Psalm 23:4 - Walking Through The Valley

I'm going to read the entirety of the psalm.

The focus of our exposition today will be in

verse 4. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not

want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores

my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness.

For his namesake. 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. You prepare a table before

me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed

my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness

and loving kindness will follow me. All the days

of my life. And I will dwell in the house of

the Lord forever. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.

Father, we come to you this Lord's Day. Father,

we recognize our desperate, desperate need for

you to work through your word. Lord, we ask at

this time. that you would bless the ministry

of the Word of God that you have ordained. Lord,

we ask that your Spirit would accompany the ministry

of the Word and work mightily in the hearts and

minds of your people. Father, your Word is described

in the Scriptures as fire, as a hammer, and as

a sword. Lord, we ask that you would use your

Word to warm the hearts of your people. Father,

we ask that you would use the word to smash sin

to pieces in our lives. And Father, we ask that

you would use the word to pierce through the

soul that doesn't know Christ. Lord, be with

us. Help me to hide behind the word of God, that

it may accomplish its work, that your spirit

may bear witness to its truth. We ask these realities,

we ask these things, Lord, in the name of our

precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

You may be seated. How a person goes through

suffering is very revealing regarding their faith.

Their spiritual maturity and their character.

In many ways, suffering manifests the inner spiritual

life of an individual. What is present within

their soul. How active and how strong the justifying

faith that God has given to them. How vibrant

the inner man and the inner life is in their

lives. We forget, because of the nature of suffering,

that times of trial are supposed to be meaningful

in our lives. Many times we get so wrapped up

in the issues of life, the issues at hand, that

we forget that times of hardship ought to be

meaningful for us as God's people and for those

around us as God's people and even for unbelieving

men and unbelieving women who observe and see

the believer suffering. It speaks volumes to

those that are around the sufferer. Now today,

we're going to speak about how the believer ought

to suffer from Psalm 23, verse 4. David says

Psalms 23:4

this, he says, Even though I walk through the

valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil,

for you are with me. Last week we talked about

the reality of suffering and hardship that's

universal, without exception. The fact that it's

inevitable in the life of every single believer.

But we haven't talked too much about in Psalm

23. about the manner, the fashion, or how a believer

is to go through suffering and trials. We know

that they're inevitable. That's clear by the

way the world works. That's clear from Scripture.

So how, brothers and sisters, ought the believer

to suffer when those inevitable circumstances

come into their lives? That's the question that

we will talk about today that we'll address in

this message, how believers ought to suffer.

Now, I speak primarily and almost exclusively

to believers today. And the reason I say that

is because believers, because of the work of

grace, because they are God's covenant people,

because the Spirit of God dwells within them

and they have a new nature by the grace of God,

because they've been enabled to respond by grace,

to grace, and in grace, they can and they have

the ability to suffer. in a distinctly different

way from the unbeliever. The Christian can and

should suffer differently than the unbelieving

man and the unbelieving woman, the unbelieving

world around them. So I speak to believers today.

This morning, we have to consider three things.

We must consider the believer's acceptance or

willingness to suffer. We have to consider the

believer's composure in suffering. But we also

must consider the believer's determination. In

the midst of hardship. When they go through the

valleys and the shadows of life. Starting with

the first. The believers acceptance of hardship

in their life. Or their willingness to go through

hardship in their life. Notice in the text in

verse 4 David says this. He says I walk through.

the valley of the shadow of death. That is a

personal, volitional activity on David's part.

When suffering comes, when hardship comes, when

the darkness comes, David says, I walk through

it. It's something that he himself does. In a

sense, we could say he submits to the suffering.

He receives it. He accepts it. That's the card

he has been dealt by the sovereign hand of God.

Therefore, he submits to that providence in his

life. He walks through it himself, using his

own mind, his own will. He's the one that takes

the step. to put his one foot in front of the

other foot to get through it. Not somebody else.

David. So it's a personal volitional activity

on the part of David. Now, it's important that

we understand that we're not talking about being

a masochist. Someone who seeks out and enjoys

displeasure, pain, and suffering. That's not

what we're talking about. We're talking about

the fact that as a believer, we believe that

God is sovereign. He is good. He is faithful.

He is just. It is the Lord, capital L, capital

O, capital R, capital D, that is our shepherd.

