“Our Cup Overflows”

Psalm 23:5-6

James C. Denison

Pastoral transitions are always difficult times, for the church and for the pastor as well. For instance, Bill Austin, the former Baylor chaplain, once told me about a time when God called him from one pastorate to another.

An older member of the church came to him, absolutely distraught. “We’ll never find a pastor who is as good a preacher as you,” she complained. He tried to comfort her: “Oh, I’m sure your next pastor will be a much better preacher and leader and pastor than I have been.” “Oh, no,” she replied, “that’s what they said the last time.”

In the midst of the emotions of this day, my call from God this morning is simply to remind you of the identity of your true Shepherd. “Pastor” comes from the Latin word for “shepherd.” It is a kind title, but it’s not really true. Your real Shepherd is no mere, fallen mortal. You may not be able to see his hand today, but you can trust his heart.

David will show us how.

Know our love for you

Eleven years ago, the pastor search committee of Park Cities Baptist Church contacted Janet and me as we were serving Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta.

We were deeply in love with our church family there and tremendously excited about all God was doing in our midst. Even though we had long admired Park Cities, we had no sense of release from Second-Ponce and finally had to tell your search committee that we could not come to Dallas.

The next Monday, Janet and I had no peace about that decision. I spent the afternoon alone with God in prayer, and sensed God’s clear call to come to Dallas. She had the same experience. We called the committee back, and were preaching here ten days later.

Across all these years, we have been truly grateful to God for calling us to serve this wonderful congregation. Our sons were entering the seventh and fourth grades when we came to Dallas. Their first activity at Park Cities was Vacation Bible School, where they were welcomed with great love and compassion.

Ryan still remembers the water balloon fight which ended his week of missions projects. We have often said that God called us to Dallas so our sons could grow up in this church. Ryan is now in seminary, Craig a sophomore in college, both sensing God’s call to ministry.

You have encouraged and enabled Janet and me in wonderful ways as we have pursued our ministry calls.

You have affirmed Janet in her teaching, speaking, and writing ministry across all these years; the Father’s Day sermon she preached for me remains the best-selling sermon tape in the church’s history.

You have supported me as I have been led by God to expand my ministry of writing, teaching, and cultural engagement.

My mother loved this congregation, her Sunday school class, and her pew near the back of the Sanctuary on the left. You prayed for us with great compassion when she went home to be in heaven with my father last fall.

You have been God’s great gift to us for more than a decade. To paraphrase David’s statement, “our cup overflows” today. Now we follow God’s call into a new phase of ministry, but our hearts will always be grateful beyond words for you. We look forward to all the ways God will lead us to partner with you in Dallas across coming years. We step forward together in faith, trusting that the God we cannot see can see all we cannot.

There’s a place in your life today where you need to trust that God personally and intimately. A place where you don’t understand his ways or plan, where you cannot sense his presence or feel his power. What do we do then?

Claim God’s unseen provision

“You prepare a table before me,” David celebrates. “You prepare” is in the continuous tense in Hebrew: “you keep on preparing a table” is the sense here.

The “table” for a shepherd is the high mountain country, much sought after for grazing. But these tablelands must be prepared before the sheep arrive. Salt and minerals must be distributed over the range; camps located for bedding; vegetation assessed for food.

Poisonous plants must be dug up and burned; wolves and cougars and bears must be spotted, hunted, or trapped. The table must be prepared “before” the sheep can come.

God prepares this table “in the presence of my enemies.” In the very midst of trouble, strife, and danger we are invited to the table of our shepherd. We don’t need to wait until circumstances improve; we can come to our shepherd’s table right now.

“You anoint my head with oil,” the king continues.

Now David turns to his experience with sheep and their injuries. He knows that sheep often cut themselves on rocks while grazing. The shepherd must inspect them every night and put oil on these cuts so that they do not become infected.

