Let The Weary Rejoice

Well, the Lord is here. And the way you guys are leaning into him and just your passionate worship, I'm really excited. I hope this doesn't squelch that.

Wow. You know, during worship, I was really moved by just the women here that have learned how to sing in the midst of the storm. And it's so important that you do that because there are women coming behind you that need to learn the same thing. There's actually a few of you that the Lord highlighted to me that he's teaching to sing in the storm. And I think it's more than the ones that he has highlighted, but I'm just going to go ahead and do this.

So right here, sweater, lace, sitting by Karen, you're acting like that's not what you're wearing. And then on the end, in the green sweater, maybe cream boot. You two in particular. Yeah. Don't be scared.

I think the Lord just wants to affirm you that through a lot of pain, he's teaching you to release your sound. Don't despise it. Because he's going to show you things that you wouldn't trade. The things you think you want, you wouldn't trade for what is being apprehended through that. Yes.

And the sound is really, really important. So bless you both. Let him do what he wants to do. Let him do it. It's going to be worth it.

Karen, do you know her? And you're being so precious. That's so sweet. Aw. I love it.

And the Lord is doing a work in our midst, and it's up to us whether we're included in that. So as you've already figured out through promo, and then again tonight, we've already talked about this theme. Let the weary rejoice.

I've had to battle for this today in ways that I didn't expect, from natural circumstances that wouldn't be unusual to my season. Just things I wasn't planning on and planning for today. And it's been hard. It's been painful. And then at about 5, I deleted my entire message somehow.

Thankfully, I had sent some verses for them to put on the screens with the main points. So in the midst of it, I wanted to freak out, which we're going to talk about tonight. We're going to talk about the internal freakout. And I had to live out. I've been doing this a long time.

Like, I know how to avoid deleting messages, but obviously I forgot my friend Ruth Paleo was like, well, that's why I have Dropbox. I'm Like I have Dropbox. I don't want to explain or confess how it still happened with Dropbox, but it did. But then in choosing to lean in and let him speak, there was rest in the midst of it. And so even though I hope it never happens this way again, I'm thankful that he doesn't waste anything.

The biblical definition for rejoice, at its core, is a call to joy. That's what it means. Rejoice means a call to joy. And this message is a call to the weary. It's a call to the weary to joy that we find our rest in.

And maybe when you're weary, you don't really want to think about joyful things, but there is a rest in joy that he's calling us to. Our main foundational text tonight is in Isaiah 9. It's a very familiar passage of Scripture, particularly at Christmas time.

There's actually quite a few Messianic prophecies in the book of Isaiah. There are theologians that call the Book of Isaiah the fifth Gospel because of the number of Messianic references in the book. So the prophet Isaiah's words abound in mentions of a future Messiah. We've been talking about this on Sundays, Advent, his arrival. And Isaiah speaks of the virgin conception and a child being born, a son being given the name Emmanuel, which means God with us, a sacrificial death, the rejection of man, as a matter of fact, his Advent, which the Advent is not just Christmas when he came to earth as Emmanuel, it's when he returns as well.

Both are included Advent, and both are found in the book of Isaiah, and both are found in the passage of Scripture. We're going to look at tonight. We're going to look at Isaiah 9, the first seven verses. The first six verses speak of the first coming of Jesus. And then that final verse that we're going to look at tonight talks about his second coming.

But before we get into it, I want to give you a little bit of a backdrop. I'm going to do some teaching here up front, and then we're going to just let the arrows of his conviction hit our hearts. I guess that could happen in the teaching, too. But the introduction will be at least as long as the message, so don't get nervous.

So the chapters leading up to Isaiah 9, the eight chapters leading up, and particularly the final verses of chapter 8, reveal that Israel is going through an external storm. There's a military threat against the northern and southern nations or parts of Israel, but there's also an internal storm. This is the State of Israel, an external storm and an internal storm. Is there anyone here tonight that can relate? But the people of Israel were becoming disconnected from God, largely because of this external storm and the fear attached to it.

