Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative
This podcast was intended to resource our Dream Teamers at LifePoint Church, with biblical fundamentals on worship, life and a variety of leadership principles.
Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative
A Deep Dive into Psalm 23 and the Shepherd’s Heart
In this heartfelt episode, we uncover the significance of childhood nicknames and how they shape our identities. From lighthearted banter about funny nicknames like “Chino” and “Tiffy Toes” to a deep dive into Psalm 23, we explore how names carry stories and the importance of identity.
Transitioning from playful anecdotes to serious discussion, we delve into the timeless themes of Psalm 23, emphasizing the character of God as the Good Shepherd. This beloved scripture offers profound comfort and guidance, reminding us that we are never alone on our journey, even in the face of adversity.
Listeners will uncover the depth of God’s providence and the rich imagery of still waters and green pastures, understanding why these ancient words continue to resonate today. Our lively dialogue intertwines personal stories with reflections on faith, showcasing God’s relentless pursuit of His children.
As the episode wraps up, we encourage you to take a moment to reflect on how you relate to God as your shepherd. Join us in uncovering the profound love that awaits us and how our identities intertwine with divine grace. Subscribe, leave a review, and share your own childhood nickname stories with us!
Hey, what's up everybody, and welcome to Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative. My name is Elmer Ganas Jr and I'm excited that we are gathering once again and that you have taken time to join us on this podcast Today. Like always, the one and only willie c simpson jr yo what is up?
Speaker 2:what's up.
Speaker 1:I'm excited to be in the house with y'all today hey, and we have the one, and only the one, and only gsp, gsp. Terrific tiffany. You know what's crazy?
Speaker 1:yeah, I've had probably two or three individuals yeah on sunday come up to me and like, hey, you know what would be a great nickname for tiffany? And then they give me a nickname uh-huh. And I'm like, yeah, I know, no, really yeah, and and you know all respect to everyone because I know you're listening yeah, but you don't get to give her a nickname no that's not how nicknames work. Are they cool?
Speaker 2:Would I like them?
Speaker 4:I don't know, I think I could decide if I get.
Speaker 2:No, I guess you don't decide your own nicknames, that's what. I'm saying that's not how nicknames work.
Speaker 1:Did you have a nickname growing up?
Speaker 2:I did my nickname growing up. Oh, I had two nicknames. I had two nicknames. I had a family and a friend nickname. My parents nicknamed me. Pooh because when I was young I had an obsession with Winnie the Pooh. I loved Winnie the Pooh. I thought that was because you pooed on yourself. No, man, no, I got good bowel control. And then my friends in high school they called me smoky because they, when I was younger and I was thinner, they said I look like chris, chris tucker, okay from friday, like for real yeah, could you imitate him okay?
Speaker 4:and you know this man, here we go. And you know this man no kid nicknames.
Speaker 1:Oh man, my nickname was like so obviously now that we have video for a podcast, you know, I look Asian. I am Asian. Yes, and so my, just like my relatives would call me Chino.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Chino means like Chinese Right, you know, and so that was my nickname growing up. Other than that, I don't think I had any other ones, no other nicknames, no just. Chino.
Speaker 4:Hey Chino come here, yeah, yeah, and then when.
Speaker 1:I was little, it was Chinito yeah. That's right, Chinito yeah.
Speaker 2:But that's right.
Speaker 1:There's a connection there, there's a connection.
Speaker 2:Tiffany, did you have any nicknames growing up?
Speaker 4:Oh gosh, I'm going to write them down. I had. So, yes, Tiffy Toes, Because.
Speaker 1:I always walked on my tiptoes all the time you still do Tiffy Toes. I can't believe.
Speaker 4:I just told you guys that, wow, okay, I can't believe. I just told you guys that.
Speaker 2:Wow Okay.
Speaker 4:You know, sometimes I say things that I want to take back immediately. But yes, you asked me for the truth. That was my childhood. Nickname was Tiffy.
Speaker 2:Toes my mom will still call me Tiffy Toes. That is hilariously adorable. I love it. Tiffy Toes T-T-G-S-P that's right, ttgsp Spells.
Speaker 1:Tiffany.
Speaker 4:Almost, just pile them on, just pile them on.
Speaker 2:We're going to have. We're going to have. We need to come with a new nickname, like every week. Just everybody email us at info at LifePointChurchtv. Nicknames for.
Speaker 4:Tiff. When I asked, I got some when I made that. Oh, yeah, yeah, oh yeah, my, yeah, I got a few different ones thrown out. They were nice.
Speaker 1:I mean, they were they were good, but yeah, the ones that people suggested were nice, they weren't bad, right, but I'm like, hold on, Like you don't get to call her.
Speaker 2:GSP. No, no, that's a family name, I'm just kidding. I'm like you know, in your family you ask each other hey, big head. And then a stranger call you big head. You be like hold on, who is you? That's how we say it in our family. Who is you? Who are you kin to? That's my big head.
Speaker 4:Right, well, I'm glad to be part of the family. Hey Come on Well, you are loved. Yes.
Speaker 1:You are loved. Well, praise the Lord. Tiffany Tulls. Hey, I'm curious what are some really good nicknames? Yeah, yeah, send them in, send them in through our Instagram or on our YouTube channel. If you're watching this on YouTube, just put it in the comments and I'm interested.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah. What was your childhood nickname?
Speaker 1:What was your childhood nickname? That would be yes.
Speaker 4:I want to hear y'all's nicknames.
Speaker 1:What was y'all's nickname growing up?