And he is the one that leads us to the valley,

through the valley, and out of the valley. So,

we're not going around looking for it. We don't

go, oh, pain, whoo! Brothers and sisters, that's

not what we do as believers. No, we recognize

the seriousness of the situation. We recognize

that God is sovereign. And we humbly accept and

receive the circumstances of life that God has

given to us in and out of that sovereignty. That's

what David is doing. It might help us to understand

if we think about someone who is unwilling to

suffer or somebody who believes that suffering

is unacceptable in their life. I imagine that

you already kind of have ideas in your mind about

what I mean by that. There are times when suffering

comes into an individual's life, and what does

it do, brothers and sisters? It creates a squirming,

a wiggling, a flailing in a person's life where

they want to get out from under it. Get rid of

this. Let go of this. Do away with this. I don't

want this. Lord, take it back. They're unwilling

to suffer. If we think about our own lives with

that reality in mind, there are several symptoms

that show us why we personally are unwilling

to suffer at times. Think in your own mind, in

your own heart, for just a brief moment. What

are some reasons? Or what are some things in

your life, in your heart, that show you don't

want, What are some symptoms of the underlying

causes? Well, we could think about bitterness,

resentment, being cranky, frustrated, persistent

anger, which you don't know, you don't quite

seem to know the cause of. Hopelessness. Or despair.

Now, those are the symptoms of a person that

doesn't want to go through suffering. Now, what

are the underlying causes of those symptoms?

Pride. Vanity. Self -righteousness. Wrong thinking.

And lack of faith. And a person's soul. Now,

how is that so? What exactly do I mean by that?

Well, when a person says, I'm unwilling to go

through this. I'm mad. I'm angry. I'm frustrated

at the Lord. And I'm mad and I'm frustrated and

I'm angry at people around me because of my circumstances.

What are we saying? I don't deserve to be here.

I'm better than this. This shouldn't be my life.

I'm a good person. I do good. I'm a righteous

person. I help other people. I should not be

in these circumstances. I'm above these circumstances.

I don't deserve this. Brothers and sisters, what's

the root cause of that? Self -righteousness and

pride. Maybe other people should be here, but

not me. What about squirming and flailing in

circumstances and being unwilling and unaccepting

of loss, grief, mourning, hardship, and pain

in our lives as a result of wrong thinking or

lack of faith? are you frustrated with the circumstances

that come upon you? Why do you like the good

circumstances from God, but not the difficult,

hard circumstances from God? Why can we rejoice

so easily in these, but we cast our joy aside

so easily in these? Why does our faith seem so

vibrant in the pleasant, good times? but then

all of a sudden it sinks down and it becomes

a drag and difficult and heavy and almost evaporates

in the hard times. It could very well be not

self -righteousness, not pride, not vanity, but

the fact that you don't understand who God is.

It could be the fact that you are ignorant of

the sovereign character of the living God, that

He isn't just a God. who is over the good, pleasant

circumstances of life, but he is a God that is

sovereign over every circumstance in this life.

Every single one of them. Wrong thinking down

deep can result in misery in one's life when

suffering comes. Or it could simply be a lack

of faith. You know who God is. I know that God

is sovereign. I know that He's good. I know what

the Bible teaches. He superintends and He works

out all things for the good of His people. But

you find your heart despairing anyways. You find

your heart sinking over and over. You feel as

though you're being downcast, cast down over

and over. It's not your understanding in this

issue. It's the strength or the vitality or the

vibrancy of your faith. You know the truth, but

do you believe the truth? There's all kinds of

reasons, many, many beyond what we've mentioned

here, that can cause a person to be unwilling

to say, I walk through. the valley of the shadow

of death. There are many underlying things that

make a person say, if I'm going through this,

you're going to drag me through this, Lord. I'm

not walking through it. Somebody's going to have

to push me, shove me, pull me through. But I

refuse to accept this reality in my life. Brothers

and sisters, we need to learn. From Job. We need

to have the same attitude, the same faith as

our forefather Job. We read in Job chapter 2.

Job 2 · chapter mention

The Lord said to Satan, Where have you come from?

Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From roaming

about on the earth and walking around on it.

The Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my

servant Job? For there is no one like him on

earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God

and turning away from evil. And he still holds

fast his integrity, although you incited me against

him to ruin him without cause. Satan answered

the Lord and said, He will give for yes. I apologize.