And they were looking for guidance and wisdom from the dead. This is what Isaiah 8, particularly the last part, reveals. So the backdrop of this passage, the immediate context of this passage is very dark. It's very bleak. The year is 732 BC.

It's still 10, around 10 years before the northern kingdom of Israel is pulverized and plundered by the Assyrian war machine. But the threats of it are already upon them. The Assyrians were flexing their muscles, and Israel and Judah, the northern and southern kingdoms, were scrambling for security, scrambling for peace. The Assyrians were like the original Isis or the original Hamas to make it more current to where we are today. And fear in Israel was mounting.

So there's this spiritual darkness, this political darkness hanging over the nation. For Israel, their landscape was gloom and doom. That's all it was. This may not mean a lot to all of you, but this means a lot to me as we think about the landscape of their lives. All it was was gloom and doom.

It was a long night without mourning coming.

There was hopelessness and despair and darkness for all of Israel, but especially the northern part there in Galilee, because they would be the first to feel the boot of the enemy, and they knew this. So there's this dark, this thick blanket that's like darkness enveloping Israel like a heavy blanket, and particularly in the northern kingdom. And things had become so dire and people were so desperate for light that they were looking to the domain of darkness to accomplish that light, not dissimilar to things we're experiencing now in our day. And sadly, it has a contemporary ring to it as it relates to world leaders that are in position today. And in that context, God speaks and the answer comes.

Verses 1 through 6. The first coming of Jesus prophesied in the midst of this dark background, the prophet speaking to people in despair. And the word of hope comes nevertheless. There will be no more gloom for those who are in distress. In the past, he humbled the the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.

But in the future, he will honor Galilee of the nations by the way of the sea beyond the Jordan. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy. They rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest. As warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

For as in the days of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them so. This is, prophetically speaking, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, every warrior's boot used in battle, and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. In other words, the fighting will cease. How? For to us a child is born.

For to us a son is given. And the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And then verse seven points to his second coming when he comes to establish his global kingdom. And that day is coming of the government and of his government and peace, there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness. From that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. So we read of his first coming. Isaiah predicted, he prophesied that Naphtali and Zebulun would be the first territories to experience two things.

One, to be invaded from the north. And that prophecy was fulfilled 10 years later. And then to see the messianic glory which was fulfilled in Jesus hundreds of years later in those regions that Isaiah prophesied. Nazareth is a territory of Zebulun, Jesus of Nazareth. Capernaum was Jesus headquarters in Galilee, and that's in the temple territory of Naphtali.

So it was prophesied and it's where it was fulfilled, not just in reality, in geographical location. Jesus launches his ministry in Galilee. And he quotes Isaiah 9:1:2. He says, I'm the light shining in the darkness prophesied by Isaiah. So for Isaiah's original audience, the light was coming for you and I.

The light has come.

For all of us the light is coming. And for all of us the light has come. And the response to the coming light of Jesus is overflowing gladness and rejoicing. You read on. In Isaiah, song breaks out.

And that must be our response as well. A thrill of hope. Let the weary rejoice. Galatians 6:7,9. Don't be deceived.

God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh from the flesh will reap destruction. Whoever sows to please the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest.

If we do not give, we Love that last verse, but it's referring to where we're going to sow. Is it going to be to please the spirit or to please the flesh? And what he's challenging us in is to not grow weary in doing that. Because the harvest only comes for those who don't give up. Let us not become weary.

That phrase speaks of an internal exhaustion. It's an internal exhaustion. It's that state on the inside that causes us to say, I'm tired of. Fill in the blank. Right?

We're not really talking about physical exhaustion. I'm tired of my life. I'm tired of these people. I'm tired of the traffic. I am tired of the traffic.

I mean, we. Where are all these people coming from? And why are they all going to target? Clearly not Christians.

So there's an internal I don't go to target, by the way, even though that had a sarcastic ring. I'm tired of these cycles. I'm tired. There's this internal weariness that we experience. And he says, don't do that.