Speaker 2:What was yours, what was your nickname growing up?
Speaker 1:What was yours, jacob, here? Hold on Talk into that microphone, can you hear me? Yeah? All right. So it's spelled C-H-o-g, it's chog, chog, and my family actually still calls me chog.
Speaker 3:They don't call me jacob, no, it's chog chog. So when I was, when I was really young, I watched like karate movies okay, and I make like the karate chop, but I'd have a chog when I did it okay yeah, you say yes still chog to this day, wow.
Speaker 1:Was it chuggy? Because you were little.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Chug-ito, chug-ito, chug-ito, give me a chug-ito Chug-ito.
Speaker 3:Oh, yep, all right, that's cool. It's cool, man I like that Chug Chug.
Speaker 1:Are we able to use that? Are able to use that Are?
Speaker 2:we family like that. Okay, y'all, let's go.
Speaker 4:I like how you guys ask him permission.
Speaker 2:You gotta be respectful. You can't just call people by their name. You can't just make things up. You can't make things up and call them by their new name like that. That's what the devil be trying to do. The devil tries to give you a new nickname. He tries to call you by your own name. That's what the devil does. He's about to lay you out. You're a child of God. You're a son and you're a daughter. You're righteous. That's your nickname. Don't let the devil give you the wrong nickname.
Speaker 1:Come on somebody, oh man. So then we didn't do that to her.
Speaker 2:No, we didn't. You're right. So then we didn't do that to her. No, we didn't Right.
Speaker 1:I think we just Correct.
Speaker 2:That's what the devil, does he just? We just presume. Lord forgive us. Lord, would you forgive us please?
Speaker 1:Oh man, put the cart before the horse. Oh praise God. Yeah, well, thank you for allowing us the permission of calling you by name. Today we're going to talk about the Bible.
Speaker 2:Come on, let's do it.
Speaker 1:Not so much about nicknames, but there's a psalm that I think is dear to a lot of people's hearts, and we want to dive into Psalm 23. Even talk about David himself. If David was here, what would be a nickname that you would give David? Well, he was called. He was a shepherd. He was we know him as a psalmist because of his writing. That's right. He was a king. He was a king. He was a warrior, he was a warrior.
Speaker 2:The Bible said he was ready. He was ready. He was ready. He was ready in appearance.
Speaker 1:Ready. That's what we call him, ready. I was going to say he's an adulterer. There's a lot of things, so we don't want to call people based on what they've done. That's true, and so you know, because, again, context, but he's forgiven.
Speaker 2:He was called a man after God's heart, a man after God's heart, a man after God's heart All right.
Speaker 1:And so just kind of as a snapshot, because we get to see his entire life in the book of Samuel and then his writings in the Psalms Right. Like what would be a nickname you'd give David.
Speaker 2:Call him God Chaser.
Speaker 1:God Chaser yeah.
Speaker 2:I think there is this like this beautiful story, and really this momentum where you don't see David quitting on God. You see him stumble and fall and make terrible decisions, make terrible mistakes, but even toward the end of his life, as he's sort of passing on the baton, so to speak, to his son Solomon, like, hey, you're going to be the next king. I mean, you never really see David like abandon God. He continually pursues God, even in the Psalms. You know why, god, how long, o Lord. Even then, still there's this sense that David will not quit on God.
Speaker 2:You know, he won't quit on God. More importantly, because he knows that God isn't quitting on him so. More importantly, because he knows that God isn't quitting on him. So that's why I think God chaser is good, there goes.
Speaker 4:God chaser, I like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good. God chaser, Cool. Come on, god chaser.
Speaker 2:God chaser. That's right, gc, come on.
Speaker 1:Cody, let's go ahead. Let's read the scripture. I'm reading out of the New Living Translation, psalm 23. And it says the Lord is my shepherd. I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows, he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Forever, man, there's, there's a lot that's that's said there. I think you know, and we're not trying to be like a sermon.
Speaker 4:I'm just.
Speaker 1:I'm just curious. A lot of people read the scripture. You hear it at weddings, at funerals, you know, at birthday parties, you hear it, you see it everywhere. Just, you know, splattered everywhere on people, in people's homes and um, and I'm I'm just curious, like, how many people have actually kind of taken the time to dig in a little bit and, um, you know, there's, there's the context of David's environment as a shepherd boy, you know, but I think of like a shepherd. You know a farmer in Clarksville, tennessee, yeah, versus, you know a shepherd out in the fields in the desert, right, you know. And so when you read a lot of like, you know he's my, he leads me by green meadows and streams, quiet streams, like that looks so different.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, and so like I look out to my yard and our fields and it's green in the spring. Like I've never lived in the desert of the Middle East. I'm curious too His visuals are compared to what I imagine in my own mind.
Speaker 2:Well, to your point, a few years ago I did just some cursory research on not just this scripture but life in what's known as the A&E, the ancient Near East, and it was, yeah, the part of the Middle East where scripture really takes place. It's arid, it's dry, it's really, you know, when they talk about a wilderness, it really is more like a desert environment, and so there were several things that were hard to come by. Number one water. Water was scarce, which is why camps and things like that would be set up near sources of water, right A lake, a stream, a river. Vegetation was also scarce as well. Like you said, there's vegetation out there, but a lot of it is really akin to more like thorn bushes and thistles, and so whenever you find a spot like what we would call an oasis man, it's like, hey, let me just park here for a while, because you don't know, as you're journeying on, as you're sojourning through the wilderness, you don't know where you're going to happen upon these other areas to be refreshed and relieved. Thirdly, shelter like to find a place to be safe and have refuge. That was scarce, which is why you say, man, you got to get good at building a tent and building a shelter real quick. And so, like you said I think that is like the overarching theme for the 23rd Psalm is that this you know, shepherds provide all of that for sheep.