Sheep also have a terrible problem during the summer months with flies. Nose flies will lay eggs on the sheep’s nose. But the shepherd puts oil—in David’s day, a mixture of olive oil with sulphur and spices—on the sheep’s face and nose, and these flies are killed.

Scabs are a skin disease which is highly contagious among sheep also, and oil is the only remedy to cure it and prevent its transmission.

And the rams fight during the summer for the ewes, butting heads until one is wounded or even killed. But if the shepherd puts oil on their heads and horns they slide off each other and no one is hurt.

Our shepherd knows exactly where we hurt, and knows precisely what oil will heal and help us. And so, in the continuous Hebrew tense, he constantly anoints us with oil where we need him most.

“My cup overflows,” David testifies. The shepherd had a large earthen jug of water for his sheep. He would dip down with his big cup and bring up a brimful running over. And the tired, thirsty sheep would drink to their fill. So God provides for us.

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,” David continues. “Surely” means “absolutely, confidently, unquestionably; I am completely convinced that goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.”

God’s “goodness” means his steadfast love, his kindness, his grace. And his “mercy” translates the Hebrew equivalent of “agape,” unconditional mercy.

These twin gifts “follow” us. These are our divine companions, going wherever we go like bodyguards who watch over us. The Hebrew word translated “follow” means “to pursue vigorously.” God’s grace and mercy are “sent out” to watch over us. They pursue us actively. Wherever we go, they go. In fact, there is no place we can go where they do not find us. They pursue us, even today.

And they will do this every day for the rest of our lives. Every day, including this day. Spurgeon said that God’s grace and mercy follow us on the black days as well as the bright days, the days of fasting as well as the days of feasting, the dreary days of winter as well as the bright days of summer. Every day.

And so “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” “Forever” in the Hebrew means that we begin this life now—today—not just the future but the present. Eternal life began the moment you asked Christ into your life, and you are now immortal. The unseen God surrounds you with his presence today and forever.

Trust God’s unseen presence

Janet and I have long experienced the unseen presence and providence of God. We married in 1980 and moved to Arlington so I could begin seminary classes. In 1981 Janet saw an ad for a financial secretary at First Baptist Church in Arlington. She got the job, so we joined the church.

Three years later our pastor, Dr. Charles Wade, sent my resume to New Hope Baptist Church in Mansfield as they were searching for a pastor. They received over 100 resumes in the mail, but they pulled mine out of the stack because they knew and respected Dr. Wade. And so they called me to be their pastor.

Then Southwestern Seminary hired me to teach philosophy of religion, because I had pastoral background. First Baptist Church in Midland called me, because they heard about my ministry at Southwestern. Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta called me because they heard about my ministry in Midland. Then you called us to join you in this great church.

Now God has led us to an expanded ministry which will engage the culture and disciple the nations, in Texas and around the world. But none of this would have happened if Janet had not applied for that secretarial position in 1981. We had no idea then how the unseen hand of God was leading us. But he was.

If he has led us in the past, he will lead us in the future. If he led you to us, he will lead you to the next person to serve in this capacity. If he led David, he will lead us all.

God promised Moses at the burning bush, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). He assured Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you” (Joshua 1:5). He told his people, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God” (Isaiah 41:10). Jesus assured his disciples, “I will be with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Our Lord told us that we are in his hand, and no one can snatch us out of his hand (John 10:28). He is the pastor and shepherd of us all.

Conclusion

I reminded you last week that Park Cities has had only one shepherd since this church was founded in 1939. If Alton Reed, Herbert Howard, James Pleitz, and Allen Walworth could stand with me today, they would agree that Jesus is the shepherd and pastor of this congregation. We cannot always see his hand, but we can always trust his heart.

I read this week a study of Jesus’ names in Scripture. He calls himself the “Good Shepherd,” in direct fulfillment of our text. But that is only one of his biblical names.