Don't grow weary. Don't get tired on the inside. But if you're feeling that happening, I have a remedy. He says, come to me. In Matthew 11 all who are weary.

It's that same idea of internal exhaustion, but it kind of adds the layer of toil, like what we're laboring in and we can't seem to get out of. Like a hamster wheel. All who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. And this is how I'm going to give you my yoke and cause you to learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. And maybe you're here saying, I'm trying to do things his way and his yoke doesn't seem that easy and light. And may I present to you and out of my own season that we can't do it his way and our own way at the same time. And that's where the weariness comes. Weary and burdened.

It's an exhaustion from the toil. The word there would be turmoil. And he wants to give us internal rest. Rest for our souls. But we've got to address the root of the weariness inside of us.

And it may not be the same for everyone, but we're in a state of unrest. So when I was in elementary school. Is your mom there? Oh, she's so short. And there you are.

So my sister Christy is one year Older than me. And when we were in elementary school, my sister shared with me a profound illustration that brought counsel to my life. And this is a true story. We have an older brother. Some of you know him, Bob Gladstone.

I talked to a couple people before the service who have heard him preach. He's phenomenal. He's my favorite preacher, hero. He hates when I tell this story, but it did happen, so I'm going to share it. My brother knew how to get me worked up like no one, even though I looked to him, adored him.

I mean, my sister and I thought he was the best thing. Everything he planned, we loved. He started a store in his room. We would save all our money to buy the items. This is true.

In his room. And when he would say he had to close the store for lack of inventory, we would donate our things and then we would still buy them. It's true. We bought the things in his store. Games like hide the trophies.

We would do anything for him to play them with us. But even with that admiration and love that I had for him, he knew how to get me worked up. And this is how he would do it. He would just say a bunch of things that weren't true, and I would scream my head off. I'm not exaggerating.

He would say, hey, Terry, you know why mom and dad are at work right now? Because I told them to work. He would say stuff like that. He would turn the calendar to his birthday and write National King's Day. And he would just go on and on about how mom and dad, everything they do is because he tells them what to do.

And I would go crazy. I would, no, that's not true. And I would call my mom. He would do this other thing where he would kind of blow in my face and say, what? And I would freak out.

And my sister wouldn't. So one day I asked her about this probably a couple years ago, and she didn't remember this council, right? You kind of do, little bit. She brought me in her room and told me to sit next to her on the bed. And she said, let me tell you a story of an alligator and two shrimp.

And we were like 8 and 9 years old. So somewhere in there, we were in elementary school, she said, you've got the alligator just sitting in the water, and then you have the two shrimp, and the alligator's looking for food. So there's one shrimp that's just kind of coasting along, going with the flow, and then there's another shrimp that's going crazy kind of Doing this. She said, which one is the alligator going to eat? I said, oh, that wild shrimp is me.

She nodded her head. While I was preparing for this, the Lord brought this back to me. And the statement I'm going to make now has nothing to do with my brother. But this is the connection. There is an enemy of our souls that when he sees our lack of rest internally and we're freaking out over a bunch of things that aren't even true, we become greater prey to his vices.

And I'm telling you, I hear it from the Lord. I've heard it over my own life. Today, I don't feel like it was a rational fear. I was fighting things in my mind. Thank God for faithful intercessors like Nikita who will text and say, praying right now, the Lord's got you.

Tracy Brown told me she was praying that today would go really easy. I told her she needed to get back in that prayer closet.

But as I was listening to these things and kind of freaking out on the inside, it's like I was giving more territory to the enemy. So we're going to talk about three things quickly. The unrest inside of us that causes us to fall prey to the enemy and keeps us from the rest that we experience in joy. It's a call to the weary. Let the weary rejoice.

Number one, unrest in our desires. I'm going to do my best to just lay this out for you without adding too many peripheral words. I think that's part of the Lord's intention in my message being deleted. So economy of words. It's the not my strong suit.

James 4, verse 1 says, what is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war in you? That shrimp going crazy. I'm going to illustrate this point through Cain. You know of Cain and Abel born to Adam and Eve Very quickly, Cain was the worker of the ground after Adam and Eve were given sons.

