TRUNEWS with Rick Wiles - Morning Manna - May 9, 2025 - Psalm 23 - Faith, Trust & Rest

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

On this Faith Friday edition of Morning Manna, Rick and Doc lead a powerful study of Psalm 23, revealing a message of faith, trust, and rest in the care of the Good Shepherd. They unpack the deeper meanings of “I shall not want,” challenging listeners to replace words of lack with words of faith and desire. Through vivid teaching on green pastures, still waters, and restored souls, the hosts emphasize God’s joy in blessing His children. The discussion is a heartfelt reminder that God lovingly compels us to rest in His abundance, not strive in fear. The episode closes with Holy Communion and a call to receive God's love freely and joyfully.Rick Wiles, Doc Burkhart. Airdate 5/9/25You can partner with us by visiting FaithandValues.com, calling 1-800-576-2116, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961.Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves!AmericanReserves.comIt’s the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today!Amazon.com/Final-DayApple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books!books.apple.com/final-dayPurchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today.Sacrificingliberty.comThe Fauci Elf is a hilarious gift guaranteed to make your friends laugh! Order yours today!Trunews/faucielf

Good morning, everybody. Welcome to Morning Manna, and it is Faith Friday. And in 2025, we have set aside Friday to focus on the topic, the theme of faith. What is faith? How do we develop our faith? How do we use our faith? How do we enlarge our faith, and we're going to be talking about faith today. And then, as always, on Fridays, we participate in the Lord's Supper. So we will be going to the Lord's Table for Holy Communion. We invite you to participate. If you are born again and baptized, you are invited to be part of the communion service so have bread and your choice of red wine or grape juice available in the final minutes of today's Bible study. We do have to end at a certain time because our office building today

will have a fire alarm test. And I don't want anybody to think that we're burning down. And not smart enough to leave the building while the alarms are ringing. But it is a test and it's scheduled to come up here in less than an hour. Let's go ahead, I'm gonna pray and then Doc's gonna read the word.

We're gonna study Psalm 23 for faith. There's a faith message in Psalm 23. Let's pray, Father God, our mighty, almighty Father. Father, we worship you and praise you today. Father, we love you. Thank you today. Father, we love you. Thank you for being so good to us. Thank you for being so sweet and kind and merciful. Father, we adore you.

We magnify you. We praise you. And your sons and daughters have assembled together. This is a solemn assembly of brothers and sisters where two or more are wherever we meet. Then our Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst of us. And so we know that our Savior Jesus is in this morning manna class right now.

Father, we ask for your Spirit's presence to guide and direct and anoint and bless the teaching of your Word. Father, open up our eyes and ears and spiritual hearts to understand your Word. In Jesus name, amen. Amen. Well, welcome to Morning Manna here on Faith Friday today, and we appreciate you being here. We're humbled by your presence, that you would take time out of your busy day to be with us live here for this global Bible study. It truly is a global one with friends checking in from the Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Brazil, Russia, Germany today already. Thank you so much for being here with us. We're blessed by your presence. We are looking at Psalm 23 today.

I'm reading from the King James Version. And most of you have this memorized, but it's good to go back through and read it out loud. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh 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 thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth 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." God bless the reading of His holy word today. Amen. So yesterday I mentioned that as I was seeking the Lord

yesterday morning about today's message for Faith Friday, immediately Psalm 23 came in my mind. And I was thinking, well, how do I build a faith message from Psalm 23? And then three words came to me, faith, trust, rest. And these three words are intertwined, faith and trust and rest. When you put them all together, you have a powerful combination. And so I think you're going to see faith, trust and rest in Psalm 23. Let's begin with verse one. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. So it begins by declaring Almighty God as our personal shepherd, assuring

us that our needs are met through his faithful provision, and that fosters trust in his care. The verse introduces the imagery of a shepherd. Yes. Emphasizing God's role in guiding, protecting, providing for his children. My shepherd makes it personal, makes it an intimate relationship with God. To embrace him as our individual guide. Jesus is the good shepherd.