Here are some of the others: Advocate, the All in All, the Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega, the Amen, the Ancient of Days, the Author of Our Faith, the Balm of Gilead, the Beginning of the Creation of God, the Beloved of God, the Bishop of Our Souls, the Blessed Hope, the Bread of Life, the Bridegroom, the Bright and Morning Star, the Brightness of His Glory, the Captain of our Salvation, the Chief Cornerstone, the Chosen of God, the Commander, the Wonderful Counselor, the Creator of All Things, the Daystar, the Deliverer, the Door of the Sheep, Emmanuel, the Everlasting God, the Everlasting Light, the Everlasting Strength, the Faithful and True Witness, the Finisher of Our Faith, the First and the Last, the Firstborn of God, the Firstborn Among Many Brethren, the Firstborn from the Dead, the Fortress, My Fortress, the Foundation, the Friend of Sinners, the Gift of God, God, God Blessed Forever, God Manifest in the Flesh, God My Savior, the God of the Whole Earth, the Great God, the Great High Priest, the Head, the Heir of All Things, My High Tower, the Holy and True, the Holy One of God, Our Hope, the Hope of Glory, the Hope of His People, the Hope of Israel, the Horn of Salvation, the I Am, the Image of God, the Image of the Invisible God, Our Intercessor, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Christ, the Just One, the King, the King of Glory, the King of Israel, the King of Kings, the King of Peace, the King of Righteousness, the King of Saints, the King Over All the Earth, the King’s Son, the Lamb of God, the Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the World, the Life, the Light of Israel, the Light of Men, the Light of the World, the Lily of the Valley, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, a Living Stone, the Lord, My Lord and My God, Lord God Omnipotent, Lord Jesus, Lord of All, Lord of Glory, Lord of Hosts, Lord of Lords, Lord of Peace, Lord of the Sabbath, a Man of Sorrows, Master, Mediator of a New Covenant, Messiah, the Mighty God, the Morning Star, the Only Begotten of the Father, our Passover, our Peace, our Physician, the Power of God, a Priest Forever, the Prince of Life, the Prince of Peace, Rabbi, Ransom, Redeemer, Redemption, Refiner, Refuge, Restingplace, Restorer, the Resurrection, Righteous Branch, Righteous Judge, Righteous Servant, Rock of My Salvation, Root of David, Root of Jesse, Rose of Sharon, Ruler, Sacrifice to God, the Salvation of God, the Savior of the World, the Seed of Abraham, a Servant, My Shepherd, my Shield, Son of Abraham, Son of David, Son of God, Son of Man, Son of Mary, Son of the Father, Son of the Highest, Son of the Living God, Son of the Most High God, Stronghold, Strong Rock, Strong Tower, Sun of Righteousness, Sure Foundation, Temple, True God, True Light, the Truth, Unspeakable Gift, the Vine, the Way, Truth, and Life, the Wisdom of God, the Word, the Word of God, the Word of Life.

Is he your Shepherd today?

God Before Us

Psalm 23:1-3

James C. Denison

It has been a strange week in the news. In a village in eastern India, a young girl was married to a stray dog to ward off an evil spirit. The girl is free to get married later in life to a man, without seeking a divorce from her canine spouse. We have no word as to whether the dog is free to seek other companionship as well.

Newcastle University in England has proven that cows which are given names increase their milk yields by up to 500 pints a year. For all of you who are dairy farmers in Dallas, this is a tip worth remembering.

And we learned this week the exciting news that the United Kingdom has reclaimed the world underwater ironing title from Australia. Dozens of divers coordinated their efforts to win this coveted prize. How does underwater ironing work?

The weather has been unusually strange in Dallas this week, from an ice storm on Tuesday to something called “frozen fog” on Thursday morning to 69 degrees on Saturday. It could be worse—more than a million people lost power in Kentucky, and some won’t get it back until the middle of the month.

We live in a fallen, unpredictable world. And now the Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl. What’s next, a World Series for the Rangers?

The one constant, unchanging fact of human existence is the God-shaped emptiness in each of us, the fact that our hearts are restless until they rest in him. In good times and bad, sunshine and ice storms, the created needs the Creator.

