evenness, a balance,
a consistency, a steadfastness that is in his
life as he goes through the trials and the hardships
and the difficulties. Now, we hear this and we
can understand very clearly why it's vitally
important that we think about this word walk
in this context. As we saw last week, trials
have a unique way of bringing seemingly generous
people to be selfish and inward focused. What
else can trials do in a person's life? What can
they bring about in a person's heart, in a person's
mind, in a person's world, brothers and sisters?
When the darkness comes and the valleys come
and the difficulties arrive, it has a tendency
to produce confusion in the heart. Corruption
to be stirred up in the flesh. And chaos to ensue
in an individual's life. Don't... and trials
have that unique ability, that special superpower
to turn your world upside down. And isn't it
during this time that we need to make sure we
check ourselves? Isn't it during this time we
need to rein ourselves in? We need to calm ourselves?
Isn't it at this time, more than any other in
our life, brothers and sisters, that we need
to walk slowly, steadily, consistently, cautiously,
and intentionally in our lives? Because there's
darkness all around us. The visibility in the
valley is not great. Especially when it's this
deep darkness. The view of the sheep is constricted.
It's limited. They can't see very far in front
of them. They can't see to the left, the right.
They can't see to the left. So it's important
that the people of God slow down in hardship.
They take a moment to breathe. and to think deeply
about what God is doing in their lives. Now,
I think we need to add a little bit of nuance
to this. Composure is relative. That's a relative
term, brothers and sisters, that will be uniquely
displayed in every single individual. Now, it's
important that we understand. When we go through
trials, the Bible does not teach, and I am not
teaching, that you should have no emotions. That's
not what I'm saying. That's not what the Word
of God is saying. That you should feel nothing
and that you should suppress everything. We are
parts and we are pieces. We are made up of parts,
brothers and sisters. God is simple and God alone
is simple. He is a spirit. We are body and soul.
So we will have emotions. But what this text
is teaching us is that as those who know the
grace of God, as those who have been transformed
and changed by the grace of God, we ought to
check our emotions with regards to the truth.
With regards to what the Word of God says regarding
self -restraint, holiness, godliness, what the
truth of the Scriptures are. So we shouldn't
expect that we'll be emotionless, that we won't
have any feelings. Brothers and sisters, we're
people. But we want... sanctified emotions in
suffering. We want sanctified feelings in the
midst of trials. We want sanctified speech when
things are difficult. We want a sanctified heart
when trials come upon us. Christians are not
those who let it run wild. Christians are not
those who set it free and let loose. We are those
when trials come, we walk through them. Because
we know the unique dangers that can come upon
us in a valley when we can't see very well. So
when we think about this, during trials, brothers
and sisters, it's a good time to slow down. And
consider your life before the living God. And
consider your own heart and your own mind and
your own longings, your own actions. It's a good
time to bring other faithful believers around
you and alongside of you to seek them out and
pursue them because it is dark and you can't
see that well. It is not the time. to make life
-changing decisions. It is not the time to make
big moves, big changes in your life because you're
in a valley. You're in a trial. We need to seek
out and pursue consistency, steadfastness. and
constancy in our lives as believers, especially
when things get difficult. Now, that makes us
think, and that provides us with this picture
of when the trials come, the hardship comes,
it's almost as though we fall back on something.
We have something built in to fall back, a steady
foundation, a base. And that's why it's important,
brothers and sisters, that we cultivate and we
nourish and we work towards having consistency
and steadfastness and a settled heart in the
disciplines of grace in our lives before suffering
comes. So that when it arrives, we can fall back
on those blessed, gracious, spiritual disciplines
and our hearts are already trained to be tethered
to the Word of God. Our hearts are already trained
to be tethered to prayer and seeking the face
of God. We ought to seek out regularity in those
realities before the trial becomes because when
it and when it comes upon you, the temptation
will be irregular in everything. And in that
time when you need to walk, the time when you
need to walk more than any other time, we need
something consistent, steady, and settled to
fall back on. And what must that be, brothers
and sisters? The Word of God, prayer, and the
Christian church. That when you are cast down,
that when you are knocked off your horse temporarily,
you fall under grace. So believers must have
a godly composure. And they ought to seek a godly
composure as they go through trials and difficulties.
But we also see that believers ought to have
a determination. In the hardships of life. Now,
listen to what David says. He says, even though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod
and your staff, they comfort me. Now, there's
other translations which say, they don't say,
I fear no evil. There's other translations which
say, I will. Fear no evil, meaning now or in
the future. Listen to what John Calvin says on
this text. He says, David did not mean he was
devoid of all fear, but that he would overcome
it so as to go without fear wherever his shepherd
may lead him. So what is David saying? He's not
saying, oh, I have no fear in this situation.
