Under God’s Care December 21, 2025

Under God’s Care
Psalm 23
St. Peter’s Anglican Church
December 21, 2025

One of the minor dilemmas that I have is that when we cancel a service for whatever reason … the question arises — what to do with the sermon that I have prepared?

My general habit is to preach from one of the appointed lessons for the day … which change from week to week.

So … I have three choices … discard the existing sermon … prepare a new sermon based on one of the appointed lessons … or preach the prepared sermon anyway.

I have decided that since the sermon I had prepared was on what is probably THE most familiar passages of Scripture — I decided to go with that!
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As we know, next year will be the 250th Anniversary of our nation … and a lot of celebrations are planned.

But … and it might get lost in the nation’s anniversary … it is also the 25th anniversary of 911 … when our nation was attacked.

Hard to believe … and for those of us who where around … where were you when you heard the news? And what did you think was happening?

My associate Niel was in Las Vegas at a sales meeting for a pharmaceutical company when the news reached them.

That morning … a general session was scheduled. The producer knew that Niel was a Christian and also an ordained minister … so before they canceled the session … he asked Niel to read scripture and pray.

Niel read a Psalm that most people — even non-Christians — are familiar with … Psalm 23 … a Psalm that is often read to comfort people.

It is a Psalm that people often put on Prayer Cards when someone passes away.

In fact when I was the Pastor in Mt. Laurel… I often would get called by the director of the local funeral home to officiate at funerals where the families did not have a church home … and in most cases were not believers.

The general thought was that if I have a Pastor at the funeral everything will be OK with God.

I would often use Psalm 23 in my short homily at the funeral because it expressed the great comfort that was available for those who believed in God and were part of His family …

… but even more than the temporary comfort … it gave me the opportunity to tell people of the hope of eternal life for those who have trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord.

I mean … what could more comforting that those words in the last verse:

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

… And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” WOW!

The beautiful truth about this Psalm is that the comfort that it has given countless numbers of people through the years … is still there for us as 21st century Christians.

I would encourage you to read it often … especially when times are tough … as God through His servant David … gives us great comfort and assurance.

And so … I read it from what is affectionately known as the Authorized Version – the King James Version:

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

I could just leave it there … but I would like to point out a few things … and this is by no means exhaustive.

Let’s put it this way … I was at a Bible study where it took us almost a year to study just this Psalm.

If you really want to get into it … go online and see Matthew Henry’s commentary … or Spurgeon’s “Treasury of David” … his commentary on the Psalms … all available free online!!

And so what do we see? We see the incredible words of the first verse:

“The Lord is my shepherd;”

You want to know why this Psalm is of great comfort … it is in these opening words:
“The Lord is my shepherd;”

Think about this for a moment …

We have the pre-existent God … who was and always will be … who knows the end from the beginning …

… the Creator and sustainer of the universe … the one who knows all the stars … that we could never number … and yet he knows these stars by name …

… our God knows the number of hairs on our head … and the days of our lives … and yet we have those words …

“The Lord is my shepherd;”

This God … OUR God … has come down to us … His creation … as a Shepherd … and a Shepherd that only wants the best for the sheep under His care!

These words describe an intimate and personal relationship — “The Lord is my shepherd;”

It should cause us to marvel in amazement!

It should cause us to utter a collective “WOW!”

It should cause us to say … that’s incredible!
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If we think about sheep … they are essentially defenseless. When they were out in fields they were in constant danger.

This is precisely why they needed a shepherd … someone to watch out for their needs … someone to provide for them … and especially … someone to protect them from all the dangers that are around them …

David was a shepherd … he knew the danger that sheep were in … in fact … we know that he killed both a lion and a bear that were attacking the sheep under his care.

And this is exactly what we see in the rest of the Psalm … how the shepherd provides for the physical needs of the sheep and protects them from all types of danger.

And so we read: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

What we see is that the sheep under the shepherd’s care will lack nothing … ALL of their needs will be provided for.

One translation says: ““The Lord is my Shepherd. I will have everything I need.””
This is what David makes clear as he continues …

““He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.””

Here are the basic needs of the sheep … food and water … grass and calm waters to quench their hunger and their thirst.

No different from our basic needs … food and water.

As Christians … we know that God will provide all our needs. We have his promise on that.

As Paul tells us in Philippians 4: ““And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.””

Peter emphasizes this when he tells us in the introduction to his first letter … which you’ve heard me quote man times:

““Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness …””

As I said two weeks ago … the God who created us and placed us on this earth … has been gracious enough to give us His Word … The Bible … on how to live in the world that He has created …

… AND how to gain access to the world to come … through the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is why we can say: ““The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.””

As David continues we read: ““He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.””

The sheep that are provided grass and water are revived … and not only are they revived … but they can trust the shepherd … and they can continue to follow him.

Our Savior … the Lord Jesus Christ … uses the example of sheep for those who follow him … and he says:

““My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.””