And when Psalm 23 is speaking about the shepherd, it is pointing to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ Says I shall not want yes This this word want the Hebrew word is Call Sarah Call Sarah to lack to be to decrease, to be in need, to fail, to lessen, to be abated, to bereave, to make lower. All these are negative terms I Shall not want I

Shall not lack I shall not be without I shall not decrease I shall not be in need I Shall not fail. I shall not lesson. I shall not bereave I shall not listen. I shall not bereave. Modern English usage of the word want is quite common. How many times a day do you say the word want? I want breakfast. I want breakfast.

I want to stop at the bank and withdraw some funds. I want to call somebody. I want, I want, I want, I want. What do you want? Nothing, I'm good. We say want all day long. But do you understand what we're saying? Every time you say want, you're saying lack, to be without, to decrease, to be in need,

to fail, to lessen, to decrease, to make lower. There's power in words. I don't want you to have a wrong image that I'm saying. I never use the word want. It comes out of my mouth, but I do work every day at avoiding it. I try to catch myself instead of saying, I want this to happen. I want such and such to take place. I try to catch myself and go, I desire this to happen. I'll tell you what I desire instead of telling you, well let me tell you what

I want because when you say let me tell you what I want you're saying let me tell you what I lack, what I don't have. Rick, I've never thought about that before. We're speaking, we're speaking We're speaking words that contradict the Word of God. I shall not want. I shall not want. Well then why do we say I want all day long? I sense a course correction coming in my life here. I never really had had considered that before that that expressing that want is really expressing lack. Yes, and I do not lack as a child of God. I do not lack. So why should my lips

endorse lack? That's a great concept. So let's talk. Let's a morning manna. If I said doc, I want morning manna to be seen by more people. What did I just say? That you lack people seeing it right now. Yes. I hadn't really thought about that before. What I should say is I desire more people to see morning manna. But we say I want. All right, how about I want to pay increase at work. Guess what you're not gonna get? A pay increase. Because your mouth is confessing I don't have it.

I lack it. I'm in need. Why don't you just say, I'm in need of a pay increase. I lack a pay increase. That's what you're saying, isn't it? It is. So your words are constantly reinforcing your lack. Look, it requires a rewiring of our brains because

I don't know if the devil did it to us here in America and in the modern world with English. I don't know what people say in other languages. I just know in English, we use the word want way too much. It's a common word. We, when we say it, we think that we're saying we desire. But when you look up the meaning of want, it's not desire. So say what you desire.

Speak, use the word desire. If it's a pay increase, I hope for a pay increase. I desire a pay increase. I have faith for a pay increase. Instead we go, you go into your employer, I wanna raise. And he says, no, he gave you what your word said. You're wanting, you're lacking and you're still gonna lack. So he was in agreement with you. Okay, so the psalm says, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

I shall lack nothing. Where in your life do you have lack? It's not the will of God. What is the definition of nothing? I shall lack nothing. I shall lack nothing that covers everything. Right. You shall not lack money to pay your bills. You shall not lack food to feed your family. You shall not lack clothing for your family. You shall not lack transportation. You shall not lack fuel. You shall not lack happiness. You shall not lack friendship. You shall not lack love. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Amen. I shall not want.

Where are the things that you desire in Christ? He's everything you need. Right. You are complete in Him. When you are in Christ, you are complete. And when you're complete, you lack nothing. It doesn't say you're going to be filthy rich. You're going to be filthy rich. You're going to have luxury automobiles and mansions and private jet. That's not what it says. No. I shall lack nothing.

We are not to go through this life lacking physical things, material things, financial things, emotional things, we're not to lack. Do you lack peace of mind? I know people who lack sleep. They want to can't sleep. Well, let's say I want I want to go to sleep. I want to sleep all night, but I can't Well, the word says that he gives sleep to his beloved

You shall not lack amen Whatever you're lacking stop saying that you're you wanting it and find a Scripture that promises it and speak the Scripture. Amen. I shall not lack. Why? Because the Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my good shepherd. He provides everything I need. I shall not lack. He's a personal, intimate guide for us through life, providing tender care. This shepherd metaphor is rooted in the experience of King David as a shepherd in his youth. The shepherd message, the shepherd imaging is all throughout the Scriptures in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Peace, peace of mind, hope, joy, happiness, good health. You shall not lack anything.

