Janis Evanoff 12/31/2006
Grace Baptist Church in Bountiful, Utah

23rd Psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

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.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Another year gone by and a new one beginning. I’ve been asking myself, “Where did the year go and what have I been doing?” I feel like I’m back in June somewhere in my garden. Did I have amnesia or was I in a coma or something? How did I get to this day so quickly? Do I look back and figure out what’s been happening or do I turn and look forward to the new adventure ahead? I believe God WANTS us to take some time and reflect on the year gone by and what we’ve learned or things we might need to change, but I don’t think He wants us to rewind the entire year and relive it in our mind over and over. Jesus was always moving forward. He didn’t get hung up in the past. He helped people move on from their sin like the woman caught in adultery. He pointed her to the future by telling her to go and sin no more. So why DO we carry all of the things of the past around with us? Think about it. Chances are this very morning, not long after your foot hit the floor as you got out of bed, you started to gather your baggage for the day. We do it without even thinking. Maybe you even went to Baggage Carousel No. 1 of your mind and started loading up. The baggage we carry around affects our relationship with God and with others. If we’re so busy readjusting our bags and we’re so totally exhausted because of all the weight and from pulling that train of baggage cars behind us, we miss out on all of the things God has for us…with Him and those in our life. We might be leaning over to pick up the backpack of loneliness which fell off our shoulder just as someone who needs a hug is going by. Or we’re repacking that bag of shame because we don’t want anyone to see that little shred of something hanging out the side while someone is standing nearby who needs help. How many things in life do we miss because we’re taking care of all of those bags? Why do you think we have so much trouble getting close to each other? Because we have mountains of baggage around us like a giant wall which keeps people at a distance. AND, it’s exhausting! Look at how our society even packs around physical things. Look at the ads in the paper after the holidays and what do you see piles of in the stores? Storage containers to store all of the stuff we surround ourselves with. God is a god of order and there is nothing wrong with orderliness in our lives, but even that can be enslaving. I admit I’ve been dejunking for quite some time and I’ve been containerizing my house…and most of the containers are now clear so you can sort of see what’s inside. Even after I’ve gotten rid of lots of things, do I really KNOW what’s in all of those containers and do I REALLY need all of those things? Clutter around us only adds to the clutter of bags we carry in our hearts, minds and souls. Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and 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.” Matthew 11:28-30. Did you hear that? Jesus promises us rest. Doesn’t that sound inviting? But how can we rest or lighten our burden if we’re hauling all of this baggage around? Today I would like you to look with me at the 23rd Psalm. You might say, What does that have to do with beginning a new year?” It’s not just something we read at funerals. It’s not about death…it’s about your life! I think it has everything to do with how we should go into the new year. So come with me as we explore David’s words. But I must caution you…if you want to go forward with the adventure of your life, you have to SLOOOOOW down and you have to leave the baggage behind. But how can I do that, you might say? Well, we’re going to look to the Shepherd to show us the way and that we don’t need to drag with us any backpacks or fine luggage bursting at the seams with all of our things. He promises to provide everything we need. All He wants us to bring is ourselves, just as we are.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT.

The Lord is…
How do you view God? Loving or uncaring? Attentive or too busy for you? Close or distant? Compassionate? Kind? Gentle? Harsh? Heavy-handed? Loving Father? Who IS He to you? God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He doesn’t change. He consistently and constantly and unconditionally loves you…no matter what! Don’t put God in a box or on a shelf. Open your heart to all He has to offer you. “Where can I go to get away from your Spirit?” David asked. “Where can I run from you? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the grave, you are there.” (Ps 139:7-8)

My shepherd…
Do you need a shepherd or are you your own shepherd? You can control everything, right? You are at peace with everyone, right? You have no fears, right? You don’t need forgiveness because you never made a mistake, right? WRONG! You need Jesus as your Shepherd to lead you through your life, or your 23rd Psalm might sound like this (in the words of author Max Lucado):
I am my own shepherd. I am always in need.
I stumble from mall to mall and shrink to shrink, seeking relief but never finding it.
I creep through the valley of the shadow of death and fall apart.
I fear everything from pesticides to power lines, and I’m starting to act like my mother.
I go down to the weekly staff meeting and am surrounded by my enemies.
I go home and even my goldfish scowls at me.
I anoint my headache with extra-strength Tylenol.
My Jack Daniel’s runneth over.
Surely misery and misfortune will follow me, and I will live in self-doubt for the rest of my lonely life.

