Episode 122 - Transformed to Receive Goodness - Be Transformed Part 3

God’s greatness is that He is the Almighty, Sovereign Creator, Master, and Sustainer of the entire universe. In comparison to God’s greatness, we are small and insignificant – a fact that we need to grasp to have a proper view of God and give Him His due glory. However, along with being great, God is also good. His goodness is manifested in His care, concern, protection, grace, and mercy towards His children. When you really think about it, it is mind blowing that considering God’s greatness, He is personally involved in every minute of His children’s lives, and He is good to us all. So, while we may be insignificant in comparison to God, we aren’t worthless. Not in God’s eyes anyway. And that is a Truth that when really understood brings about transformation.

Join us in this episode as we delve into the goodness of God by looking deeply into Psalm 23. May the amazing truths contained in David's words truly transform us!

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Transcript

Episode 122 – Transformed to Receive Goodness

           Welcome back! In the last episode, we looked at how we are transformed when we focus on the greatness of God – His majesty, His sovereignty, His Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omni Presence, and how we bring glory to God in light of His greatness. This week, we are going to look at how we are transformed by focusing on the goodness of God. Because God is both great and good.

          He is. And there is a difference between the two. Like you said, God’s greatness is that He is the Almighty, Sovereign Creator, Master, and Sustainer of the entire universe. In comparison to God’s greatness, we are small and insignificant – a fact that we need to grasp to have a proper view of God and give Him His due glory. However, along with being great, God is also good. His goodness is manifested in His care, concern, protection, grace, and mercy towards His children. When you really think about it, it is mind blowing that considering God’s greatness, He is personally involved in every minute of His children’s lives, and He is good to us all. So, while we may be insignificant in comparison to God, we aren’t worthless. Not in God’s eyes anyway. And that is a Truth that when really understood brings about transformation.

          It certainly does, which is why we are going to delve deeply into it today. In the last episode, we quoted RC Sproul who said everything begins and ends with our view of God. Along those lines, a casual view of anything in Scripture fosters a casual view of everything in Scripture. We said last week that God wants us to be holy just as He is holy. Well, knowing God is the engine of holiness in our lives. False ideas about God leads to shallow transformation. Only true knowledge of God leads to true transformation. That’s why we want to be sure we take the time to study the Biblical and True God. Both His greatness and His goodness. 

And Scripture has a lot to say about the goodness of God. And when we understand how precious we are to Him – especially in light of His greatness – it will change everything for us. There are lots of passages on the goodness of God, but perhaps nothing encapsulates the complete goodness of God better than Psalm 23. And that’s what we are going to concentrate on in this episode. It’s a familiar passage. We usually hear at funerals, but it often gets glossed over as just a comfort passage, but there is some deep theology in it. I’ll read it. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

          This is a passage I memorized many years ago, and I cannot tell you how many times I have brought it to mind and meditated on it. Chris, before we begin, we should clear up what we mean by meditate and meditation, because meditation is a Biblical word that has been hijacked by others, mostly easter religions. We talked about it in episode 39 in the yoga and alternative medicine episode. Just to briefly recap what we said, Biblical meditation is a deep thinking, wrestling with, and pondering of the Word of God. Eastern religions, like Hinduism and Buddhism, in contrast, define meditation as emptying your mind – something the Bible, and Jesus specifically warns us against. In Matthew 12:43 – 45, Jesus says, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.” The house Jesus is speaking of is our minds. His point is that empty minds are prone to evil influence.

          And Jesus had good reason to warn us. In Hinduism and Buddhism, they will often tell you to repeat the montra “Om” as you empty your mind. 

The idea is that it creates a vibrating frequency that’s the same as the “basic sound of the universe”, so by chanting it, you’re acknowledging your connection to nature and all other living beings, human and animal. This is pantheism – the belief that the Universe is “one” and basically that “everything is. God.” So not only does this form of meditation empty your mind and open you up to evil influence, you are courting those evil influences by committing heresy and idolatry.

          This is an example of how more and more we are being pulled from the Creator to the creation. In fact, that’s pretty much the definition of pantheism. That’s why real Biblical meditation is so important. Rather than empty your mind or repeat some mindless chant, Biblical meditation fills your mind. It fills your mind with the Word of God. Meditating on Scripture is one of the most rewarding, faith-sustaining disciplines in the Christian life. And meditating on the goodness of God is something that will truly transform you. And that’s what we are going to do today. Fill our mind with the goodness of God by meditating on Psalm 23. The Psalm starts out with “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Let’s stop there. David wrote Psalm 23. If there was anyone who understood what it meant to be a shepherd, it was David. So, what does it mean that the Lord is our Shepherd?