You don't lack health. Do you see this eliminates sickness? Why? Because you're lacking health. It's not God's will, it's not His desire that you lack good health. So whatever concepts you have in your mind about your sickness, you need to get rid of it because it's contrary to the Word of God. Health is a blessing from the Lord, and he's not making anybody sick to teach them a lesson. Now there are people who are sick because they are contrary to God's Word, and they've

opened up the door for the enemy to come into their life but old fashion repentance takes care of that yes there's nothing that repentance can't fix I mean that's a that's a substance everybody should have. Just have jars of it around the house, repentance. So we live in an attitude of faith and trust. Our faith is God is the Good Shepherd. Our trust is He does what a Shepherd does. He's a Good Shepherd. Right. And what does the Good Shepherd do? He provides daily sustenance, the grass and the water, and he provides protection from the wolves and lions that seek to devour

the sheep. Yes. That's what the shepherd, that's really all shepherd does. Guides the sheep to good pastures, good water and bad and away from bad animals. And you know, sometimes sheep wander away and they actually go towards the wolf. Yes. Yeah. That's why shepherd staff is crooked. To keep fishing sheep out of trouble all the time. Yes. But when that happens, when the sheep strays off course and actually moves towards the wolf that's going to eat him. The shepherd doesn't beat the daylights out of the sheep. No. He rescues the sheep and says come back over here.

Right. He doesn't take his staff and hit the sheep on the back. You dumb idiot sheep. Don't you understand that's a wolf? That wolf's gonna eat you. What are you doing over here? No, he doesn't treat the sheep that way. Instead he goes and picks up the sheep and carries it back to safety.

I said, stay right here, stay beside me. I'm watching out for you, I'm protecting you. And so stay right here stay beside me. I'm watching out for you. I'm protecting you Now if the sheep continues to go towards the wolf maybe the Shepherd's gonna put Maybe a chain on that sheep But he's not gonna beat him not gonna Punish because he went the wrong direction. He strayed off course. Verse two, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he lead, I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. He is the good shepherd. So in verse two, our Lord is portrayed as a shepherd who provides rest and guidance that ensures that his disciples find peace and refreshment in his care. Psalm 116 verse 7, return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me. Hallelujah. Did he deal sparingly? No, bountifully. Return unto thy rest, oh my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me.

We find peace and refreshment in his care, in his presence. He maketh me. The Hebrew is rabat's. He maketh me. Okay, he insist. He maketh me do what? To lie down. Actually, the Rabatz is to lie down. Right. But the way, the tense that it's used,

it's being forced to lie down. Yes. Maybe force is too strong a word, but... How about he insists that I lie down? There you go. He lovingly, tenderly, kindly insists that I lie down in green grass, not in thistles, not in briars, not in stones or gravel or thorns,

but in cool, moist, new, fresh grass. Nutritious grass, a blessing of grass. Yes. Isn't it strange that he has to compel us into his blessing? Yes, doc. That's what this means. It's a gentle insistence on rest. Please, come here. Lie down. Lie down. Right here, right here. Don't go over there. That's stony and rocky over there. I want you to lie down right here. It's nice, it's fresh grass. It's moist.

It has a nice smell to it. There are flowers in the grass. I want you to lie down. It's a gentle insistence on resting. The shepherd is saying to the sheep, lie down right here. I led you to the green grass. I didn't take you to the desert. I brought you to the green grass. And this is for your blessing. So green grass, green pastures signifies abundant provision and serenity, peacefulness. And in that environment, you receive nourishment for your body and your soul. Where do you want to rest? On barren gravel, with no trees, no flowers?

Or would you like to lie down in grass and there's a cool breeze? And there's a cool breeze. This is what the shepherd is doing for us. He's taking us to a place that has freshly sprouted new grass, tender grass. It's not just grass, it's tender grass. He leads me. He guides. He brings you to a place of rest. Think of the shepherd again,

taking the sheep who doesn't have enough sense to know where to go. And the good shepherd gently, kindly, lovingly leads the sheep over to this place of cool grass and says, here, lie down. Enjoy the day. Yes. You touched on something there a moment ago, Rick, talking about that new grass. And the word that's used here for this green grass or this new grass is the same word that we read in Genesis chapter 1, verse 11 in creation. And God said, let the earth bring forth grass,