Speaker 2:The sheep aren't. They're not traveling through the wilderness on their own trying to find water, trying to find vegetation or shelter or protection. The shepherd is leading them to do that. And so when you see all these different typologies and these different images that are talked about here, you have to pull back and say okay, because we take a lot for granted here in the 21st century and in the West, we just take a lot for granted. I've got food, clothing, shelter, protection, I got a means of conveyance, I've got a form of transportation. Those things would have been precious back then. And then again I've got a form of transportation. Those things would have been precious back then. And then again I'm a sheep, I'm helpless, I'm completely dependent on the shepherd to provide those things for me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because it's not like you can see it, like I'm just trying to imagine, like in those environments, like I've been in dry places and you see what you think is vegetation, but not everything that seems like you can consume it or even touch. It is safe.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Like you know if you've ever been to the deserts out in Arizona or Utah. Like you approach what you think is vegetation but you have cacti and like you don't want to touch it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Or like you're out in the forest and there's, there's, you know, poison, ivy and different things, or berries or mushrooms You're like is that safe for consumption?
Speaker 2:Yeah, can I eat that? Well, okay, so I have to have somebody tell me right. So what do we do? Forest guides, sherpas, counselors to let us know hey, don't go there, don't eat that, stay here. Well, that's what David is saying, that's what the Lord does for me. The Lord is my guide, he's my protector, he's my counselor, he lets me know where I can go. You know, thinking through first, he says the Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need. I mean, that's provision. So can we look at God and say, okay, lord, you're my shepherd, you provide everything that I need? It's really kind of a push forward to Matthew when Jesus gives us the model prayer Give us, as they are, daily bread, god. Can I trust God to provide not just material things but spiritual? The Lord blesses me. He gives me mercy, grace, favor. He gives me his presence, he gives me his strength, he gives me his peace, he provides all I need.
Speaker 1:And then the people, the Israelites in the desert, as they were led out of captivity by Moses and God provided their daily bread that's right Literally every day, and so, if you think of the context of David, he would know this story very well, absolutely. And so, just as God provided for them in the desert, god's providing for him in the desert in the fields where he's tending to sheep Right, and so he's not asking for more than he's not saying hey, god, give me something so I can put it in a to-go box.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You know I need some takeaway.
Speaker 2:Come on, could you have a?
Speaker 1:manna to go, some manna to go. No, he's saying, hey, you're going to give me exactly what I need.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And so, again, you think about that in that context. Right, you're in the desert, you don't want to carry things that are going to slow you down and keep you from doing things that you're supposed to do.
Speaker 2:You want just exactly what you need. Just enough, right? Just enough for that day. Yeah, I'm not worried about tomorrow, I just need enough for today. And so then he moves down, he says he lets me rest in green meadows, he leads me beside peaceful streams.
Speaker 2:So one thing I was reading about sheep. What's interesting, tiff, is that the sheep, they're herbivores, so they only eat vegetation. But their teeth are very soft, like the enamel on the teeth, generally speaking, is very soft, so they can't even eat all vegetation. Right, it can't be something that's too hard or too stubbly. It's got to be lush and green and really almost like new growth, like new tender grass for sheep to feed on. And so when you think about that, I think about, I mean, like, the Word of God. The Word of God, it's good for us. The word of God, sometimes it's hard to hear, but, man, it's good for us. Does that make sense as far as like, again, god is nourishing us. So this is David as a shepherd, understanding I can't lead the sheep anywhere. Oh, this is vegetation. No, no, no. What type is it? Is it good for the sheep? And again, tiff, that's how God is for us, right?
Speaker 4:Yeah, no, I think that's great. He knows exactly what we need, right? He knows what we need to hear, he knows what we need to read, he knows what we need to see and, whether we like it or not, whether we crave that mushy grass that day, he is providing everything we need, whether that means food, you know, provision or guidance, or you know he does. He gives us everything that we need. He knows what we need. He knows us better than we know ourselves.
Speaker 2:Right. And then it says here, peaceful streams. One translation says it leads people beside the still waters. So I don't know if people know this, but, like again, this is David writing this as a shepherd, so he's observed sheep. Yeah yeah, he's an expert. Sheep have horrifically bad eyesight and they are known infamously as terrible swimmers as well, like if a sheep gets caught in a river fast with water done, for that's it.
Speaker 2:It will drown Again. When you examine sheep, you study sheep. They are completely helpless animals. They have no means of defense. They're at the bottom of the food chain, terrible eyesight and they have limited mobility Like a sheep, ain't running like a dog or a horse. And so he says he leaves people inside still water. You think about still water. It's not fast still water, it's not fast moving, it's not rushing. There's no risk, there's no danger for the sheep now to reach in and take a drink.
Speaker 4:It's safe.
Speaker 2:And he says he leads. So David understood he's leading the sheep to this still water, water that will be nourishing for them but will not put them at risk.
Speaker 4:Yeah well, god's never going to lead us into anything that you know is going to cause our destruction. He's never going to lead us into anything that you know he knows is bad. It's only when we decide to lead ourselves that maybe we find those rushing waters or you know the areas we shouldn't be in. But yeah, if we follow his, his lead and his guidance, he's never gonna gonna let us, you know, find those crazy waters. That's right.
