The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads 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 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 anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs 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
Forever.
Surely as we who are disciples in Christ are walking in the valley of the shadow of death. For there is death all around us. We are surrounded by the walking dead. Why? Anyone not found in Christ Jesus are dead in their sins. And that is exactly where Satan wants us.
Though this Psalm is uttered at funerals on a continual basis, it is no cliche’ that they are words of comfort for those of us who are alive in Christ. Take heart brethren. Christ is at your door step, even at your side ready to pull you up and dust you off. Lay down your troubles and take hold of His robes. Come into times of refreshing and prepare for the day of His arrival. The Day of the Lord!
Even as Peter preached in Solomon’s porch, he declared:
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.(Acts 3:19-20)
23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
24 Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
(Psalm 31:23-24)
And again, the Lord says ‘do not doubt’.
18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”
21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
(Mat. 21:18-22)
Last Days of the Age 