the herb yielding seed and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind. And so it's that for me the idea is God has created something new for you to be blessed with. This is new grass. This isn't an old pasture that's been picked over by other herds and stuff like that. No, it's not a field that the goats have been chewing on. I've got a place, I've got a pasture for you where there's new grass growing, fresh grass. And so to me it goes even further than just the picture of the grass, but a special place of blessing that he has reserved for us. And this Hebrew word for

lead, he leads me to this new grass. The word is Nahal. Listen to this, it means to run with a sparkle. To run with a sparkle. His eyes are sparkling. He's delighted, he's happy to take you to this fresh grass. It's a happy word, to run with a sparkle. And it's the idea that the shepherd is happy to take you there Yes, the joy is with the shepherd The shepherd is the one being blessed. He's the one who's sparkling. Yes

He's eager to take you to this place that he's chosen for you To rest. Are you telling me that God enjoys blessing us? Yes. This is what I was going to say, Doc. How many people right now in this class, you are mentally, emotionally, spiritually struggling with this concept that God desires for you to be happy and blessed today. Right now now today.

And as happy as he is to bless you doing it. Yes, he's. I never thought about the shepherd being happy here, Rick. Yes, he sparkles, his face sparkles. He runs with a sparkle. And he leads you beside still waters. The Hebrew word is menuhah or menuka. And It means a resting place, tranquility, peaceful abode, a place of consolation. Me personally, I've always loved to be around water. as love to be around water. Quiet and what I prefer the most are I mean I love oceans, I love the lakes, I love rivers and all that but you know what I love the most? Streams.

I like a bubbling brook. I love to hear water going over rocks. love to hear water going over rocks. I could sit by a stream all day and all night. It puts me into happy land. I absolutely love to be near a stream of just to hear the water going over the rocks. And the peacefulness that it brings to me, I can't describe. Yeah, I love being near a big river or sitting at a lake, but it doesn't give me the tranquility that I get when I'm at a creek, a stream. And you hear that bubbling sound. So besides still waters, it means the shepherdly leading you to a place

that will make you happy so that he is happy watching you be happy. He desires to see you happy. It's his desire. He gets something out of this for himself. I never thought about that before. His own personal enjoyment. So when you don't go to the still waters, when you refuse to lie down in the green grass, when you constantly say I want, I want, I want,

you're taking away his happiness. You're taking away what he desires to experience himself in your life. Because he's saying, but I love you. I found this pasture for you. It's got beautiful green grass. It's got little flowers in it. It's moist.

It's got a nice aroma. And look, there's a bubbling creek going by and it's making a nice sound. And it's so peaceful here. And everything you'd need, I've already provided it for you. Why don't you want to be here? Why don't you want, see? Listen to what I just said. Why don't you want to be here? Why don't you want see what listen to what I just

said? Why don't you want? No, he wouldn't say want. Why don't you desire to be here? Why don't you desire to be here? You know why? We think that we don't deserve it. deserve it. We think that we don't deserve it. And so we turn away and we don't receive this wonderful, these wonderful blessings the Lord has for us because we have either religious concepts or guilt or whatever it is that says, no, life's gotta be hard. Life's gotta be hard. I need to struggle. And we just can't accept it. I've told this story in the past, I'll tell it again, because it's applicable.

I've told this story in the past. I'll tell it again, because it's applicable. When I left TBN, this was 1998, and then a year later, 1999, I had just started the radio show. And that was May 24, 1999. And 30 days later, we were told we had to move out. Oh no, it was about, let me think, not 30 days.

That was late May. And then in August, in August, we were told that we had to vacate the house that we were living in. We were still living in a TBN-owned home, and they had been so kind to me, so gracious. They allowed us to stay there for a year. We were paying rent, but they allowed us to stay there for a year after I stopped working for them. And then I got the phone call that said, hey, Dr. Crouch needs this house. And then I got the phone call that said, hey, Dr. Crouch needs this house.

He would really appreciate it if he could move out in 30 days. Well, we didn't have a lease. You know, I hadn't been working for him for a year. What was I gonna say? I said, yeah, sure, we'll move out. There's a whole other story with this. I, as the Lord told me, I had to build a house for a homeless woman and her five kids.

