Psalm 23

 PSALM 23

The Lord is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You have anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

THE ANSWER TO WANTING ISN’T HAVING STUFF. THE ANSWER TO WANTING IS HAVING THE SHEPHERD 

SHADOW OF DEATH – HEBREW WORD – SALMAWET – DEEP DARKNESS 

PSALM 139 – OH, HE EVEN SEES ME IN THE DARK! AT NIGHT I'M IMMERSED IN THE LIGHT!

IT’S A FACT: DARKNESS ISN'T DARK TO YOU 

3 THINGS TO DO TO GET THROUGH THE VALLEY 

1. STAY ACTIVE – if you keep giving you will keep moving forward

PROVERBS 11:25  A generous person will prosper;

    whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

2.     STAY CONNECTED – your relationships will make or break you in a valley season 

-             LEARN FROM 

-             LAUGH WITH 

-   LEAN ON

ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12 It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.

Share the work, share the wealth.

And if one falls down, the other helps,

But if there’s no one to help, tough!

11 Two in a bed warm each other.

Alone, you shiver all night.

12 By yourself you’re unprotected.

With a friend you can face the worst.

Can you round up a third?

A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

3.     STAY FOCUSED -  refuse to take your eyes off the promises of God 

HEBREWS 12:1-3msg

 1-3 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!