          Jesus answers that in a parable in Matthew 18:12 – 14, “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” “These little ones,” Jesus is talking about is those who God has elected to save. And we know that because right before this, Jesus is talking about how only those who come with faith and humility like a little child belong to Him. So what does this tell us? It tells us that once Jesus, our shepherd, has us, we are His and can never be taken from His grasp. Even if we sin horribly or back slide, He will come get us and bring us back into the fold of God’s family. Once we are His, nothing and no one can snatch us from His Hands.

          And Jesus goes further with what it means that He is our shepherd in John 10, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.” “The other sheep that are not yet in the sheepfold” are the gentiles who the Gospel had not yet gone out to while Jesus was physically on the earth. Jesus emphasizes that the Jews that belong to Him and the gentiles that belong to Him will be one flock with one shepherd. That’s a picture of the church.

          And Jesus continues in John 10:25 – 29, “The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” So in just the first line of Psalm 23, “The Lord in my Shepherd,” we see God’s goodness manifested in Jesus our Shepherd who cares for us to the point of sacrificing His life for us. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can take us out of His hand, and no matter what we do, He will bring us back to Him.

          And one last thing on Jesus being our shepherd. Jesus’ original audience would have understood what Jesus calling Himself their shepherd meant. 
 The land surrounding Jerusalem and in the overall region, the terrain was rough. It was mountainous in some places, rocky in some places, and had deserts in other parts. Shepherds had to lead their sheep through this rough terrain. Sheep are basically stupid animals. Left on their own, they would die. They needed to be led by someone to survive. The shepherd had to help them maneuver the rough ground so they could drink and eat, while avoid being eaten. Jesus was saying that the terrain His sheep, us, would have to traverse would be rough, but He will be with us leading us every step of the way. And ultimately, He will get us where we need to go, and will not let anything or anyone destroy us. He will make sure we have all we need.

          Here’s Martin Luther’s take on Jesus being our shepherd. “A sheep must live entirely by its shepherd’s help, protection, and care. As soon as it loses him, it is surrounded by all kinds of dangers and must perish, for it is quite unable to help itself. The reason? It is a poor, weak, simple little beast that can neither feed nor rule itself, nor find the right way, nor protect itself against any kind of danger or misfortune.The next line of Psalm 23, is a direct result of The Lord being our Shepherd. It says,  “I shall not want.” Given that Jesus laid His life down for us, protects us from being destroyed by wolves, leads us over the rough terrain we may have to endure, and holds us fast forever, what else could we want for? But the goodness of God doesn’t just stop there. The next line of Psalm 23 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still water.” Yes, the terrain we may have to trod on as Christians can be brutal at times, but God’s goodness extends beyond just leading us through it and protecting us. Jesus also leads us to places where we can lie down in green pastures and sit beside still waters.

          Green pastures of grass to eat and still water is what sheep need to live. It’s a necessity. So this is a picture of God giving us what we need, but, this is also a picture of God in His goodness giving us rest – peaceful rest. It’s not just pastures, its green pastures. This brings to mind lush grass on a big open field. The kind that makes you want to kick your shoes off and roll around in. A psychological study found that spending time in natural green environments or even looking at pictures of green scenery in nature has been linked to stress relief, better impulse control, and improved focus. And how about the water He leads us to? The waters are still – not rushing water that would carry the sheep away – but still and serene. There’s another study I found that said, “Science explains why we feel more relaxed by looking at water on a biological level. Seeing or hearing the soothing sounds of water triggers a response in our brains that induces a flood of neurochemicals. These chemicals increase blood flow to the brain and heart, which induces relaxation.” Jesus doesn’t just give us rest, He gives us rejuvenation! As the next line of the Psalm says, He restores my soul. 

          Here’s what Matthew Henry says, “God makes his saints to lie down (in green pastures); he gives them quiet and contentment in their own minds, what ever their lot is; their souls dwell at ease in him, and that makes every pasture green. The still waters by which he leads them, yield them, not only a pleasant prospect, but many a cooling draught, many a reviving cordial, when they are thirsty and weary. God provides for his people not only food and rest, but refreshment also and pleasure.” This is a amazing example of God’s goodness. He doesn’t just provide for us He provides lavishly for us. He doesn’t just give us rest He gives us pleasure and contentment. This makes me think about how God could have created the whole world in shades of gray. But He didn’t. Instead, He used vibrant colors – like the green of grass and blue of water. He did that for our pleasure. So that we would look around at the amazing creation around us – and not worship the creation – but know without a doubt, that it was all created by a powerful God who loves to give us good gifts. 

          And that is the stuff that restores our soul. It’s what brings us back to God. It’s what deepens our affection for and enjoyment of God. We glorify God when we acknowledge His goodness in creation and in how He cares lavishly for us. We also glorify God when we rest in that care and love and allow it to refresh us! As theologian Barnes says, “He restoreth my soul - literally, "He causes my life to return." 