We had to get this done. That's a whole other story I don't have time to tell. Two weeks after, well, the Lord led me to a place to purchase an office building and a house. And I didn't have the money to do it. And he told me that the offer to make on both of them and the owners accepted both offers. And so it was the first time I really had used creative financing in real estate. And I came from the Holy Spirit. He gave me the instructions.

Anyhow, fast forward. We finally moved into the house. It was brand new. It had just been built. And we didn't move into it. This is the truth. Susan and I did not move into it for over two weeks. We were living in a bed and breakfast in because we didn't think this could be real. The way it happened, how smooth, how quickly it all happened, brand new house with 15 acres,

How smooth, how quickly it all happened. Brand new house with 15 acres. We didn't have any money. And the owner of the house, who was the contractor, handed us the keys and said, I'll see you in a couple of months for closing. And we're like, Susan's like, I don't think we should go there. This isn't right.

This can't be real. And I'm thinking the same thing. And I'm thinking, I didn and I'm thinking I didn't I Look, I was saying I Don't want a new house because I just want to preach the gospel Lord if you I'll be happy in a single wide mobile home That's what I'm saying to him I Because I had this religious thing. I got to prove to everybody that I am sincere about this ministry. That I am only in this for one reason. That's to preach the gospel and to lead souls to Christ.

I'll live in a little single wide mobile home. That's what I'll do. To show my humility. That was my mindset. And the Lord gave us this brand new house with 15 acres and I didn't have the money to pay for the house. But the owner handed us the keys and said, I'll give you three months to go to closing. He had to make you lie down in the green past.

He had to make me lie down in this place, Doc. Wow. He led me to it and then tried to make me lie down in this place, Doc. Wow. He led me to it and then tried to make me lie down in it. And I kept wanting to leave. See, I said wanting, I just said it. See, I said, I just said it wanting. I kept desiring to leave, thinking this can't be real. This can't be true.

And one night, I guess this is about we'd been in the house for about two weeks and I was outside at night getting something out of the trunk of the car. And I said to the Lord, I don't deserve this nice new house. I'd be very happy to be in a mobile home. And the Lord said to me, I heard this clear. He said, Rick,

do you believe I have prepared a mansion for you in glory? I said, yes, sir. It's in your word. He said, well, you don't deserve that either. And I stopped and he said, son, I have given this house to you. And you're hurting me by not receiving it." And I started crying. I started crying, standing at the trunk of my car, started crying because I realized that I was hurting my father by not receiving the gift that he gave me. How many times do we not receive what he is giving us? Let him love on you. Let the Lord love on you today.

He makes you lie down in green grass. He leads you to still waters. Why? Because He loves you and He enjoys the happiness that comes to Him when He sees you blessed. And when you get up and walk away from the green grass, when you move away from the still waters, He's like, but I did this for you.

This was to make your life happy. Ezekiel 34 verse 15, I will feed my flock and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord. He's been saying this for centuries. I will feed my flock and I will cause them to lie down. He takes you to quiet, still, peaceful waters to get you away from the chaos of the world. What do we do? We look at the news all day long. We listen to podcasts all day long talking about the devil talking about the world's kingdom talking about the evil and God say why are you doing that?

Why don't you just listen to the music? Listen to the I made music with the rocks in the mute in the water. Why are you listening to the devil's noise? I'm trying to bring peace in your life. You see why I got out of the news where I think I'm done with this stuff. I'm done. I'm done. I'm done. I don't want to do it. I don't want to do it. I don't want to see it. Just said it again. How catchers you are going to catch yourself today. How many times you say the word want John 414 but whosoever

drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. This is the water the Good Shepherd gives you. That there is living water that will be in you. You shall not thirst. Whosoever drinks the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. He will not say, I want, I want to get rid of this thirst.

Because he gives you water that you shall never want. You shall never lack. You shall never be thirsty. Philippians 4, 7, and the peace of God, which passeth all understandings shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. How is that? When we are resting in him? When we seek God's peace instead of the turmoil of the world. See the Father, the Shepherd is trying to get us to go lie down in a quiet, clean pasture and listen to the

bubbling brook. But we get up and we go over to the wasteland and listen to the devil's noise. Or the troubled waters. By the troubled waters and listen to the devil's noise. Or the troubled waters. By the troubled waters and we go, woe is me, my life is so difficult. Why don't you just stay where he's leading you. First of all, you gotta allow him to lead you there. She was like that house back in 1999.