Speaker 1:I think um one of the things I love. So the, the NLT says still waters. I'm sorry, I'm trying to read that. No peaceful streams.
Speaker 1:The. The ESV says still waters, the NIV says quiet waters. All I could think of is, again, just if you're imagining David in the desert, you don't have a lot of rivers, and the few rivers that do exist, you could hear them, yeah. So just imagine like puddles, yeah, puddles of water. Just imagine like puddles, yeah, puddles of water. That, like when we lived in Australia, one of the big things was when we went on hikes was the water might not be running because the water levels were low, but there was always what they call oh man, when I need it the most, they're the water pools. And so you'd be hiking on these cliffs and you, you'd, you would come across water pools, okay, and so you can. You could swim in them.
Speaker 1:You could, depending on how big they were, or you can depending in the area yeah you can get water from, because it was fresh water, yeah, because it's in really isolated areas, right, and so you could potentially drink out of it. Um, depending where you were at. And so they're not they saying, hey, look, here's some water, come over here. Or you're not even hearing the rushing stream of the water, right, you just come across them. But, to your reference with sheep, they can't see it. Yeah, that's right, they can't see it. And so the shepherd would lead you to the quiet water that you can't see or you can't hear. And so a lot of times, we think we know what's best because it looks good or it sounds right, right, but it doesn't necessarily mean that's the still waters where the Lord's leading us. And I just love that imagery, again, I love. As a creative, I'll take a psalm like this and I'll imagine up a storm on like, hey, like what does it really mean? And then, what does it mean in my life? Right?
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And so there's things in my life that I'll never understand and they might not sound right, they might not make sense yeah, but he leads me there.
Speaker 4:Right yeah absolutely.
Speaker 1:That's where trust kicks in. That's it right there. That's where trust kicks in. And then in all the translations you read, it'll end verse two with he renews my strength. Yes, you know he refreshes my soul. First it says he's the one who makes me lie down Correct, he leads me, and then he refreshes my soul. That's right. So laying down green pastures, being led beside quiet waters is not the same as being renewed or refreshed, that's good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's separate, absolutely Right, that's good, you know. I'm actually glad you brought that up. So I'm resting, I'm resting and I'm drinking. I'm resting in Meadows and I'm drinking from fresh water, and it's possible to do those things but not be inwardly refreshed and inwardly restored. Your soul, yeah, so now we're talking about the soul, and so let me just say this and I've shared this with people too, like when I've done pastoral care Don't think for a second that getting a good night's sleep does anything for your soul in terms of refreshing you.
Speaker 2:You'll wake up and you'll feel energized, you'll feel rested. But how many of us know? You get a good night's sleep and you wake up and the first thing that happens in the morning worrying thought, anxious thought. Why? Because you didn't nourish the old folks. You should say the inner man. Psalm 19, which King David wrote, says the word, the law of the Lord is perfect for reviving the soul, the word of God. So not only is the shepherd laying me down and leading me, he's speaking to me. I need God's word to refresh me. That's what renews me, his word. I got to my old pastor used to say you got to change that stinking thinking. Well, you do that with the word of God, because we're mind, body and soul.
Speaker 1:That's right. And so the green pastures think about resting our bodies. Yeah, absolutely, we're drinking the still waters. You know, if you choose to, If you choose to, yeah. And then there's the soul. I love how you said he renews it.
Speaker 2:Only he renews it.
Speaker 2:Only he does it, though that's the thing. He doesn't even say I am renewed. He says no, he renews my strength, he restores myself Absolutely. And it says he guides me along the right path, bringing honor to his name. Some translation says he leads me down the path of righteousness for his name's sake. He leads me along the right path. That almost feels like just practical wisdom, like you were saying, tiff. I mean he's never going to lead us down a place that's going to be, you know, dangerous for us or that's going to, you know, lead to our misfortune. You know what I mean. He's not going to, he's not going to lead us down, but he's just bringing honor to his name. I mean, when you really break this down, you just see David, even in these first four, first three verses, really bringing honor to God and saying God is the one responsible for doing this, god is the one that is doing this. He's showing himself righteous Again, thinking through a shepherd.
Speaker 2:A shepherd has a reputation for being trusting, for being loving, compassionate, for being wise. He's leading. I mean, again, you think about sheep. Another thing too, is that sheep, their hooves are softer than most of your animals that have cloven feet, you know, like a horse or a mule or a donkey. I mean, those are beasts of burden and they can go on some pretty rough terrain. Sheep can't do that. He leads me down along the right path is what it's saying here in the NLT. So for context, good shepherds don't lead sheep down paths that are full of trip hazards and dangers that are going to injure their feet. It's got to be the right path. So we have to trust the Lord to do that. I love that.
Speaker 1:And then in verse four excuse me it says even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
Speaker 4:Come on.
Speaker 1:For you are with me, your rod and your staff. They comfort me.
Speaker 2:And that's powerful the rod and the staff. So I've seen this comfort context there. This is the shepherd's crook, right, and one end is a rod, another end is the staff. The rod, that's the blunt end, and then the staff is the crook, that's the hooked end. And so you think now, what is the shepherd doing with this shepherd's crook? Well, with the curved end right, that's the staff part. With that he is pulling back sheep that wander from the flock. A sheep gets lost, or a sheep, like Pastor Elmer said, they have famously bad eyesight, famously bad hearing. How many of us have wandered from the Lord like that? And the shepherd David would have done that hundreds of times probably. And he sees the sheep wander, he just takes the crook and he pulls the sheep back, and the sheep sometimes are like what are you doing? He's like no, no, that's not good for you.