The next line, “He leads me in path of righteousness for His name’s sake,” links God’s goodness to His greatness. The Lord leads us down RIGHT paths, GODLY paths, paths of TRUTH. Paths that lead us to Him, paths that transform us more and more to be like Jesus, not paths that bring us ruin. This correlates to Jesus’ words on the narrow path and the wide path. The wide path leads to ruin and destruction, while the narrow path leads to life. Psalm 23 shows that David understood that it is only God who can lead us down the right path. On our own, remember we are sheep, we would wander off the right path and onto the path that leads to destruction.

God leading and transforming His people  results in them bringing Him glory. This is all linked. When we understand God’s greatness, it will lead to us bringing Him glory. When we understand God’s goodness, it will lead to us bringing Him glory. We were created for the greatest of gifts – knowing God. And when we accept that gift wholeheartedly and take the time and make the effort to know our God, we bring Him glory. Everything comes back to our purpose – to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. These first verses of Psalm 23 are all about Jesus leading us and us resting in Him. But then, there’s some activity in the next line. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

David goes from telling how we rest in being led to lush green pastures, still waters, and down paths of righteousness, to us walking through the valley of the shadow of death. It’s a big contrast, but when this line is taken in its entirety, it shows us mountains about the goodness of God. “The valley of the shadow of death” is just what it sounds like – a dismal, gloomy, dark place. This is yet another reminder that the way of the Christian is not easy and it’s not always bright. And we just need to look back through history to see this is true. From the beginning, starting with the Apostles, as we’ve looked at, many Christians have been persecuted and martyred. And for others, their lives have been marked with tragedy, devastation, and heart ache. And we’ve all probably been in a dark place at one time for another. But David says we pass through the valley of the shadow of death. While we, as believers, may face all kinds of trials and tragedies, death is not one of them. We do not walk through the valley of death, we only walk through it’s shadow. Charles Spurgeon says this, “Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a man’s pathway even for a moment. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. 

Sometimes things may seem that they are bad as they can be, but they aren’t. If we belong to Jesus, things aren’t even close to being as bad as they can be because we have already had our greatest need taken care of. In Matthew 4:16 Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah, “the people dwelling in darknesshave seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” Isaiah prophesied that God would send a light – a Savior – to His people. Jesus tells His followers in Matthew 4:16, He is that light. When we were dead in our sin, we existed in darkness. Dead people can’t see light. But when God saved us, He pulled us out of that darkness and gave us vision to see the light. We are no longer blind – we can see clearly.

And because we have been pulled out of the darkness, we never need to fear death.  We will never experience darkness like the wicked do. God may make us walk through its shadow, but in His goodness, we will never have to walk directly through it. And because of that, Paul can say confidently in 2 Cor. 4:6 – 9, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

And that’s exactly why David can say with confidence that we need not fear evil. Like we said, we may have dark times in our life, we may even lose our life. We may get victimized by wicked people, we may even get harassed by Satan and his demons. But we have no reason to fear any evil. First, for all the reasons we just said, but second, and most important because God is with us. Jesus is with us. The all powerful, magnificent, sovereign Lord is with us! He’s with you and He’s with me! Is there anything that shows God’s goodness more? Is there any Truth that should cause us to want to transform more? And not only is He with us, but as our Shepherd, He uses His rod and staff to comfort us.

David is obviously continuing with the shepherd theme. So let’s define what a rod and staff are and what they do. A staff is a long, thin wooden pole with a hook on the end. For the usage of a staff, we turn to Pastor and former Shepherd A. Philip Keller. He says there are three ways a shepherd manages his sheep with his staff. It is used in drawing sheep together, to gently lift a newborn lamb and bring it to its mother if they become separated, and for guiding the sheep through a new gate or along a dangerous path.  He uses the staff to press gently against the animal’s side. This pressure guides the sheep in the way the owner wants it to go. A shepherd is able to use the staff almost as well as he uses his hand. Keller says that he has seen a shepherd walk beside a pet or favorite sheep with his staff gently resting on its back. It appears that they are in touch or walking hand-in-hand. Sheep are not easily trained but this may be a method of training her as a leader. I love this picture! I think it exemplifies what Jesus does for us. 

It definitely does. And there are Scripture verses that show this. First, that Jesus draws us together. John 15:12 says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” And Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” We’ve already seen Jesus say He brings us back when we get separated, but John 14:2 – 3 shows how Jesus ultimately will bring us back to our Father. He says, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” And finally, guiding us through something new or something dangerous. I can’t think of a better verse that exemplifies the goodness of God guiding us through our life on earth than Isaiah 41:10, “ Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

And let’s not forget the last use of a staff on sheep – to gently train the sheep as a leader. Whenever someone compliments our teaching or says they have been blessed by it, our response is always, all the glory to God. And that’s not just Christianese. We sincerely mean it, because we know that the only reason we are able to study God’s Word, teach it, write about it in books, have this podcast is because God has given us the privilege of doing it – and more than that, He has been with us every step of the way training us. It’s not a privilege or a responsibility we take lightly, and we always give everything over to Him. God does not just ask some of us to be teachers and leaders and expect us to do it on our own. He is right there. The Holy Spirit has His Hand on us guiding us, showing us how to love and lead His people.