Verse 4. Satan answered the Lord and said, Skin

for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give

for his life. However, put forth your hand now

and touch his bone and his flesh and he will

curse you to your face. So the Lord said to Satan,

Behold, he is in your power. Only spare his life.

Then Satan went out from the presence of the

Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole

of his foot to the crown of his head. And he

took potsherd to scrape himself while he was

sitting among the ashes. And then listen to what

his wife says to Job. Listen to how she encourages

Job. Then his wife said to him, Do you still

hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.

But he said to her, you speak as one of the foolish

women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from

God and not accept adversity? And all this Job

did not sin with his lips. What can we learn

from Job, brothers and sisters? That yes, we

need to walk with the shepherd and the green

pastures. We need to follow the lead of the shepherd

in the green pastures and the paths of righteousness.

But brothers and sisters, when the shepherd leads

us in the valleys, we need to willingly follow

him. Has God all of a sudden fallen off the throne

when things get hard? Was he on the throne on

Monday and then Thursday he's off the throne?

Is He sovereign when things are good, but He's

not sovereign when things are hard and difficult?

Is He sovereign when your life is going well

and you're prosperous, and then all of a sudden

His sovereignty is stripped from Him whenever

your life is miserable and hard? Brothers and

sisters, the Lord is sovereign in all circumstances.

He's always the Lord. The eternal, self -existent,

all -sufficient, God who is redemptive. And he

is his people's shepherd. The believer must accept

and be willing to endure suffering. That's one

of the initial things that a person must come

to and they must wrestle with when life gets

difficult. You have to get with God. and wrestle

with him until you're in submission to his will

and his purposes. Where you submit your desires

and your affections and your longings and even

your life to him. We must be able to say, I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death. We

also, as believers, ought to have a certain composure

about ourselves as we go through hardship. David

doesn't just say, I, but he says, I walk through

the valley of the shadow of death. Now, normally,

when we think about this term walk, it wouldn't

be abnormal or that unique. It's used. All the

time throughout the scriptures. It's a very common

word that's used regularly. It occurs over and

over and over. But it's interesting and it's

unique in that it's used in this context. Think

about it. He faces evil. Evil is in front of

him. Darkness is approaching. He's in the valley.

He can't get out. Brothers and sisters, it's

tumultuous. It's trying. Yet, he says, I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death. He

has enemies. We know that from verse 5 and verse

6. People who oppose him, people who hate him,

people who most likely want to take his life

and remove him from the kingdom. But he says,

I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Now, there are several uses we can look at to

understand this word a little bit better. When

we go back to Genesis chapter 6, we'll look at

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

Genesis chapter 6 verse 9. These are the records

Genesis 6:9

of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous

man. Blameless in his time, Noah walked with

God. He continued to walk with God. He stayed

with God. He remained with God. We also read

the same thing about Enoch, who walked with God

for 300 years. This idea of continually, steadfastly,

persistently. Walking with the Lord. We can also

look at Genesis chapter 8 verse 3. And the water

Genesis 8:3

receded steadily from the earth. And at the end

of 150 days the water decreased. The words receded

steadily. It's the same word for walk. It's a

gradual, yet a consistent decrease in the water

levels on the earth. It's a gradual, steady,

slow receding of the waters as they covered the

world. We could read in chapter 9, verse 23.

But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid

it upon both their shoulders and walked backward

and covered the nakedness of their father. And

their faces were turned away so that they did

not see their father's nakedness. There's a caution.

There's an intentionality with how they are walking

in this situation. because they don't want to

bring shame or partake of shame upon their father.

There's an intentionality with regards to how

they walk, not forward, but backwards. So when

we think about this idea of walking through the

valley of the shadow of death, we should think

about the fact that David's speaking of a calmness.

A control. A caution. A slowness and an intentionality.

As he walks through this grave danger, this grave

trouble in his life, there's an evenness, a balance,

a consistency, a steadfastness that is in his

life as he goes through the trials and the hardships

and the difficulties. Now, we hear this and we

can understand very clearly why it's vitally

important that we think about this word walk

in this context. As we saw last week, trials

have a unique way of bringing seemingly generous

people to be selfish and inward focused. What

else can trials do in a person's life? What can

they bring about in a person's heart, in a person's

mind, in a person's world, brothers and sisters?