Speaker 4:That's not where.
Speaker 2:I'm leading you Right, right, and we need to allow the Lord to do that. Yeah, we're going down what we think is right. There's a scripture in Proverbs that says there's a way that seems right, but in the end there is is destruction, and the Lord and yanks you back. But he's doing it out of love, yeah. And then we have the blunt end, the rod. But what's the rod for? That's for the enemies of the sheep, that's for the wolves, the lions, the tigers, the bears, oh my.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think a lot of times people think you know because you know, as believers we believe in. A lot of times people look at the rod and they look at a sheep and they think because, oh, sheep are stupid, they're dumb, they probably get beat Right.
Speaker 1:You know just like a horse when you want the horse to go faster. You know, I don't know about horses much, but you see it in the movies, just agriculture. You know just the old ways they would hit the animal, the beast, in order for it to move or make progress. And I think a lot of times people think that, oh, they have to hit the sheep. I think there is some correction there, they are animals, right.
Speaker 1:You know, but I think that's where the shepherd's crook is. More of that to get them back on path. Absolutely Right, and theok is more of that to get them back on path. Absolutely Right, and the blunt is more for the defense.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And a lot of times people will see it more like the rod in itself is just for the sheep Right right. But the shepherd, he's going Donatello on, you know.
Speaker 2:Come on, I love the reference. Teenage boot tend to turn. He was in a half shell Turtle power.
Speaker 1:Shepherd power. And then you know, I honestly think that we miss that.
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 1:That it is a weapon, yeah. And so when we say that he fights our battles for us, yes. Like, even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I'll fear no evil.
Speaker 2:That's why.
Speaker 1:Because he fights the battle for me, that's exactly right. And so we tend to think we miss that whole part.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're right. Well, to your point, like you said, I mean why it would hermeneutically come on y'all. It wouldn't make any sense for David to write this as a shepherd now and say I have no fear when my shepherd's guiding me because he's beating me with no, that wouldn't make any sense no, that would lead to more fear. But he said, no, I have no fear because I know, if I get in trouble, my shepherd, the good shepherd, he's going to take that rod and he's going to fight off my enemies.
Speaker 2:He's going to fight off those that are warring for me, that are literally trying to kill me, that are looking for my demise. That's why I have no fear. So yeah, that's great. That's a great point. I think part of it, too, is because there's a proverb that talks about spare the rod, spoil the child, and I think people just get those things conflated. Nope, nope, this is the shepherd's cook. It's for correction.
Speaker 1:Hey, come on, get back in and it's for defense absolutely there's discipline, which does bring alignment, but discipline because of consequences, right. And then there's just the hey, we're just going down this path and we're we're getting off course slightly. So then there's the realigning of correct it's a different type of right correction yeah, well, honestly.
Speaker 2:Well, to be honest, I mean sin. When you think about sin or iniquity, that means to be bent. I think it's all part and parcel. I think there's correction that God does because of our sin, and that correction comes in the form of conviction. That's the shepherd taking the shepherd's crook to my heart, my heart's wandering, and Holy Spirit said, hey, that's not my best for you. Your heart's wandering into areas that are not safe, that's not green pastures, still water. So the shepherd's crook of the Holy Spirit convicts me. Yeah, right, yeah, so there's that. And, like you said, there's also this correction of realignment.
Speaker 2:I might be believing lies, I might be believing wrong things. I might. It's done to me. And the Lord says, hey, no, don't want it from me. No, no, let me draw you back in, like you said, as a form of discipline. I think it's all.
Speaker 2:Sometimes the Lord does it as a result of sin, and sometimes you got to be humble, but then sometimes the Lord, in his kindness, is like no, that you're straying, don't stray from my loving presence. Does that make sense? I fully agree with what you're saying. And parcel of discipline, which Hebrew says it's painful. It is painful to be humble, it is, I don't care who you are. There is no human on the planet who says you know what I want to be humble today? Nobody says that Nobody does. That's why the writer of Hebrew says after that it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Why? But then, right before that, he says if the Lord doesn't discipline you, then it proves that you're illegitimate children. You don't belong to him. Okay, if there's a sheep wandering, the first thing we're going to ask is hey, whose sheep is that? Where's the shepherd at? Because we understand that they love that they're going to bring correction.
Speaker 1:And then I think about David in the context of a warrior, and like we hear the stories, you know, he fought off a lion, that's right, a tiger and a bear that's right oh my, that's the Wizard of Oz. But the things that he was able to do like incredible acts, yeah, you know, like if a beast of that nature would attack me, yeah, like I don't know what I would do, right, you know, I have no idea but you got the shepherd's crook in your hand.
Speaker 2:You're not defenseless.
Speaker 1:Take out my guitar. My wife would say. I take out my ninja sword. True story, what? Okay, so since I brought it up, we were Okay, I did this to myself.
Speaker 4:Yes, I'm going to get some nicknames.
Speaker 1:We were probably newlywed, probably a year or two Maybe, at the most night we're within our first year and um, it was around christmas and we're in our don't laugh at me, it's gonna be so good and we're in our bedroom like really small apartment right and um, and we closed it. We would close.