David says the rod of God also comforts us. While the staff is long and thin, the rod is short and club-like. The shepherd uses the rod to fight off any predators that are threatening the sheep. Doesn’t take much to correlate this with God’s goodness to us. Fighting off predators? The goodness of God is all over that! Jesus has already taken care of defeating our 3 biggest enemies: sin, Satan, and death. 

And just a little side note. Proverbs 13 is all about how to instruct, rear, and discipline our children. Proverbs 13:24 is a well known verse, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son,but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” Many have taken this to mean children should be disciplined by being beat with a rod or a cane. But the Hebrew for “rod” in Proverbs 13:24 is the same word used in Psalm 23. In fact, the Hebrew word, “Sebet” is used 190 times in the Bible. Most times it refers to a shepherd’s rod or scepter. So given what we know about how God protects us and defends us with His rod, it is most likely that that is what Solomon meant in Proverbs 13:24. We are to protect our children as Jesus does us. And part of protecting our children is to guide them, teach them what they need to know, and bring them back if they go astray. We aren’t saying spanking is unbiblical, but God tells masters not to strike their slaves with a rod in Exodus 21. Therefore, when Solomon is talking about using a rod on our children, it’s most likely he was talking of using it as a means to protect our children from the influences of the world. In other words, “training up a child in the way he should go” and walking hand in hand with them, raising them to be the next generation of godly leaders.”

After this, David seems to shift away from the Shepherd metaphor. Psalm 23:5 says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”I’m going to quote Charles Spurgeon again on this. He says, “The good man has his enemies. He would not be like his Lord if he had not. If we were without enemies, we might fear that we were not the friends of God, for the friendship of the world is enmity to God…Thou preparest a table… Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. Oh! the peace which Jehovah gives to his people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances!” This magnificent picture comes on the heals of walking through the valley of the shadow of death. While you are in the midst of trials and even devastation, know that God has a table prepared for you – and this is not just a table with a modest offering. This is a feast! Our cups are overflowing! God is giving us love and peace with Him in abundance! He is pouring out His goodness onto His people – onto us! And He’s doing it all the time! 

Be assured, that even if it feels that God is nowhere to be found, He is there blessing you so much that your cup is overflowing. Exodus 34:6 -7 has been called by John Calvin, a verse that shows God’s complete attributes better than any other. It says, “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” Of all the attributes of God that Moses lists, he makes it a special point of saying that God has goodness and Truth in abundance. This means He has more than we could ever possibly need! No wonder our cup is overflowing!

And the best part is that He sets this magnificent table for us in the presence of our enemies. God blesses His people and there is nothing their enemies can do about it. God's people can feast at His table of endless love and grace and no enemy of any sort can ever take it away. They can only feel annoyed that you were victorious and prosperous in spite of them. 

God also anoints our heads with oil. This is God setting us aside for Himself. He is marking us as His. In the Bible, anointing with oil was used for healing, blessing, and for setting aside something as holy. James 5:14 shows it being used for healing, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” Hebrews 1:9 shows it as a blessing for God’s people. “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”  Exodus 30:31 – 32 shows anointing with oil as a sign of being holy and set apart, “And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.” So does the anointing of our heads with oil in Psalm 23 indicate God is giving us healing, a blessing, or setting us aside to be holy as He is holy? The answer is yes! Yes, to all three! 

And, finally, David sums up this beautiful tribute to God’s goodness with one of the most beautiful lines in Scripture, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” When we belong to God, we can have peace and we can have confidence that we are never away from His goodness or His mercy. He is always with us, and He is always dispensing both on us – to the point where our cups are overflowing!

That makes me think of Isaiah 43:2 -3, which says,“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

So now given all we know about what’s behind the words of Psalm 23, let’s recite it again and let its beautiful truth about the goodness of God to His children wash over us. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 

We looked at the greatness of God in the last episode. Because of His greatness, He is due all the glory and all the honor. We are just an insignificant part of His creation. But that’s not how our great God sees us. We serve and belong to a God who while He is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present, He is also good. He loves, protects, guides and cares for His children. He should be getting all the honor, yet as Psalm 23 shows us, He gives us honor. He guides us into the right way to go. He prepares a table for us. He deals with our enemies for us. He saves us! It really is mind blowing. We are encouraging you to memorize Psalm 23 this week. Meditate on its beautiful truths, let them fill you and transform you. And may we all bring glory to God by resting in them. Have a blessed day everyone!