We see the protection and provision for those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Our lives are not without difficulty. There will be times of deep spiritual hurt and sadness. No one us exempt.

As I also told you two weeks ago … December 8 would have been my Rachel’s 40th birthday …

I knew that it was … but then I opened Facebook … and it said: “It’s Rachel Rosenberg’s birthday today, wish her good thoughts.”

While I didn’t need to be reminded because she is rarely out of my thoughts … there was sadness … but also comfort in knowing that she was celebrating her birthday … if they celebrate in heaven …

… knowing that she was in the presence of her God and Savior … the Lord Jesus Christ … and she was without pain and suffering … and we can say … without the effects of sin in her life.

I paraphrase … the Good Shepherd, Jesus, restored her soul … the Good Shepherd, Jesus, led her in the path of righteousness … for His name’s sake … because she belonged to the Good Shepherd … the Lord is her Shepherd.
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I usually listen to instrumental music as I prepare my sermon. It’s a habit I got into years ago, and it helps me to concentrate.

I was streaming an album by The Piano Guys … which is usually instrumental …

… But then there was a song with vocals that was playing … as I was thinking about Rachel … and the lyrics were so appropriate and they just hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks … it was a song called The Sweetest Gift:

Lyrics:
I’m not going to lie.
Christmas really hurts this time
Cause you’re not here to celebrate with me.
Tears fill my eyes.
And memories flood my mind,
As I place your ornament upon our tree.
Although this year I have a broken heart,
It gives me hope and joy as I remember where you are.

Chorus:
You’re with the Son of God.
You’re with the Prince of Peace.
You’re with the one we’re celebrating
And that thought amazes me.
Sometimes I still break down,
Grieving that we’re apart,
But the sweetest gift is knowing where you are.
You’re with the Son of God.
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But the sweetest gift is knowing where you are.
You’re with the Son of God.
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It doesn’t get any better than that.

So … her earthly pilgrimage has ended … but we are still in our pilgrimage here on earth.

And … we think about the fact that we can follow the way of righteousness … we CAN follow what God has revealed in His Word.

Will we do it perfectly?? …. obviously not!

… that is why we have the Seasons that we are in … Advent and then the Christmas Seasons … looking back at the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ … and forward to his 2nd coming in glory.

Now … remember … David says: ““The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”” … and I said this means that all of the needs of the sheep are provided for … including protection.

As he continues …

““Yea, 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.””

Notice clearly that it does NOT say … “the valley of death …” But the “valley of the SHADOW of death.”

As Christians, we should be reminded that because of the person and work of Jesus Christ … his birth … life … death AND his glorious resurrection … the sting of death has been removed.

In first Corinthians 15 — the resurrection chapter — the Apostle Paul tells us:

““For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.””

Death … for the Christian … is NOT the end … it is not a defeat … BUT it is VICTORY through Christ.
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I love what Spurgeon says: “Death stands by the side of the highway in which we have to travel, and the light of heaven shining upon him throws a shadow across our path; let us then rejoice that there is a light beyond.”
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“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

As I said earlier, I often did funerals at the request of the local funeral director.

Funerals are a normal part of life … we all face the same end … our physical bodies are temporary … we all will face … as David says: “the shadow of death.”

None of us can escape what will happen.

But we know … we have the ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE that as Christians … as those who have trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord … we need not fear death.

““Yea, 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.””

We can have comfort in knowing that our God and our Savior are always with us.

Let us take God at His Word … when He says … through the Apostle Paul:

““For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.””

Think about this in the context of what David says next:

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.””

A soldier … in the presence of his enemies … will eat something on the run … and yet … for those who are under the care of the great shepherd … a banquet table will be set before him EVEN in the presence of his enemies … where he can eat his meal in perfect peace!

But … it’s not a one time thing … it’s continual … ““thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.””

Day by day … we are anointed by God … for whatever the day brings … in other words … God is never away from us … and for that we can take comfort.

Regardless of the difficulties … we know that we have been chosen by God … and God will give us more than we need to get through the circumstances of our day.

And in the circumstances of the day … we have God’s promise … ““Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:””
Whatever is happening … we can grasp hold of the truth that … ““Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:””

Then there’s the ultimate promise … ““and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.””

It doesn’t get any better than this.

““and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.””

As those who have trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord … we KNOW that we have been adopted into God’s family … we are part of His household.

We belong to the Lord who is our Shepherd!

And so … when our earthly lives are over … we know what awaits us … ““and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.””

This is what the Seasons of Advent and Christmas are all about … it’s beyond the gift giving … the Christmas parties … the lights and carols … the special times with family and friends …

… nothing wrong with any of those things … BUT … but …

… it’s about the Savior … it’s all about Jesus … who came to earth for us and our salvation … so that when our temporary bodies finally give out … we know …

““and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.””

Praise be to God!