Speaker 1:It's a tiny apartment, probably the size of my office, and but we would still close our bedroom door and this is christmas, around christmas, and all of a sudden you just hear like all this, like fidgeting around the christmas tree, like you just hear right and we both woke up, and then you hear footsteps and it's just y'all two right yeah, and it's just us and we lived on the second floor and there was a three-story apartment and then my wife wakes. She's like there's someone out there. I'm like, no, she's like there's someone out there go. I'm like, oh okay, I look under the door and I'm trying to look like here's the door and I'm trying to look under the crack.
Speaker 1:I don't see anything. She goes there's someone out there, go. I'm like, okay, I get on my knees. I'm like God, I pray for her and I start speaking in tongues. And she's like oh my gosh, you're kidding me right now. She goes kiddo, we're going to die and you're over here. I'm like getting all spiritual. And then she's like if you don't go, I'm going to go. She goes why did my dad let me marry you?
Speaker 4:Her dad's like a hunter and he's got all these guns.
Speaker 1:And he's like you, don't mess with my daughter. And here I am, like Jesus, Lord, protect us.
Speaker 2:Active threat outside.
Speaker 1:Lord Jesus.
Speaker 2:I just need you to come on in and lift up a standard against the enemy.
Speaker 1:God, pretty much. And then I didn't have a gun or anything at that time, so I had a ninja sword. Someone had gifted me a katana blade. What so? I grab it out of the closet, let's go and. I come out like this. I'm like I don't have anything, but I just come out of the. I open the door and I go Ninja warrior. I just come out in the living room like you better be careful. I was going, leonardo, since I'm, yes, sir. Oh man, it was hilarious I think we got my sword man.
Speaker 1:It was funny, so there was no one there, so okay, it was late at night there was a bunch of people upstairs that had just got in there and then something had fallen because of their stomping upstairs.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:All these things in our kitchen pantry fell. Okay, so that was the noise that woke us up. Yeah yeah. And things fell on our tree, and so it was just. It was the devil bro. It was the devil Tiffany's trying to come up with a name. No, I got it, I'm pretty sure Leonardo might just stick Ninja.
Speaker 2:Warrior. I don't know, I don't know. Listen, here's the visual. Late at night I just love yeah, it just sticks out the door Right. Hey, go check it out Before you even pop it open and show your face. You just see the katana blades.
Speaker 4:I got one of these things you don't want it, you don't want it.
Speaker 2:You don't want it I slice and dice you Turtle power, oh man.
Speaker 1:He was meant to be that is hilarious bro. Yeah, and she's so.
Speaker 2:Do you still got the?
Speaker 1:katana no, we had to give it away because when we moved overseas I couldn't take it. Oh yeah, it's a weapon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when we moved overseas I couldn't take one.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, it was hilarious though.
Speaker 2:Bro, that is the best story I have ever heard about newlyweds man Elmer Catanias.
Speaker 1:Yo oh no Junior.
Speaker 2:Seriously, that is like legend. Platinum, no platinum status. Yes, elmer Catania man, don't mess with me.
Speaker 1:That was funny too.
Speaker 2:The force is strong with this one. That's good, that was good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I had to share that. Yes, yeah, but again, if a lion came at me, I'd probably pull out my katana. Yes sir.
Speaker 2:You're going to have to man Slash him up, make him some mittens and some house shoes, yeah.
Speaker 1:But then think about David's life, like there was these experiences that led him to understand. You know that he fought battles for his sheep. That's right. And so, in the context of God as our shepherd, like he fights our battles, that's right, he fights.
Speaker 2:Yeah, come on somebody Again. He talks about the protect, the comfort. You prepare a feast for me, you know, in the presence of my enemies. I mean that is. It sounds like such a peculiar line there when he says you prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. Like what are your thoughts on that Tiff? That's just such a peculiar line.
Speaker 4:It is, it is.
Speaker 2:But what is David referencing there? What's going on there Preparing a feast?
Speaker 4:For him in the presence of my enemies.
Speaker 2:He's preparing a feast.
Speaker 4:I think he's just you know, when you think about God fighting your battles, when you think about I think he just knows that, like God has the best for us.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 4:And God is the one that gives us everything. I mean, if you look at this verse like it covers it all, for God's glory Like it covers the good times, the bad times you know, like the scary times, but God wants to give abundantly to his children and he's the one that fights our battles.
Speaker 4:He's the one that clears our name and does all the things. So, yeah, he's going to give you all you need, and your enemies are going to see that, and David isn't preparing the feast in the presence of his enemies. David isn't trying to fight those battles and do all the things that sometimes we can get overwhelmed by when there's people that come against us. Sometimes we could think that's our battle to fight or that's our name to defend, when God is our defender and he's the one that gives us all we need and he's the one that's going to. You know, if somebody's saying something that's untrue, eventually that's going to come to light. Yeah, you know, or I don't know, just trying to fight you anyway. Yeah.
Speaker 4:God is our protector.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so good. I think it's another reference to just like how he begins the Lord is my shepherd. I have all that I need.
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 1:I think it's another way of saying that, and I know people make it a whole nother thing. But again, the way I think is like he starts off the Psalms by saying the Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need. And then, hey, you prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies and like saying, like you're the one that's going to take care of me, yeah, in the presence of my enemy so it doesn't matter if I find myself alone, because I think, when you, when you write hey, the lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need.
Speaker 1:You think about an individual just in solace, thinking man, what can god provide for me in this moment? Yeah but then now, in the presence of my enemy, when, when I find myself in conflict with challenges with different things. He prepares a feast for me in the presence of my enemy. Like he's the one that's going to continue to provide. And there's still the language of provision and generosity that only God can provide. Yeah, that's so good.