We have been working through the promises made by God to Solomon for awakening in the land. Now we turn to the faith experience of Solomon’s father.

David was the greatest king the Jewish nation has ever known, the only person ever described as a “man after God’s own heart,” a man who arguably knew more about personal awakening than anyone. His most famous autobiographical testimony of faith is recorded in Scripture as our Psalm 23.

I began my preaching ministry at Park Cities by exploring this remarkable confession of faith with you. We will return to it for these three weeks, seeking the kind of personal revival and awakening which was David’s experience with God.

How can you know God more intimately today? How can you experience personal awakening this week?

Know your need of God

The most famous poem in the world begins, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (v. 1). If he is our shepherd, we are his sheep. And not just in this passage. Forty-four times in the Bible, God calls us sheep. In fact, “sheep” is the most common metaphor for human beings in all of Scripture.

You need to know that this is not a compliment. Sheep are beautiful animals from a distance, but among the dumbest and most defenseless beings God ever made. Does anyone keep pet sheep? Have you ever seen a sheep in a circus? Sheep are defenseless against every predator. They must be guarded and led every day. The shepherd must live with them and watch them constantly, or they’ll wander into trouble. God is not attempting to increase our self-esteem by calling us sheep.

But surely this description doesn’t apply to all of us. Some of us are smarter and more self-sufficient than sheep. But Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” God says that every one of us is a sheep.

We don’t like to admit that we need God. But we can’t have a shepherd until we admit that we need one, that we are sheep. Jesus’ first Beatitude says, “Blessed are those who know their need of God” (Matthew 5:3). Do you believe that you need more of God than you are now experiencing?

Seek his direction

First I admit that I am a sheep in need of a shepherd. Then I seek his direction, trusting that his will is always best for me. That’s easier said than done. Don’t you sometimes worry that if you sold out to God he would make your life different than you want it to be? Less successful or wealthy or happy? Send you as a missionary to Afghanistan?

And yet this Shepherd promises that “I shall not be in want” (v. 1). Why not?

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures” (v. 2a). In the pastures of the Middle East grow poisonous plants which are fatal to the sheep, and other plants whose sharp thorns will stab their soft noses. The shepherd must lead them to pastures where good grass grows.

“He leads me beside quiet waters” (v. 2b). The sheep is a very poor swimmer because of its heavy wool coat. Its body weight multiplies five times when wet, like a man trying to swim while wearing five heavy wool overcoats. Instinctively, the sheep know they cannot swim in swift currents, so they will not drink from a moving stream. They must be led to quiet waters or they will die of thirst.

And he leads me “in paths of righteousness” (v. 3b). There are paths in Palestine which lead off cliffs, and the sheep will walk down them to their deaths. The good paths are called “the paths of righteousness,” and the good shepherd leads his sheep down them.

In every way the shepherd wants the best for his sheep—food, drink, and safety.

Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). Do you want to know and do God’s will as much as he wants you to know and do it? The Psalmist prayed, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God” (Psalm 143:10). When last did you ask God to do that? Paul admonishes, “Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:17).

Do you know God’s will for your life today? Do you want to know it? How can you?

Seek God in his word. Ask the Spirit to speak to you from the words of Scripture. Find a promise or principle which applies to your question or problem, and trust it.

The Westminster Confession of Faith is right: “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life is either expressly set down in Scripture or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture, unto which nothing at anytime is to be added whether by new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of man.” In other words, God reveals his will in his word.

Seek God in his worship. Pray, spending time alone with your Father. Listen for his voice. Ask his Spirit to speak to your spirit.

Seek God in the wisdom of his people. Counsel with godly men and women, people who submit to the Spirit. Know that God will speak to you practically, intuitively, and rationally.

God promises us, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Claim his promise and it is yours.