I wouldn't allow him to lead me to a place that was pleasant for me. I was insisting, no, put me someplace where it's not pleasant. Anybody getting anything from this? Green pastures, okay. Green pastures causes us to to have gratitude to God for his goodness. Romans 15, 13, now the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. The God of hope will fill you with joy, all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope

through the power of the Holy Spirit. So when we rest in God's care, we shine as witnesses to the world. And then we can do as what Peter said, 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9, but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people people that ye shall should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light he calls you out of the darkness and says come I'm leading you follow me I'm taking you to a nice place. Wow, he doesn't want us to remain in the darkness, does he? No, or the gravel, or the wasteland. I thought he made it to verse 3, dog.

He restores my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. He is the shepherd who restores your soul and guides you in righteous paths for the sake of His name. He's saying, hey, wait a minute, look, I got something in this, my name. I am going to bless you. My name's involved in this.

See, you're going around telling people you are a Christian, a follower of Christ. You're using my name. I've got something involved. I got some skin in this game here, okay? You're using my name, and I am insisting you be blessed. I'm insisting you be blessed. I'm insisting you be healthy. I'm insisting that you be prosperous. As for my name, the Lord's saying, look, my name's involved in this. I will lead you to green pastures. I will make you lie down besides still waters. I will ensure that you shall

not want because you're using my name. Now, if you stop using my name, I'll let you just go out on your own. As long as you use my name, I'm going to do what I say I do. Praise God. Restores. He restores your soul. The Hebrew word is Shub. It means to return, to turn back, to repent. to turn back, to repent, to re listen to this doc it means to return to the starting place. Yes, he restores. To go back home again, to fetch, to fetch home again, to fetch, to go get it, to go get it and bring it home, to recover, to rescue. He restores your soul. He brings it back to the starting place. It speaks of God's power and desire to revive weary broken saints, to restore them in times of exhaustion, to bring physical, mental, emotional, spiritual healing to them, which then brings restoration. professional, let me think of the words I want to use.

A phrase like this, too many pastors burn out. Ministry takes a terrible toll on them. Yes, on their minds, their emotions, their families. When you are under constant attack, day after day after day for years and years and years, you're worn down and too many pastors every day say, I'm done, I can't do this anymore. It's too much. And they break and they quit. And some commit suicide.

It's so bad, they commit suicide. Yeah. They've worn out. They just years and years and years and years of spiritual fighting. And you may look at them go, oh, that guy's strong. It's a strong, no, but you don't know what's going on in their head. You don't know what's going on inside their life. We're how Satan is Satan is twisting and pushing and cutting to bring that person to a point of exhaustion. The shepherd restores your soul. The

shepherd looks and says, I see how weary you are. You're weary in serving me, you're weary in trying to do right, but you become exhausted. Let me restore your soul. Let me take you back to where your soul started. Think about how fresh your soul was when you, born again, first day, said, I'm going to take you back and restore. You've got a lot of dust and debris and soot on you. Let's just get your soul cleaned up. You've been out here so long and you haven't been lying down. See,

here's the problem. We don't like... the reason pastors get in that situation is they stop lying down in the grass. The shepherds sometimes forget that they're sheep too. Yes, they're junior shepherds sometimes forget that they're sheep too. Yes, they're junior shepherds. And it's so easy, you know, Scripture talks about being weary and well-doing, weary and well-being, where you get so caught up with the mission or the calling of God that you forget about the relationship that you have with God. Yes. Ezekiel 34, verse 16. I will seek that which was lost and bring again

that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them with judgment." God always favors the weak, the broken, always favors them. Jesus said in Matthew 11, 29, take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. What are the paths of righteousness?

His word. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. When you're coming to this Bible study five days a week for one hour every day, you are seeking the light. You are making a concerted conscious, conscientious effort to have that light. The word is a lamp unto your feet. Verse four, "'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.'" This verse assures us that God's presence brings comfort and courage in the darkest moments of life, and that enables us to only a shadow in a valley. Are you afraid of shadows? The devil's trying to scare you with a shadow. Oh my word. Satan destroyed death. He took the powers, the keys of hell and death from Satan, and Satan's running around trying to scare you with a shadow. But he's afraid of hankies.