Fear is absent. Fear does not exist to me. That
is not what he's saying, brothers and sisters.
It is an unwillingness. It's a statement of determination.
It is an unwillingness to be overcome by fearfulness
in our lives. And it is a positive statement
in that he's saying, I will subdue fear in my
life. I will overcome it. I will get over it.
It will not dominate me. I will dominate the
fear in my life. This is very similar to what
we find in Psalm 42. We read these words. The
psalmist says, My tears have been my food day
and night. While they say to me all day long,
where is your God? What are his tears saying
to him, brothers and sisters? Where is God at
in this situation? Where is your Lord? Where
is your shepherd? Fear. Be afraid. Be anxious.
Be worried. Notice that David's own soul is talking.
To David himself, or the psalmist. He's talking
to himself. His soul is speaking to him. Now
every single one of us knows exactly what the
psalmist is dealing with. Do you ever hear yourself
talk to yourself? All the time. But the problem
comes. When we are talking to ourselves, or we're
listening to ourselves talk, and that speech,
that communication, that talk is bringing up
the worries from yesterday. It's bringing up
and recalling all the issues that went wrong
two weeks ago. Or, that talk is telling you,
to anticipate the troubles of tomorrow. Now,
what do we do? Well, oftentimes we hear ourselves
speak, we receive it, and we submit to it. We
allow it. But what does the psalmist do, brothers
and sisters? Here's what the psalm says in verse
5. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why
have you become disturbed within me? So yes,
the psalmist is hearing himself speak. But what
does the psalmist do? He starts talking to himself.
He starts telling his own soul what is right
and what is wrong. So when thoughts of fear,
anxiety, worry, and stress, and it's tempting
to overwhelm you and overcome you and bring you
to a place of despair. What do you need to do,
brothers and sisters? You need to say, come here.
And pull that self -talk up a little bit closer.
You say, put a sock in it and sit down. Stop
talking. I'm in charge. That is wrong. That is
false thinking. That is erroneous. That is not
what God is like. That is not true. God has said
he is with me, he is for me, and he is sovereign
and he is good. You preach the gospel to your
own soul. Now, when trials come, this is going
to be a battle, brothers and sisters. The stimulus
in your life is going to heighten that talk to
a point where it can seem overwhelming and it
can seem crushing. I am sure there are individuals
in this room who know exactly what I'm talking
about. What do you do when you are listening
to yourself? You tell it, come here, put a sock
in it, and sit down. That's not true. That's
wrong. That's false. Here's what is true. Here's
what is right. This is what the truth says. You
tell yourself what you will think. Believers
are not those who simply listen to themselves,
talk, brothers and sisters. Those with a new
nature, the covenant people of God, those born
again, those who have been made new creatures
in Christ, are those who tell themselves what
they believe. They are those who lead their emotions.
They are those who lead their hearts and lead
their minds. As those who have been born again
to a living hope and have a vital ruling principle
in their own soul. Now, why do you have to win
this battle? Why do I say it's going to be extremely
hard and why is it so important that you persist
and you overcome that voice? Because Your hope?
Your joy? Your power? Your vitality? Your contentment?
Your satisfaction? Your peace? Listen, brothers
and sisters, your life, your usefulness, it depends
on you defeating that voice which tempts you
to be overwhelmed by fearfulness. Fight for your
life. Persist. Press on. Keep on. Go on. Overtake
it. Subdue it. Don't let it drag you around.
Pick up the chain and say, get behind me. That's
what the believer does. The believer leads themselves,
even their thinking, their heart, their mind,
their affections, their emotions, through the
trials and through the difficulties. Turn to
Psalm 27. We think about how David is going through
the valley. We think about his acceptance and
his willingness. We think about his composure.
We think about his holy determination. Not to
be overwhelmed by fearfulness, but to overcome
it. What is it that is informing David's conduct
and David's behavior and David's thinking? What
is it that is informing how he walks through
the valley of the shadow of death? Well, stay
there in Psalm 27. It's these words. For you
are with me. It's David's faith that God is with
him that is informing his conduct. his thinking,
and his behavior in the suffering. So we read
in Psalm 27, The Lord is my light and my salvation,
and consequently, whom shall I fear? The Lord
is the defense of my life, and consequently,
whom shall I dread? When evildoers come upon
me, To devour my flesh, my adversaries, and my
enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host
encamp against me, my heart will not fear. There
it is again. Though war arise against me, in
spite of all of this, I shall be confident. David's
conduct, the manner in which he suffers, His
willingness and acceptance of the trial. His
composure in the midst of it. And his determination.