Follow his lead

Admit you need more of God, and seek his direction for your life. Now choose to obey what you know to do. No leader can lead those who won’t follow. Trust what you believe. Do what God says. It is not enough to believe that a pilot is competent—you have to get in the airplane. You cannot know that the plane will land safely until you get on board.

We must follow God before we can know that his will is best for us.

Sheep have very poor eyesight. They cannot see 10 or 15 yards in front of themselves. And they are dumb enough to follow the sheep in front of them off a cliff or into a crevasse.

You cannot trust your eyes or your friends. You and I must trust the leadership of the God who loves us. When we do, we prove that his will is indeed “good, pleasing, and perfect” (Romans 12:2). But only then.

Adam and Eve were told to trust God in refusing the forbidden fruit, lest they “die.” But no one had ever “died” before. They didn’t understand, so they didn’t obey. And the warning came true for us all.

Noah was told to build an Ark when it had never rained. Abraham was told he would be the father of a great nation when he had no children and his wife had no ability to bear them. Moses was told to stand up to Pharaoh with nothing but a shepherd’s staff. David went into battle with Goliath with nothing but a handful of rocks and a sling.

Jesus healed a blind man when he went to the pool to wash. He healed a lame man in the instant that he took up his mat to walk. He healed a man with a withered hand in the moment that the man tried to move it by faith. He sent his Spirit at Pentecost only after his people risked their lives by staying in Jerusalem to pray.

God is still calling his people to trust his will by faith.

He called Bill and Vonette Bright to begin Campus Crusade for Christ on the UCLA campus in 1951, when they were the only employees of the ministry. Campus Crusade now engages over 25,000 staff members in 191 countries of the world.

My friend Walt Wilson was one of Steve Jobs’ first hires when he started Apple. Walt left when Jobs left the first time, and eventually became the head of a multi-billion dollar software company in Silicon Valley. Walt resigned from that position five years ago to begin an Internet evangelism ministry called Global Media Outreach. I’ve been to their world headquarters in San Jose, and met all seven of their staff.

Last year they shared the gospel with more than 17 million people through their 91 websites, with more than three million indicating that they prayed to receive Christ as their Lord. They saw conversions in all 191 countries of the world.

Conclusion

Now God is calling you and me to make him our shepherd. No human is the Good Shepherd, not me or anyone else. Why trust Jesus fully and unconditionally? Why admit that you need a more intimate and passionate relationship with him? Why seek him with all your heart and trust him with all your life?

Jesus’ self-description in John 10 is the best commentary on Psalm 23 in all the Bible.

Listen to your Lord’s words: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:7-10).

How was a shepherd the “gate” for the sheep? After he brought the sheep into the enclosure for the night, he would then lay across the doorway and sleep there, on the ground. That way no thieves could get in and no sheep could wander out. He would die if necessary for his sheep. The Good Shepherd, in fact, did.

Now he wants to lead you to peace, purpose, and joy no matter the circumstances of your fallen world. Those who have trusted him most fully have known his peace most joyfully.

On Friday afternoon we held a memorial service to celebrate the life and faith of Sara Foxworth. Sara battled leukemia for years, suffering through three bouts of stem-cell transplants. Toward the end, her body ravaged and in excruciating pain, she could barely speak to those who came to see her. But in the hardest, darkest hours, there was an amazing peace of God about her.

Sara had for years been one of Jesus’ most devoted, loving, passionate followers. To know her was to know Christ more fully. She was his sheep in every way, and he was her shepherd. When she needed his presence and peace most, she knew them most fully. And now she is home and she is well.

Jesus was her Good Shepherd. Is he yours?

God Beside Us

Psalm 23:4

James C. Denison

Before January 15, Chesley Sullenberger III was anything but a household name.

A former Air Force fighter pilot, he is also the founder of Safety Reliability Methods, Inc., a consulting business. According to their website, their mission is “to utilize our expertise to apply the most effective methods to your organization to achieve the highest levels of safety, performance and reliability.”