But he's afraid of hankies. And so he tries to frighten people with a shadow, a shadow in a valley. This phrase, valley of the shadow of death, it also symbolizes extreme trials and dangers in life. Perilous times. The Hebrew word is saumotheth. Saumotheth. Very good. Shadow of death. The grave. Death like shadow, deep shadow, deep darkness, black gloom, thick darkness. Says you won't fear these things. I will fear no evil. Unwavering confidence in God's sovereignty.

Replace fear with faith. Today's Faith Friday, this is why I'm talking about Psalm 23. Faith, not fear. Faith in the Lord's promises. I will fear no evil. Have faith in God's word. Why? Because thou art for me.

God's word. Why? Because thou art for me. It's emphasizing his constant intimate presence in your life. Especially through adversity. When you're going through something, when the devil's trying to scare you with a shadow. Whatever he's trying to scare you with, just say it's a shadow. I mean, is the devil going to go boo? He tries to frighten us with shadows. Here's the shadow of death. Here's the shadow of disease. Here's the shadow of divorce. Here's the shadow of financial bankruptcy. He's always putting his shadow out there. You see what I can do? Look at the shadow. Once you realize it's just a shadow. Wow. The devil loses all of his leverage over you. Why? Because the Lord, for thou art with me.

He's with you as you go through this valley where the devil is projecting these shadows Just keep looking at the shepherds and I'm not afraid I'm not afraid I'm not afraid of that shadow just grip his hand tighter. I'm not afraid Master the devil is He's trying to frighten me with a shadow. I'm not afraid. I trust you. My faith is in you.

Don't let the enemy scare you with a shadow. You will fear no evil. Ezekiel 34 verse 12. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered so will I seek out my sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day praise God another reason not to fear second Timothy verse chapter one verse seven for god hath not given us the spirit of fear

But of power and of love and a sound mind When the devil's showing you a shadow Satan's excuse Don't even try don't even go there I don't have a spirit of fear But I have a power and of love and a sound mind We're constantly trusting John at 16 33 these things I have spoken unto you that in me

Ye might have peace in the world. Ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer. I've overcome the world praise god yeah there's tribulation in the world but hey i got better news i overcame the world thy rod and thy staff this speaks of god's discipline all right that rod and that staff sometimes there he there's you get a little jab a little tap. Come on sheep this way. Don't do that. Over here. But it's for your it's for your

your good. It's it's loving discipline correction direction For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a father the son in whom he delighted All right verse 5 we're gonna do it Lord hold up that fire alarm thou Prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Doesn't say my cup is dry. Yes.

You prepared a feast in the presence of my enemies? Imagine sitting down at this table. The Lord has cooked the greatest meal you've ever seen and it's for you and all the way around the table are your enemies. And they're watching you eat this wonderful meal prepared by the Lord. Now you wish that they would go away, they're there. The enemies are there. You wish they would go away, but they can't touch the meal.

They're not allowed to sit at the table and they can't prevent you from putting the fork to your mouth. That's right. And you just, this is so good. Oh, devil, you don't know what you're missing here. He does this in the presence of your enemies. Isaiah 25 verse 6, And in this mountain shall

the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the leaves of fat things full of marrow of wines on the leaves well refined Psalm 36 verse 8 they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and they shall make them drink of the river of thy pleasures drink of the river of thy pleasures, and thou shall make them drink of the river. Drink, this is pleasure, drink it. I'm gonna make you drink it. I'm gonna abundantly satisfy you with the richness of my house.

I'm going to make you drink from the river of pleasure. Do you see any want, any lack, any poverty in any of this? Yet the religious world is full of those concepts. Yes. And really when you get down to it Rick, isn't most of the teaching on the prosperity gospel about lack? Yes, they're afraid of lack. They're afraid of lack.

They're trying to become rich when you already are rich. See, you get this in your mind. You don't have to seek God's blessing. He's trying to put it on you. The whole, this whole teaching is God is trying to make you accept the blessing. And you're people running around saying, how do I get the blessings of God? We'll just lie down in the grass. Rest, rest in what he's already done.