When the darkness comes and the valleys come

and the difficulties arrive, it has a tendency

to produce confusion in the heart. Corruption

to be stirred up in the flesh. And chaos to ensue

in an individual's life. Don't... and trials

have that unique ability, that special superpower

to turn your world upside down. And isn't it

during this time that we need to make sure we

check ourselves? Isn't it during this time we

need to rein ourselves in? We need to calm ourselves?

Isn't it at this time, more than any other in

our life, brothers and sisters, that we need

to walk slowly, steadily, consistently, cautiously,

and intentionally in our lives? Because there's

darkness all around us. The visibility in the

valley is not great. Especially when it's this

deep darkness. The view of the sheep is constricted.

It's limited. They can't see very far in front

of them. They can't see to the left, the right.

They can't see to the left. So it's important

that the people of God slow down in hardship.

They take a moment to breathe. and to think deeply

about what God is doing in their lives. Now,

I think we need to add a little bit of nuance

to this. Composure is relative. That's a relative

term, brothers and sisters, that will be uniquely

displayed in every single individual. Now, it's

important that we understand. When we go through

trials, the Bible does not teach, and I am not

teaching, that you should have no emotions. That's

not what I'm saying. That's not what the Word

of God is saying. That you should feel nothing

and that you should suppress everything. We are

parts and we are pieces. We are made up of parts,

brothers and sisters. God is simple and God alone

is simple. He is a spirit. We are body and soul.

So we will have emotions. But what this text

is teaching us is that as those who know the

grace of God, as those who have been transformed

and changed by the grace of God, we ought to

check our emotions with regards to the truth.

With regards to what the Word of God says regarding

self -restraint, holiness, godliness, what the

truth of the Scriptures are. So we shouldn't

expect that we'll be emotionless, that we won't

have any feelings. Brothers and sisters, we're

people. But we want... sanctified emotions in

suffering. We want sanctified feelings in the

midst of trials. We want sanctified speech when

things are difficult. We want a sanctified heart

when trials come upon us. Christians are not

those who let it run wild. Christians are not

those who set it free and let loose. We are those

when trials come, we walk through them. Because

we know the unique dangers that can come upon

us in a valley when we can't see very well. So

when we think about this, during trials, brothers

and sisters, it's a good time to slow down. And

consider your life before the living God. And

consider your own heart and your own mind and

your own longings, your own actions. It's a good

time to bring other faithful believers around

you and alongside of you to seek them out and

pursue them because it is dark and you can't

see that well. It is not the time. to make life

-changing decisions. It is not the time to make

big moves, big changes in your life because you're

in a valley. You're in a trial. We need to seek

out and pursue consistency, steadfastness. and

constancy in our lives as believers, especially

when things get difficult. Now, that makes us

think, and that provides us with this picture

of when the trials come, the hardship comes,

it's almost as though we fall back on something.

We have something built in to fall back, a steady

foundation, a base. And that's why it's important,

brothers and sisters, that we cultivate and we

nourish and we work towards having consistency

and steadfastness and a settled heart in the

disciplines of grace in our lives before suffering

comes. So that when it arrives, we can fall back

on those blessed, gracious, spiritual disciplines

and our hearts are already trained to be tethered

to the Word of God. Our hearts are already trained

to be tethered to prayer and seeking the face

of God. We ought to seek out regularity in those

realities before the trial becomes because when

it and when it comes upon you, the temptation

will be irregular in everything. And in that

time when you need to walk, the time when you

need to walk more than any other time, we need

something consistent, steady, and settled to

fall back on. And what must that be, brothers

and sisters? The Word of God, prayer, and the

Christian church. That when you are cast down,

that when you are knocked off your horse temporarily,

you fall under grace. So believers must have

a godly composure. And they ought to seek a godly

composure as they go through trials and difficulties.

But we also see that believers ought to have

a determination. In the hardships of life. Now,

listen to what David says. He says, 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. Now, there's

other translations which say, they don't say,

I fear no evil. There's other translations which

say, I will. Fear no evil, meaning now or in

the future. Listen to what John Calvin says on

this text. He says, David did not mean he was

devoid of all fear, but that he would overcome

it so as to go without fear wherever his shepherd

may lead him. So what is David saying? He's not

saying, oh, I have no fear in this situation.

Fear is absent. Fear does not exist to me. That

is not what he's saying, brothers and sisters.

It is an unwillingness. It's a statement of determination.

