Guiding Question:
What does it really mean to experience the Shepherd’s care in our lives—and how do we follow Him to the high ground of faith?
Summary
Description:
Robert Lewis unpacks Psalm 23:5 in this deeply reflective and encouraging message, helping believers understand how God’s care is both profoundly personal and powerfully transformative. This message explores the imagery of the Shepherd preparing a table, anointing with oil, and filling the cup to overflowing—each symbolizing how God provides, heals, and blesses His people.
Lewis begins by reminding the congregation that biblical belief is inseparable from action—true belief means following. With humor and honesty, he describes how failing to follow leads to isolation and trouble. He then dives into the three word pictures in Psalm 23:5: the table, representing the Shepherd’s advance preparation; the oil, symbolizing healing through the Holy Spirit; and the cup, representing a life overflowing with God’s presence and provision.
The message is rich with applications, including stories of healing from conflict and emotional wounds. One particularly powerful example involves a pastor reconciling with his aging father—a real-life picture of how the Shepherd’s care restores brokenness.
Outline:
Intro & Psalm Recitation – Congregational reading of Psalm 23 to frame the message.
The Psalm’s Two Big Themes – Following and experiencing “better.”
Defining Biblical Belief – Belief equals following; passive faith is unbiblical.
Three Word Pictures in Psalm 23:5:
The Table – God's provision prepared in advance, like lush tablelands for sheep.
The Oil – Healing for irritations and infections; symbolic of the Holy Spirit.
The Cup – A life that overflows with God’s presence, peace, and hope.
Personal and Pastoral Stories – Including the Civil War letter from Robert’s family, illustrating God’s care even in death.
Practical Application – Believe in God's preparation and keep applying the Spirit's "oil" through surrender and listening.
Key Takeaways
Biblical belief always leads to action—it means following Jesus as Shepherd.
God's care is active, intentional, and preemptive; He prepares “tablelands” for our good.
The Holy Spirit is our healing oil, bringing peace amid irritations and freedom from infections like unresolved conflict or unrepentant sin.
When we follow, our lives overflow with spiritual abundance, even in hardship.
Yielding to God through quiet, honest reflection is the pathway to ongoing spiritual vitality.
The Shepherd’s care reaches all the way to eternity—our future home is already being prepared.
Scriptural References
Psalm 23:5 – “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…”
John 10:10 – Jesus came to give life “more abundantly.”
John 14:2–3 – Jesus prepares a place for His followers.
Ephesians 2:10 – God has prepared good works in advance for us.
Revelation 19:9 – The marriage supper of the Lamb.
2 Corinthians 1:21–22 – Anointing and sealing by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:14 – Led by the Spirit of God.
Recorded 6/5/05