Speaker 2:Well, I love the idea too of the table, you know, really being about like closeness and fellowship. You know Jesus would recline at table with those, like you know, tax collectors, sinners, and so there's this idea, too, of like closeness of fellowship as well. Why? Because hard times, hardship, can cause us and it's just, it's a human experience to want to like retreat from God, to put distance between ourselves and the Lord. And and it was like nope, I prepared a table. I want you to come close to me.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. I want you to come close. Yeah, and it really is Honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. So David is saying the Lord is honoring me, when David has spent two-thirds of this psalm honoring the Lord. So there's another custom there, a cultural custom.
Speaker 2:In the ancient Near East, oil was seen again from the environment. Right, it's dusty, it's arid, it's dry, it's hard on the body, right. So he says you're anointing my head with oil. So this is also, I think, a probably a foreshadowing of like being anointed as king. You know when you're, when you're anointed, there's a blessing there, there's favor there, there's this sort of conscription, this consecration, as well as in the presence of his enemies, god's like nope, I'm anointed, you, yeah, so you. So there's provision there as well, but then also anointing with oil. It's a protective, almost medicinal type of deal that's going on as well. I mean, I can't imagine being a shepherd and living out in that sort of environment.
Speaker 2:Man, the cuts, the scrapes, the bruises, just the hardship that you endure. He was ashy. Well, you said it, brother. So, since the cat's out of the bag, the brother was ashy and he needed some moisturization. They didn't have cocoa butter and shea butter back then they had all Go on and snap off an olive and squeeze it. Some anointment, you need some anointment, my God. And so he's anointing his head and and again, just research I've done. The implication is that you're anointing his head, his hands, his feet, like he's, because he's coming in you. You've prepared a table and it was customary when you had a guest. He says you honor me by doing this. So it was customary to wash their feet, but the to anoint them with oil. There's, there's a, there's a benefit there medicinally to the body. Yeah, you know, and so, and so my cup overflows with blessings.
Speaker 1:That's my cup overflowing, and so, to your point, we are his guests. It's not my table. We are his guests and so he's honoring me. He's doing all these customary things based on their culture at the time at the Lord's table.
Speaker 2:So today you think about again. It's easy for us to think about honoring the Lord, which we should do.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But Jesus honored his disciples by washing their feet. He became a servant and he was honoring them over. That's why they were like they were struggling, like wait, you're a rabbi First of all, you're the God man, but you're the rabbi First of all. You're the God man, but you're the rabbi. You're the one in leadership, right, and you're honoring us. Yeah, jesus, I got to do this.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so I love that order Right, because he's going through, all of you know, honoring God.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 4:And then like what?
Speaker 2:Wait a minute, Like then what happens? Right.
Speaker 4:Then you're going to honor me Right, like when we think of all of the goodness of God you know just like, and then he uses us. Yeah, you know so like I love that order of, like you know, that he does there.
Speaker 2:It's a great surprise for David. This table's for me, yep, I'm the guest of honor. Yeah, Look how humbling that is. The God of the universe is bringing David up as the guest of honor man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then the follow up with verse six surely? Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and you think about that. So he's being honored, he's being loved on, yes, and you know he might not feel like he deserves it Right. Yeah, but the goodness of God, his mercy.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's an it's an hot pursuit and I love that Love. That, your goodness, your unfailing love, like the chesed of God, it's this steadfast love it's. Another synonym is loving kindness, your goodness, your loving kindness, it's this merciful, gracious, gentle kind of love, and it's his pursuit. I mean that word pursuit was like pursuing an enemy. It's in the hot pursuit of me Again. David is not the what's the word I'm looking for. He is not the acting party in any of this song at all. It's all God.
Speaker 1:The host is God. The host is God. You think of hospitality. God is hosting. Yes, and David's just telling an account of this is what God does. This is what God does.
Speaker 2:Like he's the object, not the subject. God's the subject, like he's the. He's the. He's the object, not the subject. God's the subject. David's the object. Well, this has been done toward me. He's my shepherd, he leads me, he lays me down, he provides, he protects, he comforts me with his riders, he prepares a table. He's chasing me and pursuing me, and he is the same guy yesterday, today and forever.
Speaker 1:But when we read the scripture and this is part of the point that I was wanting to make by diving into this is that a lot of times we read this as a scripture to comfort ourselves, like I'm going to be okay because I have everything I need, and we look at inanimate objects I don't know if that's a word, if I said it right, but we were looking at all these things, at what's in our bank account and all these things to bring us the comfort Right.
Speaker 1:But it's none of that. It's he renews my saying.
Speaker 4:he's the one.
Speaker 1:And so this is not about the things or the places that he said yes this is the journey that we're taking with him, that's right.
Speaker 1:So with him, that's right. So we're on this path, not because because he's he's chasing us, because the shepherd doesn't. He does. He'll chase you down, but he's we're not. He's not following us Right. We're following him, that's correct. We're being led by his voice, and so a lot of times we think, oh, I can go into the dark valley. No, you were led into the dark valley, that's right. But he's there, that's good, you know. And then, yeah, and then. So again, just in context, like we might not feel, like we deserve it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but he's the one that's with us that's right, he's the one that's leading, he's the one providing, he's the one hosting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what's happening? The lord is my shepherd right and that's I mean, that's, that's the personal relationship. So then, when you say that, well, how can you be so confident? Well, how can you, how can we write peace? How can you be so confident? Well, how can we be at peace, how can you have so much joy? Because the Lord is my shepherd.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So the key word is my shepherd. So there's relationship. Jesus said my sheep know my voice. I know the shepherd's voice. I've spent time with them. That's my shepherd. That's why I'm confident. Well, how can you be so bold? Because that God is my shepherd.