When Mr. Sullenberger safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in New York’s Hudson River, I’m guessing his business clientele rose significantly. After the pilot saved the lives of the other 154 passengers, he then walked the length of the aircraft twice to be sure no one was left before disembarking himself.

Audio tapes of his exchange with air traffic controllers were released this week. Listening to them, I was amazed by his calm under pressure. If I ever need “the highest levels of safety, performance and reliability,” I know who to call.

I’ve read that bird strikes cause $600 million in damage to U.S. aircraft every year. You never know when one will strike your engines. It is extremely rare for both engines to be killed by birds, and even more rare for such an event to occur out of range of the airport where an emergency landing is possible.

What seldom happens to airplanes happens every day to souls. There are birds attacking your engines at this very moment. Events and people are conspiring to bring your plane down. If you’re not stepping into the “valley of the shadow of death” today, you will be soon. When that day comes, what good is it to know God as your personal shepherd? What help is personal spiritual awakening then? What does this issue say to our culture in crisis today?

Expect the valley

The most famous verse of the most famous Psalm is this sentence: “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” (v. 4).

There is a place in Palestine called “the valley of deepest shadows.” It’s a jagged gorge running from Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea, so deep that the sun’s rays never penetrate to its floor. Here wolves and thieves can hide behind nearly every rock, thorn bushes grow up to grab and slash at the sheep, and deep crevasses menace on every side.

This is a perilous place, but there are times when the sheep must go through it. To get to the green grass, quiet water and right paths, sometimes the shepherd has no choice but to lead his sheep through this valley. There is simply no way to the other side.

That’s why David says, “When I walk through the valley.” Not if, but when. Paul told new converts, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Jesus warned us, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).

While the text doesn’t describe the specific nature of David’s “trouble,” rabbinic tradition identifies the setting of the 23rd Psalm as David’s flight from Absalom.

As you may know, Absalom was one of David’s sons. His sister Tamar was raped by their half-brother Amnon, but David did not punish him. So Absalom took matters into his own hands, arranging a feast at which Amnon was killed in revenge. David then exiled Absalom from the royal court for five years.

Absalom’s anger at David smoldered until it fanned into the flames of open rebellion. He staged a coup against his father, seizing his throne and sending his soldiers to arrest David. The greatest king in Hebrew history was forced to flee his throne and palace, and run from his own son.

The royal group fled Jerusalem to the east, crossing through the Kidron Valley to the region of the Mount of Olives; the Garden of Gethsemane would be located in this area. While fleeing his own son, the Kidron became his “valley of the shadow of death” and the setting for the psalm. Such is rabbinic tradition for this famous hymn of trust.

Imagine that your son wants to steal your throne and even kill you, and that many of your trusted advisors and supporters have joined his rebellion. Now you are retreating in humiliation to an unknown future. Whatever fear you face today, David has a word for you.

Stay near the shepherd

God is willing to walk with us through our deepest valleys, no matter why we are in them. During such days as this the sheep want their shepherd “with” them. Not out in front of them leading, but beside them, protecting.

David makes the “LORD” his Shepherd. “LORD” translates YHWH, the One who was, is, and ever shall be, the ever-present God. Of this Shepherd the King can say, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” David the shepherd knew his subject.

The “rod” was a short club, three feet long, with a heavy weight at one end. The shepherd used it to kill snakes, beat back wolves, and flatten thorn bushes. He threw it over the heads of his sheep to kill a charging wolf. He also used it to drive a wayward sheep back into the fold.

And his “staff” was eight feet long with a crooked end. He used it to keep the sheep together, to guide them, and to pull them back from thorn bushes and rocky crevasses.

His presence with them in the valley, and his rod and staff, “comforted” them. The Hebrew means “to preserve a feeling of security, peace, and joy.” Even as they walk through the valley.

And note this little word, “through.” Not “into”—you go “into” a cave because there’s no way out the other side. “Through,” as you go through a tunnel because it’s open at the other end. They’ll not stay in this valley, so long as they stay with their shepherd. He will protect and comfort them, and lead them through to the other side.