It is an unwillingness to be overcome by fearfulness

in our lives. And it is a positive statement

in that he's saying, I will subdue fear in my

life. I will overcome it. I will get over it.

It will not dominate me. I will dominate the

fear in my life. This is very similar to what

we find in Psalm 42. We read these words. The

psalmist says, My tears have been my food day

and night. While they say to me all day long,

where is your God? What are his tears saying

to him, brothers and sisters? Where is God at

in this situation? Where is your Lord? Where

is your shepherd? Fear. Be afraid. Be anxious.

Be worried. Notice that David's own soul is talking.

To David himself, or the psalmist. He's talking

to himself. His soul is speaking to him. Now

every single one of us knows exactly what the

psalmist is dealing with. Do you ever hear yourself

talk to yourself? All the time. But the problem

comes. When we are talking to ourselves, or we're

listening to ourselves talk, and that speech,

that communication, that talk is bringing up

the worries from yesterday. It's bringing up

and recalling all the issues that went wrong

two weeks ago. Or, that talk is telling you,

to anticipate the troubles of tomorrow. Now,

what do we do? Well, oftentimes we hear ourselves

speak, we receive it, and we submit to it. We

allow it. But what does the psalmist do, brothers

and sisters? Here's what the psalm says in verse

5. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why

have you become disturbed within me? So yes,

the psalmist is hearing himself speak. But what

does the psalmist do? He starts talking to himself.

He starts telling his own soul what is right

and what is wrong. So when thoughts of fear,

anxiety, worry, and stress, and it's tempting

to overwhelm you and overcome you and bring you

to a place of despair. What do you need to do,

brothers and sisters? You need to say, come here.

And pull that self -talk up a little bit closer.

You say, put a sock in it and sit down. Stop

talking. I'm in charge. That is wrong. That is

false thinking. That is erroneous. That is not

what God is like. That is not true. God has said

he is with me, he is for me, and he is sovereign

and he is good. You preach the gospel to your

own soul. Now, when trials come, this is going

to be a battle, brothers and sisters. The stimulus

in your life is going to heighten that talk to

a point where it can seem overwhelming and it

can seem crushing. I am sure there are individuals

in this room who know exactly what I'm talking

about. What do you do when you are listening

to yourself? You tell it, come here, put a sock

in it, and sit down. That's not true. That's

wrong. That's false. Here's what is true. Here's

what is right. This is what the truth says. You

tell yourself what you will think. Believers

are not those who simply listen to themselves,

talk, brothers and sisters. Those with a new

nature, the covenant people of God, those born

again, those who have been made new creatures

in Christ, are those who tell themselves what

they believe. They are those who lead their emotions.

They are those who lead their hearts and lead

their minds. As those who have been born again

to a living hope and have a vital ruling principle

in their own soul. Now, why do you have to win

this battle? Why do I say it's going to be extremely

hard and why is it so important that you persist

and you overcome that voice? Because Your hope?

Your joy? Your power? Your vitality? Your contentment?

Your satisfaction? Your peace? Listen, brothers

and sisters, your life, your usefulness, it depends

on you defeating that voice which tempts you

to be overwhelmed by fearfulness. Fight for your

life. Persist. Press on. Keep on. Go on. Overtake

it. Subdue it. Don't let it drag you around.

Pick up the chain and say, get behind me. That's

what the believer does. The believer leads themselves,

even their thinking, their heart, their mind,

their affections, their emotions, through the

trials and through the difficulties. Turn to

Psalm 27. We think about how David is going through

the valley. We think about his acceptance and

his willingness. We think about his composure.

We think about his holy determination. Not to

be overwhelmed by fearfulness, but to overcome

it. What is it that is informing David's conduct

and David's behavior and David's thinking? What

is it that is informing how he walks through

the valley of the shadow of death? Well, stay

there in Psalm 27. It's these words. For you

are with me. It's David's faith that God is with

him that is informing his conduct. his thinking,

and his behavior in the suffering. So we read

in Psalm 27, The Lord is my light and my salvation,

and consequently, whom shall I fear? The Lord

is the defense of my life, and consequently,

whom shall I dread? When evildoers come upon

me, To devour my flesh, my adversaries, and my

enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host

encamp against me, my heart will not fear. There

it is again. Though war arise against me, in

spite of all of this, I shall be confident. David's

conduct, the manner in which he suffers, His

willingness and acceptance of the trial. His

composure in the midst of it. And his determination.

