Psalm 23 series, part 7. Preached by Roger Parlour, 11/11/2007

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Walk through the Valley - Outline

This continues our Psalm 23 series on “The Lord Is My Shepherd.”

Psalm 23:4 “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.”

As a shepherd walking through tough terrain, David was fully prepared to guard the flock. He knew that God is fully prepared to lead us in every situation. God knows how to take us through the difficult valleys. There is no such thing as a rose colored life. We will only gain the higher ground by going through the valley, where it’s tough. God will lead us.

To get to higher ground, we must walk through three valleys:

1) The Valley of Past Hurts
Genesis 37 through Genesis 45
Joseph was the favorite and his brothers hated him, so they hurt him. But God was with him in the cistern, in slavery and in the Egyptian prison. Joseph forgave his brothers who sold him into slavery. Joseph could have been bitter, but he understood that God sent him to Egypt. God sent Joseph through the valley… to save lives.

Matthew 6:14-15 Forgiveness. The higher ground is loving relationships with God and his people.

2) The Valley of a Guilt-Ridden Life
Galatians 5:19-21 “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious…”
Reacts to this verse:
- This doesn’t apply to me. I’m a good person.
- Be cut to the heart and repent. That is healthy guilt.
- Just don’t care… No fear of God.

Jeremiah 8:10-12 Do not dress the wound of God’s people as if it were not serious. Take sin seriously.

Hebrews 10:11-14 The grace of God. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. “…by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” The blood of Jesus is what God sees for baptized disciples when they sin.

Hebrews 10:22 Don’t live with a guilty conscience.

3) The Valley of Broken Dreams
Jeremiah 29:11 God has a plan for your life, no matter how messed up your life may be. Don’t believe the lie that you can’t change, or that your situation can’t change. The truth is that you can change. Repentance is change. To get out of the valley, face the challenges.

Romans 4:18 Abraham believed against all hope. Do you believe in God? Face the facts but have faith in God that the situation can change. Face the fact that your dreams have been broken, and get open and get help. When faith in God is not in the picture, it can lead to worldly practices: shopping into debt, addictions, watching TV too much, over eating, immorality or impurity. Don’t give up. Be fully persuaded (like Abraham) that God comes through with his promises.

Don’t let your heart get hard. This valley of despair is a place to face God with faith, and strive for repentance and victory through God.

With God, there is great victory. Without God, there is no victory.

The question is, “Do you want to be with God?”

Categories: Lord is my Shepherd, Sermons