We need to accept the Savior’s offer to lead us. So let’s get over our thinking we know everything and can take care of everything ourselves. We can’t! Jesus knows the way for us through this life. He planned it and He can show us where we are to go and what we are to do. But we have to be listening, willing, humble and trusting. W-A-N-T. It’s the prison of the modern world. I want something. I want something bigger, nicer, faster, thinner, shinier, prettier…I want, I want, I want! The things of this earth fade and crumble and rust. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt 6:19-21 Jesus, the Shepherd, gives us NOT what we WANT but what we NEED. Look at modern advances. They are not in of themselves bad, it’s only when we enslave ourselves to them…cell phones, Blackberries, Instant Messaging. In the last 10 years, maybe even less, have you noticed the change in our society? Some people never get away from these things…they rule their lives and interfere with ours. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11-12, “I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have…I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty.” Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) As believers in Jesus Christ we have His attentive listening ear, the power of His love with us, and the wisdom of His Spirit within us. So why do we turn from all of that to stumble by going our own way to the prison of wanting?

Close your eyes and say with me…“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…”

HE MAKES ME TO LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES
Insomnia…America doesn’t sleep! Weariness is the bag we pull and tug and drag like a stubborn dog. The statistics are staggering.
- Insomnia afflicts 70 million Americans.
- It costs the U.S. $70 billion in productivity loss.
- It affects teenagers. 64% of teens blame it for poor school performance.
- It affects the middle-aged. Studies have shown that the most severe cases occur between ages 30 and 40.
- Senior citizens are also afflicted by it. Studies suggest that 60% of the over 65 population are impacted by it. - 30 tons of aspirin, sleeping pills and tranquilizers are consumed every day!
This means that 1/3 of our country is dozing off at work, snoozing during class or sleeping at the wheel. Our energy gauge reads “empty”. Why is this? It’s the way we work. We work too hard and too much. There is money to be made and ladders to climb. We just plain idolize busyness. Our minds are tired…our bodies are tired…we are tired to the depths of our soul!

There is only one other creature that has as much trouble resting as humans. Did you know that sheep have difficulty sleeping? Conditions have to be just right for them to rest (no predators, no bugs, no tension in the flock, no hunger), and the only way they can find rest is if the shepherd LEADS them to green pastures and MAKES them lie down. The sheep need to keep their eyes on the shepherd. We need to keep our focus on Jesus, our Shepherd. He will lead us because He loves us. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.” (Isa 26:3) Did you ever think about it when you read in the Old Testament when God handed down the ten commandments, he only used a few words for most of them, but when it came to the topic of rest, God had much more to say: (Exodus 20:8-11: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day For us to be healthy, we must rest. But we still give our excuses to God, “But God, who will do my work?” or “But God, I have to do this or that.” God says, “No, you need to rest.” Even God rested after He had created the world. The world didn’t come to a screeching halt because God rested. We live in a noisy, busy, demanding world. We have to choose to follow the Savior to the lush green pasture and waters of mercy He offers to us as a gift. Do you KNOW that place? Do you LONG for that place? Repeat after me… “It is not my job to run the world!” So take the time to lay down and snuggle deeply in the tall grass of His love and there you will find rest.

HE LEADS ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS.
Even our children worry about things they shouldn’t even be thinking about. We have to say to them, “You’re too young to worry about such things. When the time comes, you will know what to do.” Worry is the bag of “what if’s”. It is awkward to carry, irritating and scratchy. You can’t even give it away because nobody wants it! Worry divides our energy and our minds between today’s issues and tomorrow’s problems. So I guess you could say we only use half of our mind at a time. Worry can be connected to health conditions like high blood pressure, heart trouble, migraines, and intestinal disorders. Jesus said, “You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.” (Matt. 6:27) So how do we overcome worry? The second verse of Psalm 31 tells us… “He leads me beside still waters.” Note the word “still”. (Be still and know that I am God—Psalm 46:10) That’s where God is…in the quiet…in the whispers of your mind and heart. We need to take time every single day to BE STILL before God to listen. Jesus goes ahead of us and gently bids us to “come”. He shows us the way…he tells us when to “watch our step” or where to turn at the fork in the road. He gives us what we need to know when we need to know it. [Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb 4:16)] So what are your “what if’s”? Have you taken them to the Lord and asked Him to help you surrender them to Him?