All is informed and built on the reality that

God is with him. We can make several conclusions.

Or we can draw some conclusions from this. Believers

must conclude. That they ought to conduct themselves

in suffering in a manner consistent with faith.

If we want to know how we ought to suffer in

a particular trial, we have to ask ourselves,

what does faith require of me? And what is it

that we believe? The truth of the Word of God.

David can't see, can't feel that the Lord is

present, can he? The rod and the staff? It's

not a tangible, physical rod and staff. He's

using metaphorical language to convey truth.

But he knows God is with him. How, brothers and

sisters? Because he believes it. He believes

the promises of God. He believes the truth of

the word of God. He believes that God, just as

he was with Israel all those 40 years and led

them in the wilderness wonderings, God will be

with him as he was a shepherd to Israel. He believes

that God is with him and this informs his behavior.

Now, when a believer suffers in a manner that

is consistent with faith, this will always appear.

and be irrational and nonsensical to the unbelieving

world around us. Now, what do I mean by that?

Well, if we live by faith and we suffer by faith,

and our conduct and our thinking and our actions

and the manner in which we suffer is consistent

with faith, then the unbelieving man without

faith will look upon the life of the believer

in the midst of suffering and say, how do they

suffer like that? What is it about them? What

do they have that I don't have that enables them

to suffer? This doesn't make sense. Their whole

world has fallen apart. They're not grumbling.

They're not complaining. They're not moaning.

They're not groaning. They're not getting angry.

They're not getting mean. They're still joyful.

They're still... They're still satisfied. They're

still content. How can they do this? When this

comes upon me, my life shatters. When this happens

to me, I feel as though my world is over. How

is it possible that they do this? It's irrational

to the unbelieving man. It's nonsensical to the

one without faith. But it's perfectly rational

and makes perfect sense to those who believe

the divine promises of God when God says, I will

be with you. Are you suffering in a manner that's

consistent with faith? What does your suffering

say about your faith? About your spiritual maturity

and your character? Your inner life? Now, how

a professing believer suffers, as we mentioned

at the beginning, reveals a great It shows a

great deal about their inner person. And we have

to ask ourselves, what is it revealing to those

around me, the believers and unbelievers? But

what have you learned about yourself and your

hardships? What is your suffering revealed about

your own heart? Your own faith? Where is your

faith? What is your hope built on? We have to

take time to slow down and think about what the

Lord is doing in our lives, brothers and sisters.

suffering be meaningless. Don't let it be useless

and vain in your life. If you have faith, slow

down and consider, what is God doing in my life,

in my heart, through this, yes, this terribly

difficult situation, but through this situation

nonetheless. It is meant to reveal Our hearts

affections. To show us what's inside of us. I

believe it's Deuteronomy 8. Where Israel is being

treated as a son. And it talks about the testing

of the Lord. And God tested them and tried them.

To show what was in their hearts. To prove what

was in them. What is your suffering? What is

your trial? What is your hardship? Showing you,

Christian, to the unbelievers here, those who

don't know Christ, look to the believers that

are suffering well. Consider their life. Consider

their faith. And ask yourself, what do they have

that I don't? What are they in possession of

that enables them to act in such a way in such

a time? That's a challenging thing for the believer

and unbeliever, isn't it? Christian, does the

way you suffer offer Anything to the unbeliever?

Or do they say, they suffer just like me? Unbeliever.

Look to the one. Look to the believers, the professing

Christians, who are trusting in the Lord, who

are walking in the midst of hardship and ask,

what am I lacking? Let me tell you what you don't

have. And what the believer has. You don't have

saving faith. If you are here today. And you

are controlled. And you are dominated by the

flesh. You are controlled. And you are dominated

by your affections. Your love. Your lust. Your

immoral desires. Or even your emotions. And your

sin drags you around. And you have never been

born again to a living hope. You have never been

given a new nature in Christ. You have never

been made alive together with Christ. You have

never been given faith. That's what this means.

You have no faith to believe in the promise that

God is with you. You don't have a shepherd. You

don't have a new nature. You have not been made

new. If you turn from your sins and you trust

in Christ, then God will be with you in every

single pasture and He will be with you in every

single valley. You will possess the most glorious

promises of the cosmos. You will have the promise

of the new heavens and the new earth. You will

be given all of Christ for all of life. And you

will be able to say, as David said, even though

I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for you are with me.