But these sheep must choose to let him. They must choose to stay at his side, to stay under the protection of his rod and staff, to stay in his presence. The staff is only eight feet long. They must stay close to their shepherd. James 4:8 promises that if we draw close to God, he will draw close to us. But the choice is ours.

Here we meet the greatest spiritual issue facing our culture in crisis.

You and I have inherited a Western worldview which sees religion as a means to an end. Make sacrifices to the gods so they will bless your crops or give you children. Go to church for what we can get from it. Pray so we will be blessed; read the Bible so we will find guidance.

The great need of our day is for Spirit-led people who will stay close to the shepherd every day, men and women and young people who will begin the day by submitting it to God. Our Father is looking for people who will be servant leaders in their churches and communities, believers who will not serve God out of their own expertise and experience but people who will pray first, seek God fervently, and do only and always what he wants. Sheep who will stay near their shepherd.

How close are you to your Shepherd today? Did you submit this day to his leading? Do you bring your every problem to his providence? Are you trusting in his staff and rod, or in your ability and strength? How long since you asked God’s help with your work, or family, or problem? The valley of deepest shadows can bring us closer to God, but the choice is ours.

Learn from the valley

So we expect the valley and stay close to the Shepherd. When we do that, hard days can be holy days. The valleys of deepest shadows can be those times when we know God most personally and intimately, if we choose for them to be so.

Richard Foster, the great writer on spirituality, says, “God becomes a reality when he becomes a necessity.”

Mother Teresa said, “You’ll never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you’ve got.”

The summer I spent as a college missionary in East Malaysia was the loneliest of my life. But I grew closer to God during those days than at any time I had ever known. When we’re “so far down we can’t look anywhere but up,” hard days can be holy days.

When we stay near the Shepherd, hard days can be healing days.

Just as water flows best through a ditch or channel or valley, so the blessing and usefulness of God flows best through the valleys carved in our lives by hard times.

Cancer patients make the best encouragers for other cancer patients. Those who have lost children are the best ministers to those who lose children. When my father died the one person whose words helped most was Linda Sharp, whose father and then pregnant older sister had died in the previous six months.

God never wastes a hurt. You may not see how people are watching you in the valley, but they are. And your faithful suffering can be your greatest witness.

And when we stay near the Shepherd, hard days are never the last days.

God gives us this promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

And remember Psalm 30:5: “His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” This is the promise of God.

God is about a Great Awakening, a national movement of spiritual renewal and revival. He redeems all he allows. He wants to use the financial and military crises of these days to call people to himself. But the process starts with his people. It starts with followers of Jesus who are willing to submit and surrender every day to his Spirit, who are willing to walk with their Shepherd, who follow wherever he leads and do whatever he asks. He’s looking for such sheep in these days, and now he has come to us.

Conclusion

The Lord has called Janet and me to follow him as his Shepherd. He has asked us to join him in a great spiritual movement, and has led us to do something we never imagined. Many of you have expressed your support for Janet and me in this new ministry direction. You have been so very gracious and encouraging as we seek to follow our Shepherd into the pastures and streams and paths that he has for us. We are trying to do what I have been teaching this morning, following the Shepherd wherever he leads.

This is not easy for us. I’ll say more about this next Sunday, but know that we love you and have loved serving God with you. Our sons have grown up here, and you have become our spiritual family in every way. We are grieving the change in our relationship which this call has necessitated.

But here’s our encouragement: We have a Shepherd who loves us, each of us, all of us. “Pastor” comes from pastorem, Latin for “shepherd.” But it’s not really true. There is only one Shepherd of Park Cities Baptist Church. He has been this great church’s Shepherd from 1939 to today, and he will be her Shepherd until the end of time. He will walk with every one of his sheep through every valley they face, every day they live.

Why do you need such a Shepherd today?