All is informed and built on the reality that
God is with him. We can make several conclusions.
Or we can draw some conclusions from this. Believers
must conclude. That they ought to conduct themselves
in suffering in a manner consistent with faith.
If we want to know how we ought to suffer in
a particular trial, we have to ask ourselves,
what does faith require of me? And what is it
that we believe? The truth of the Word of God.
David can't see, can't feel that the Lord is
present, can he? The rod and the staff? It's
not a tangible, physical rod and staff. He's
using metaphorical language to convey truth.
But he knows God is with him. How, brothers and
sisters? Because he believes it. He believes
the promises of God. He believes the truth of
the word of God. He believes that God, just as
he was with Israel all those 40 years and led
them in the wilderness wonderings, God will be
with him as he was a shepherd to Israel. He believes
that God is with him and this informs his behavior.
Now, when a believer suffers in a manner that
is consistent with faith, this will always appear.
and be irrational and nonsensical to the unbelieving
world around us. Now, what do I mean by that?
Well, if we live by faith and we suffer by faith,
and our conduct and our thinking and our actions
and the manner in which we suffer is consistent
with faith, then the unbelieving man without
faith will look upon the life of the believer
in the midst of suffering and say, how do they
suffer like that? What is it about them? What
do they have that I don't have that enables them
to suffer? This doesn't make sense. Their whole
world has fallen apart. They're not grumbling.
They're not complaining. They're not moaning.
They're not groaning. They're not getting angry.
They're not getting mean. They're still joyful.
They're still... They're still satisfied. They're
still content. How can they do this? When this
comes upon me, my life shatters. When this happens
to me, I feel as though my world is over. How
is it possible that they do this? It's irrational
to the unbelieving man. It's nonsensical to the
one without faith. But it's perfectly rational
and makes perfect sense to those who believe
the divine promises of God when God says, I will
be with you. Are you suffering in a manner that's
consistent with faith? What does your suffering
say about your faith? About your spiritual maturity
and your character? Your inner life? Now, how
a professing believer suffers, as we mentioned
at the beginning, reveals a great It shows a
great deal about their inner person. And we have
to ask ourselves, what is it revealing to those
around me, the believers and unbelievers? But
what have you learned about yourself and your
hardships? What is your suffering revealed about
your own heart? Your own faith? Where is your
faith? What is your hope built on? We have to
take time to slow down and think about what the
Lord is doing in our lives, brothers and sisters.
suffering be meaningless. Don't let it be useless
and vain in your life. If you have faith, slow
down and consider, what is God doing in my life,
in my heart, through this, yes, this terribly
difficult situation, but through this situation
nonetheless. It is meant to reveal Our hearts
affections. To show us what's inside of us. I
believe it's Deuteronomy 8. Where Israel is being
treated as a son. And it talks about the testing
of the Lord. And God tested them and tried them.
To show what was in their hearts. To prove what
was in them. What is your suffering? What is
your trial? What is your hardship? Showing you,
Christian, to the unbelievers here, those who
don't know Christ, look to the believers that
are suffering well. Consider their life. Consider
their faith. And ask yourself, what do they have
that I don't? What are they in possession of
that enables them to act in such a way in such
a time? That's a challenging thing for the believer
and unbeliever, isn't it? Christian, does the
way you suffer offer Anything to the unbeliever?
Or do they say, they suffer just like me? Unbeliever.
Look to the one. Look to the believers, the professing
Christians, who are trusting in the Lord, who
are walking in the midst of hardship and ask,
what am I lacking? Let me tell you what you don't
have. And what the believer has. You don't have
saving faith. If you are here today. And you
are controlled. And you are dominated by the
flesh. You are controlled. And you are dominated
by your affections. Your love. Your lust. Your
immoral desires. Or even your emotions. And your
sin drags you around. And you have never been
born again to a living hope. You have never been
given a new nature in Christ. You have never
been made alive together with Christ. You have
never been given faith. That's what this means.
You have no faith to believe in the promise that
God is with you. You don't have a shepherd. You
don't have a new nature. You have not been made
new. If you turn from your sins and you trust
in Christ, then God will be with you in every
single pasture and He will be with you in every
single valley. You will possess the most glorious
promises of the cosmos. You will have the promise
of the new heavens and the new earth. You will
be given all of Christ for all of life. And you
will be able to say, as David said, even though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for you are with me.