Cain was the worker of the ground. He was a farmer. Abel kept the flocks. He was a shepherd. And when it came time for them to bring their offerings, Cain brought an offering out of the fruit of the ground.

That was his area. He was a farmer. He was giving an offering to God. It was a food offering. And according to Leviticus, Leviticus 2, which would be written later, we discover that a food offering is a legitimate offering.

But then there's Abel that brought the firstborn of his flock. That's the most valuable offering you can bring. And then the fatty portions make it even more Honorable. So he brings his. The firstborn of his flock.

He brings the fatty portions, both brothers bringing legitimate and honorable offerings. Cain's offering is not bad. We don't even really know why the Lord rejected his offering fully. Scripture doesn't make that clear. But it wasn't a bad offering.

It's just that Abel's was more valuable. But that's not what I'm talking about tonight. We do know that God put his attention on Abel's offering, not Cain's. And Cain became angry, and his face showed it. And I'm telling you, the Lord's after that, in some of us, your face is showing it.

People are asking, are you okay? And you're like, yeah, why? And they want to say to you, well, tell your face you're okay, right?

His face fell. And God addresses Cain in verse six of chapter four of Genesis. Why are you so angry? The Lord asked Cain, why? Why do you look so dejected?

You will be accepted if you do what's right. But if you refuse to do what's right, then watch out, sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you, but you must subdue it and be its master. He was saying, if you refuse to do what's good, watch out, sin is crouching at your door. And there's a lot of truth about this whole passage. I taught about it recently on a Wednesday night.

But he's saying, this sin that's crouching at your door, you can rule it. But Cain doesn't subdue, he doesn't heed the warning of the Lord. And he murders Abel. And not only does he murder Abel, but when God says, where is Abel? Cain has the nerve to say, am I my brother's keeper?

This is to God Almighty. He knew. He just killed him. And God says, cain. Now I'm summarizing.

He said, I hear Abel's blood crying from the ground. And then he goes on to say, cain, I know what you've done to Abel, and this is going to be your consequence. I'm not going to read the consequences. The Lord lays them out. He's going to be a wanderer, like, there's a very clear punishment.

Now, let's Skip to Genesis. 4, 13, 14. Cain said to the Lord, my punishment is more than I can bear today. You are driving me from the land. I will be hidden from your presence.

I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. I'm going to stop the story there and just bring a couple of points that I believe are On God's heart. There's an issue with Cain's response here. He does cry out to God, but there is no brokenheartedness over his sin. The only thing that Cain is concerned with is his punishment.

Think about that for a minute. He just killed his brother. God in heaven heard his brother's blood crying out from the ground. He confronts Cain, and rather than Cain mourning and repenting over his sin, he's more concerned over what his punishment will be. Some of you have unrest in your desires, and the only antidote for that is repentance.

That's it. Letting our hearts break over what breaks God's heart. This is juxtaposed by David. David sinned. David even killed a man to cover up his sin.

But when God exposed it, right before God exposed it, David wasn't catching on, right? The prophet Nathan tells him a story about neighbors who had this lamb that loved this lamb. Let the lamb sleep in their bed and eat at their table. That's what some of you do with your pets. It might be what I do a little bit with my pets, but the neighbor killed that lamb.

And as Nathan's telling that story to David, David says, well, you are that man. And instead of the king saying to the prophet, who do you think you are? Leave my kingdom. You can't expose my sin. No.

The Lord was offering rest, and David took it. When God exposed it, David repented and cried out to God. And he cried out for a while. He poured out his soul to God. And then the word came from the Lord saying, you're not going to be able to keep your son, but these are the things you're going to be able to keep.

And in Second Samuel, it says, david got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, changed his clothes, and went to church and worshiped. Why? Because he says, come to me those who are weary. There was an unrest inside of David. There was an unrest in his desires.

There was a sinful nature that he never was able to bring to the light that. But there was a light that dawned that would later take his throne, that exposed this thing on the inside. And David chose rest through his repentance. That's profound. I'm just going to say it.