HE RESTORES MY SOUL
Lost, lonely, hopeless, out of your element? Hopelessness. It’s a very dark, deep, empty bag. Even though it is an empty bag, it is the heaviest burden we may carry. Many people feel there is no hope of getting out of the deep, dark jungle of their life. The only sounds they hear are the demands of the world: creditors, failing health, strained relationships, broken hearts…They can’t find their way out! There is only one way out and that way is a someone…the Shepherd, Jesus. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) He doesn’t take away the jungle nor the things that lurk in it. But He gives us hope by giving us the only thing we need—himself. We have to learn to trust Him to lead us. Jesus promises to stay with you through everything: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:20) He says to each one of you, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)

HE LEADS ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.
This path is the same for everyone. It is a narrow path which curves up a steep hill to a cross. The ground is littered with bags of sin and guilt. Have you left yours there? Jesus came to offer us freedom from sin and guilt. We only had to do one thing…confess our sin and accept his gift of love. There is nothing we can add. We must walk the path in humility. John the Baptist proclaimed, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) We have to get over ourselves. I quote Max Lucado’s list of suggestions for living a humble life:

1) Assess yourself honestly. Romans 12:3 “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather, think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”
2) Don’t take success too seriously. Counteract pride with reminders of the brevity of life and the frailty of wealth.
3) Celebrate the significance of others. “In humility consider others better than yourselves.” Phil 2:3
4) Don’t demand your own parking place. This was the instruction of Jesus to his followers: “Go sit in a seat that is not important. When the host comes to you, he may say, ‘Friend, move up here to a more important place.’ Then all the other guests will respect you.” Luke 14:10
5) Never announce your success before it occurs.
6) Speak humbly. “Let no arrogance come from your mouth.” 1 Sam. 2:3
7) Live at the foot of the cross. Paul said, “The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging.” Gal 6:14 The Creator of the universe died for you so that He wouldn’t have to live without you. So brag about that! And make sure you check the position of your chin occasionally!

YEA, THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH I WILL FEAR NO EVIL.
We do not have to fear death because Christ conquered death. Death is not the end for believers in Jesus Christ. It is only the beginning of new life. And the psalm says, the “SHADOW of death”. Praise God it’s only a shadow!

FOR YOU ARE WITH ME.
The burden of loneliness could be one of God’s best gifts! Bags of loneliness are EVERYwhere… in offices, schools, shopping carts and check-out lines in grocery stores, in vehicles on the freeway, in hospitals, nursing homes, homes in your neighborhood. Loneliness may be God’s way of getting our attention. God is always with us. He fills all of the voids in our life where we feel no one loves us or cares about us. He loves us completely and without conditions. He turns the “n” in lonely to a “v” in lovely, because that’s what you are to Him.

YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME
God’s rod is His Word. It speaks with His authority and power. It convicts, guides, persuades, teaches and rebukes. It speaks the very mind of God to His children. It provides direction to our lives. We have to read and study it, though, if we are going to know what God has to say. It’s his personal love letter to us. We need to learn that it is the main staple of our life…we can’t live without it! The staff was used by shepherds to draw an individual sheep close for inspection or to help them out of thorny thickets. It was used to guide a sheep by placing it against their side so they would know they were on the right path. Similarly, Christ guides us through our life. We have the choice to follow His Word and His leading or go our own way and get caught in the thorny thicket.

YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES
Like the shepherds of David’s day leading their sheep to the high country…the tablelands, Christ leads us to a new and higher plain of living. He goes on ahead and makes sure there are no predators or poisonous things in the way. This special high country place where the Shepherd leads us shows His love for us. He longs to see us walk in holiness and contentment. He knows what we need and He takes us there…if we are willing

YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL
God anoints our heads with the oil of His Word to help us discern when we get our “heads together” with other people. We can become infected with the thinking of the world instead of the thinking of God. Phillipians 4:8 states how our thought life is supposed to be in God’s eyes: “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

MY CUP RUNS OVER
No matter what we face, our Shepherd Jesus, pours His life and strength into our life so that our cup of life runs over with His life. And the blessings benefit others and pour over into their lives. Thank God that your cup runneth over!!!

SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE
Easy to say when things are going great. But what about when adversity strikes? The loss of a lifelong partner to some horrific disease, loss of employment and bills piling up, when our children follow the crowd and get into trouble, friends turning against us, employers or co-workers challenging us at every turn. When our life seems to fall apart and crumble around us, can we say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”? Our tendencies are to let fear and worry take over our lives and we may even shake our fist at God and say, “God, you don’t know what you’re doing with my life! Why me?” But, God’s infinite wisdom and unfailing love sees us through EVERY circumstance and He promises to bring good out of everything. We have to trust in His love for us as His child and that He will bring us safely through this life to eternity to bask in His glory forever! And what will WE leave behind? Do we also show goodness and mercy to others? Will people remember us as joyful and merciful like Jesus? Or will they want to forget us because we were miserable and painful to be around?

AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.
This earth is not our permanent home…it is our kindergarten training ground for heaven. When we’ve accepted Christ into our lives, we belong to his household. Do you go through your day living like that? You are a child of the God of the universe. Are you proud to be His child? Do you want others to know your Dad? How do you show that in your life? Can you drop the baggage so you can devote your attention to others’ needs?
So as we go into a new year to continue (or maybe in some cases, to begin) this adventure of our life, how do we need to live this life?
What do I need? Be content with what God gives. Jesus is the ultimate source of contentment…He is to be our first affection, our first provider, our first security.
Rest. Follow God’s example and rest.
Stay in today. God provides you with the strength to face today’s problems. Count your blessings each day.
Hope. Your Shepherd will lead you. Be right with God. Leave your guilt at the cross. Confess your sins and accept God’s forgiveness. Humility. God did it all. You can’t add anything to what He has done for you. You can’t earn or climb your way to heaven.
HE makes me to lie down / HE leads me / HE restores my soul
Who am I to think I can take credit for anything! All that I am and have is from God. And ultimately when you get to the end of this adventure of your life, God will take you by the hand and lead you to your heavenly home. Thanks to Jesus, we only face the “shadow” of death. God lovingly pursues you. Let Him show you His love for you. Don’t hold back your love for Him either. Don’t be jealous of others. Do they have what you have? Jesus? Instead be zealous for them. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8) Read and meditate on God’s letter to you. How will you ever know what He has to say if you don’t spend time in His Word EVERY day? Talk with God. Open your heart to Him. Sing praises to Him. Tell Him how you feel, what you struggle with, ask for His guidance. He already knows, but He loves to listen to your voice.

Jesus wants you to know the truth TODAY. He wants the pleasure of your company—anytime, anywhere, anyhow--and if you say “Yes,” He will give you His joy. Do you experience true JOY in your life? Not happiness as the world proclaims, but joy and peace. The only source of JOY is Jesus. Jesus said His grace was sufficient for us…all we need is Him. Of course, on that day—not far from now—when you stand before Jesus with the fruit of your life, you probably won’t see a single piece of fruit! Instead you’ll see faces. Your “fruit” will crowd around you with joy and celebration. Whose faces will you see? Your spouse, children, coworkers, family members, and neighbors you took one step closer to Christ. You’ll see people around the world you haven’t even met yet who were impacted by the commitment you made to Christ. So we turn the calendar page tomorrow. Are you ready for the continuing adventure of your life? Is there some area of your life where you’re ready to give up some luggage? Especially that bag of “regret”—woulda, coulda, shoulda for the year gone by. Maybe you’re only ready to empty a couple of pockets or compartments. That’s OK. Things take time and Jesus is VERY patient and waits for you to slowly give up your fine pieces of luggage and all your other gear. He will even take the time necessary to go through the contents of each bag, one by one, as you throw things out. Talk with your Shepherd Jesus about those burdens. Do you long to lie down and rest in the green pasture the Shepherd has prepared for you? You can, you know…but you have to be willing. The choice is yours. I pray you choose the Shepherd. If we were to reflect on anything of the year gone by, we should count our blessings. A heart of gratitude does not have room for burdens. One of the things I am most thankful for are my family and friends who love me and encourage me and hold me accountable…and that includes all of you here, my family in Christ. Many of you have laid your own burdens aside to say a prayer for me or give me a hug or a word of encouragement. That’s what the Body of Christ is all about. And when we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!!!!!!!!!! Jesus MAY let you turn back for just a moment and look at the year gone by…hopefully, over time, you will see more and more bags left behind on the road of your life. And when you turn to face the future, you will see the outstretched, nail-pierced hand reaching out to take your hand for the rest of the journey. He wants YOU, just the way you are…no baggage beyond this point!!!

[Play song, “The Altar” by Ray Boltz]