Speaker 4:Right, and I love how he says all the days of my life. All the days when I'm walking through the valley, when I'm laying in the green pastures, when I'm feasting at the table of my enemies, like every single day of my life, even that ordinary day that you know, kind of I forgot about that happened a few weeks ago.
Speaker 4:Like God is in every single day, every minute, everything. Like there's not one thing that he's not in. He's our provider. Come on, he's our protector. You know all these things. He's our healer, right, you know? Like all these things that are laid out in this verse, like you can really dig deep and see, you know everything that God provides and how it is present in every single day of our life and every season. You know it's just all the days of our lives.
Speaker 2:Come on somebody.
Speaker 1:And then it ends I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
Speaker 2:Forever. So now there's a shift, so like this is I don't want to say this is where it breaks down. But now the shepherd motif has been expanded. Folks, sheep don't live in the house with the shepherd. Like, sheep aren't pets, it's not like having a dog or a cat. Think about that. Like the sheep, the sheep don't live with the shepherd, they're out in the pasture. But David says I'll dwell in the house of the Lord, so like. So what I'm saying is like he's. He's saying this shepherd, he's. He's not like any other shepherd. Like he's just like our God. He's not like any other little G God. He's not like anyone or anything else in all of creation. So when somebody's reading, it's like wait a minute, what do you mean? You're going to dwell in a house of the Lord. You were just talking about him being a shepherd. I get that Like it's just now. There's this covenantal love, like shepherds don't? They're not in covenant with the sheep.
Speaker 2:Like they're not. They're not in covenant with the sheep, but our God is in covenant with us. That's why his love hotly pursues us, because it's a covenantal love. And you're right, shepherds, they will. They will pursue sheep, but like that's not, their job is to be chasing sheep all day. They're leading sheep, but here we have a God who says I love you so much and my love it doesn't only lead you, but when I quote unquote lose you, I'm going to pursue you. You know what I mean. Like I'm dwelling in the house of the.
Speaker 2:Lord. So it's like now we're moving from shepherd to father, from shepherd to family. Now, man, that's just a beautiful sentiment. I love that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, that's good, that's really good.
Speaker 1:I love that To dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Come on.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we're never going to be worthy.
Speaker 2:Never.
Speaker 4:You know Never, and that's not what it is Right.
Speaker 2:Right man. This psalm is just so God-honoring and God-magnifying it is.
Speaker 1:And again we want to encourage you guys to just read it over and over, but allow the holy spirit to really speak into you, know your circumstance and how god is revealing himself to you as a shepherd, and those moments I I always attribute psalm 23 to a lot of john 15 yeah, um, when jesus is talking that he's divine, and um and I think this is verse nine, man, um as eight, and I'll read it eight and nine, um, by this my father is glorified, that you much, that you bear much fruit and so prove to to be my disciples. Verse nine says as the father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love yeah, is that right? Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry, I don't care. Read it Right. I have it all highlighted, so I'm like oh you got to highlight it Abide in my love.
Speaker 1:If you keep my commandments, you abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things. I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. And so the NLT says what verse is that? Verse 11 says it's that reference to joy. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow. And there's a thing about like when Jesus tells us things you know, and even when you read it in the Psalms, it's not like God doesn't just want you to have like a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:He wants you to be able to live in the abundance, because he's a God of more than enough.
Speaker 4:That's exactly right.
Speaker 1:And so that's real intentional language, because some of us will settle with for just a little bit and we'll be okay. It's like oh, I got my jesus dose, yeah I went to church, I did my thing and walk away right. God doesn't want you just to live with like being. He doesn't just want you to be happy that's so good. He wants you to live full of the joy that he gives us come on and so so I love you know.
Speaker 1:Dwelling in the house of the lord, yes, forever. Like there's a reason he says forever all the days of my life. And it's not just a reference to something real poetic, no, it's because that's God's plan for us is that it'd be a thing that we live every single day of our lives, that there'd be an overflowing abundance of of his grace, of his peace, you know, of his provision in our lives. And so come on. This was good.
Speaker 2:Y' provision in our lives.
Speaker 1:Come on, this was good. Y'all Praise the Lord. Well, this was Elmer Kitanias.
Speaker 2:Yes, let's go, you're next. Oh man, I'm next.
Speaker 4:I'm just kidding, it can't be me it was that sounded evil.
Speaker 2:I tried it was. You're next.
Speaker 4:And then I have to laugh because I just can't.
Speaker 1:Hey, well, we hope you guys have been able to receive something out of this conversation. Psalm 23. You guys go ahead, read it, play it back in your audible Bible, whatever, but we know God has a plan for your life and he is all that we need, and so we love you guys, praying for y'all. If you guys have any questions, would like to know anything about how we can serve you as a ministry here at LifePoint Church, just check out our website, wwwlifepointchurchtv. You can follow us on social media at LifePoint Church and you can follow our creative social media as well at LifePointCreative. We love you. On behalf of Willie C Simpson.
Speaker 2:Yo, yo, yo Love y'all.
Speaker 1:On behalf of Pooh Pooh.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, you have one.
Speaker 1:Chogo, choco, chog, chog, chog. That's Jacob Green GSP and Elmer Kitanias. We love you guys.
Speaker 2:Peace.