I'm going to listen to my own teaching later. Romans 5, verse 1. I share that joke every so often. I really like it. Therefore, since we have been made in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Unrest in our desires only comes to a place of rest through true repentance. And we would do well to learn what true repentance is. Not mourning over the consequences, but instead saying, my God, I broke your heart. And when we really get that and we really weep with him and, and mourn with him, and I'm telling you, this is the testimony of my life. Even now he comes and he comforts those who mourn and he restores us.

He says, no, you come. You've been in this place of unrest inside, but I'm going to give you rest for your soul and I declare over you tonight. Let the weary rejoice. There's an unrest in desire number two. Maybe it's an unrest in our perspective.

Israel experienced this. They didn't receive Jesus as Messiah for a pretty clear reason. There's all kinds of Old Testament messianic passages that portray and I had them all ready for you, but I don't anymore. They portray a powerful all conquering king who will defeat every enemy. And Israel knew these prophecies.

There were prophecies that this Messiah would restore Israel to its rightful place and that God's people would dwell in a land of security and prosperity. But this, however, is not the only picture the Old Testament provides of the promised Messiah. As early as Genesis 3:15, we have indication that the Messiah is going to suffer from a bruised heel right when he defeats the enemy. But there is going to be suffering. There's later passages that are clearer and more descriptive, more dramatic in their description of the Messiah's sufferings.

And then Psalm 22 is a messianic psalm portraying his future sufferings, this humble king that would come like a baby. So there's these two seemingly conflicting portrayals of a future Messiah created a challenge in understanding how could they both be true in one person. The reality is they are both true in one person. And the followers of the way Christians believers experience both conquering victory and deep suffering. But the Jewish people said, no, we're going to choose the most attractive of the options.

We'll take the conquering king you so that suffering servant is not him. And they're still looking for a Messiah who will come as a conquering king. The issue is he is coming that way with blood on his robes from defeating the king of every nation on his thigh written King of kings and Lord of lords. But that will be when he's cleansing the earth for the millennial reign. And it will be at the end of the age.

So we ought to pray for Israel, provoking her to jealousy to see this light that We've already encountered, but there was an unrest in their perspective. They wanted a messiah that would come a different way. And some of you are in that conflict of how was he good? Yet this is the circumstances. These are the circumstances.

I'm walking out.

I thought I saw Sam Riddle. Is she still here? Yeah. How does Samantha Riddle have her hands lifted, saying, he won't fail when the Lord decided to take her three and a half year old to himself after an intense battle with cancer? Because it's both.

He's the conqueror and he's the suffering servant. And when we say, no, it can't be both, then we have an unrest on the inside because we're actually not pursuing truth and we're pursuing Him. In part, we would be better off not pursuing him at all.

Job asked the question, why do the wicked prosper? He asked it a few times. But here is the difference. Job only asked it of God. David in Psalm 73 said, I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

But then he gives us an answer in Psalm 37, verses 3 through 9 that we need to allow to shift our perspectives.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in him, and he will do this.

This is what he'll do. He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger, turn from wrath.

Do not fret. Listen, ladies, it only leads to evil, for those who are evil will be destroyed. But those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. Now listen, for the sake of authenticity. Over the last two weeks, there have been two particular mornings that I was sitting in this fretting and trying to figure out how to take things in my own hands and what would make me feel relief to what I deem as an injustice and a lot of pain after God bringing breakthrough to my daughter.

But then the emotional pain. And as I'm contemplating these things, the Lord has sent faithful servants. One morning, Pastor Derek prophesying over me, I'm weeping in my room. Then this week, staff member Corey Johnson sends me this word that he texts while I'm contemplating after having these tormenting dreams like, lord, I can't do it. I'm tired.

I don't know what else to do. I Know that I could position myself in a certain way, specifically before sleep, but I'm too tired. And the Lord said. He's saying that only leads to evil. The path you're on does not bring rest.

We sit with him, we desire Him. We. We delight ourselves in Him. And then the desires that are not godly, he changes. And he can say in full authenticity, delight in me and you will get the desires of your heart.

He sometimes has to change our desires. And that's when we can say, he won't. He won't ever fail. He won't let me down. He won't.

He won't. He's going to be faithful to realign me. And even if not on this level life, there's coming a day when he will come split the, split the sky, make every wrong right. And where I have wandered, like Cain did, He will faithfully say, sin's crouching at your door.

But why are the wicked prospering, God? Why these things people are saying? Maybe some true, maybe partially true. Why are they getting away with it? Why are people believing all of these things?

I don't tell you this to make you feel sorry for me or to have some kind of commentary that's cryptic. I'm just telling you this is the reality of my life. And he says, come to me and I will teach you. And if you will submit to my yoke, I will give you rest for your soul. And he gets it.

There's no greater pain than when it's trusted people and friends and the couple that I mentioned this week that ministered to me. There are many. There are many. Pastor Mel, Pastor Steph, Mary, Summer, people who have carried me, Hakel that almost hears my thoughts and then texts me. It's kind of freaky, but he's saying, no, come to me.

I see you. Like Malana was singing earlier. He needs to know that we're seen. We need to know that we're seen. And he wants us to know it.

So there's unrest in our desires, unrest in our perspective, and then finally unrest in our strategy.

Augustine said, you have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you. And it reminds me of Hannah. Hannah wouldn't look to her rival Peninnah and be moved. And Peninnah tried, criticized, taunting, but she didn't look to her. I want you to lean in.

Hear this. Hannah wouldn't look to Peninah. She wouldn't look to Elkanah, who he was compassionate for the pain of her barrenness. But he couldn't relate to her grief. That's for someone.

Tonight you have people trusted and near to you, but they can't relate to your grief. So Hannah looked to God and she went to the temple and poured out her heart to the point that Eli thought she was drunk. We've got to come to the place that we resolve. If I don't rest in you, I won't rest. I don't want rest another way.

Sometimes I get rest by watching Beat Bobby Flay and falling asleep. But I want to refuse to find rest that way. I might still watch Beat Bobby Flay. But you understand, it's when we say if you don't defend me, I won't be defended. To paraphrase CS Lewis, if it doesn't make sense in this life, I must be made for another world.

2nd Corinthians 4. Our light and momentary troubles are achieving something greater. A thrill of hope. Let the weary rejoice. I'm almost done.

In fact, the worship team can make their way.

First Corinthians 9.

Do you know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one runs to get the prize? Hear me, ladies. Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I don't run like someone running aimlessly. Come on, he wants to give us rest.

We've been running around aimless. I don't fight. Fight like a boxer beating the air. Or like a shrimp freaking out in front of the alligator. No.

I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave. So that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. Isaiah 40. To whom will you compare? Me or who is my equal?

Equal, says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes. Come on, church. Look to the heavens. Imagine the stars.

Who created all these? This is who created them. The same one who brings them out one by one and calls them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one is missing. So why do you complain?

Why do you say my way is hidden from the Lord? My cause is disregarded by my God. Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God.

The Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow weary. He increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

A thrill of hope. Let the weary rejoice. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.

One more thought, and then we're going to pray. When David was writing Psalm 23, There is a major shift in the middle of the psalm. He starts with, the Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie in green pastures.

He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil. So these first three verses, he was speaking about the Lord.

He makes me lie down. He leads me. He refreshes me. He guides me. But after he walks through the valley of the shadow of death, he then says, I will fear no evil, for not he, but you, God, are with me.

Your rod, your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely your goodness will follow me, your goodness, all the days of my life.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. He wants to make that transition for you tonight, if you'll let him, instead of no, he's good. I get it. I do believe that he's God and He's in charge, and he is a shepherd. He is God.

He, He, He, He. But he allows a transition in our hearts. Not where we just fake it till we make it, but with everything in us. And only the painful, though painful, journey does this. Only the fire does this, that when you've walked through the fire, you can say, no, you are with me.