Have faith in him, trust in him. Just accept it. You don't have to seek to become wealthy. You are wealthy. You don't have to seek to be healthy. You are healthy. You don't have to seek to be calm and peaceful. It's a gift from the Lord.

Lie down in the grass and enjoy the good things He has provided for you. In the presence of my enemy, Psalm 27, 5, for in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His bravillian. for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me upon a rock thou anoint is my head with oil this is symbolizes God's favor upon you his consecration of you he's anointed you with joy thou Thou lovest righteousness and hateth wickedness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness. My cup runneth over. Lord stop pouring the blessings it's running out it's on

the floor. If somebody imagine you're holding a cup and somebody's pouring and it's going over the top of the cup and you go, whoa, it's too much, it's too much. Oh, take some more. That's your father, more, more. My cup runneth over, overflowing blessings in your life because of your father's generosity. This just flies in the face of so much religious teaching. You either have the people on one side, the poverty saints to say you got to be poor or

you got the prosperity saints to say you got to be poor, or you got the prosperity saints to say you got to figure out how to get it. No, you just have to lie down in the grass. Praise God. We make it so hard, don't we? John 10, 10, 11, the thief comes not but for to steal, to kill, and and destroy I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly for I am the good shepherd yes the good shepherd

giveth his life why did he come for you to have life and to have it more abundantly. You shall not lack, you shall not want, you shall not be without. Cool, verse six, we're gonna do it. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 16, 11, thou will show me the path of life in thy presence as fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord. The virtues of God, goodness and mercy shall follow you. Like puppy dogs walking behind you. You know, Susan has two chihuahuas, Macy and Millie. Wherever Susan's at, they're right behind her. Oh yes. Everywhere, everywhere, all day long. They're just walking behind her. Mercy and goodness walk behind you. They're always following you.

Mercy and goodness. Because it's the father's desire. He's a good shepherd. He's desiring to bless you all the time. Isaiah 40 verse 11, He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young. A loving, kind, tender-hearted shepherd, always doing what is best for the sheep. Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask that the property manager will withhold the fire alarm until we conclude the Lord's Supper in the name of Jesus, amen.

All right. I'm going to assume that everyone here has their hearts prepared and have already searched your hearts for anything that might stand between you and the Lord. Let's get right into the Lord's table today. And if you have the elements of the Lord's table, the bread and either red wine or grape juice, let's pray a blessing on that right now

in the name of Jesus. Pray with me if you will. Almighty God in your tender mercy you gave your only begotten son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption. He offered himself and made once for all time a perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. He instituted this remembrance of his passion and death which he commanded us to continue until he comes again. And so father we ask you to bless and sanctify with your word and holy spirit these gifts of bread and wine that we may partake of his most belliest body and blood. Christ our Passover lamb

has been sacrificed once for all upon the cross therefore let us keep the feast hallelujah. On the night that he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, take eat. This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. The body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for you, preserve your body and soul to everlasting life. This is the bread of heaven. Take and eat in remembrance that Christ died for you. After supper, Jesus took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, drink this, all of you,

for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins whenever you drink it do this in remembrance of me hallelujah glory to god the blood of our lord jesus christ which was shed for you preserve your body and soul to everlasting life drink the cup of salvation in remembrance that Christ's blood was shed for you and be thankful. Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world, and blessed are those who are invited to the married supper of the Lamb. This sacrament is the gift of God for the people of God. Feed on him by faith with thanksgiving that Christ died for you. Praise God. Amen. The fire alarm was held back. Praise God. The word of God prevailed. Well, on Monday we'll continue our study in Romans, in Romans chapter 15. So if you get an opportunity, study ahead a little bit there. I'll allow the

Holy Spirit to speak to you over the weekend. Rick, any final words before we close out this week of Morning Rana? Now, just dwell on this today and throughout the weekend and ask the Lord where you are not receiving His love. Yes. What's preventing His love to reach you? Yes. And remember those three words that Rick opened up with today, faith, trust, and rest.

Faith, trust, and rest. Let those words resonate with you. Psalm 23, that's what it's all about. Faith, trust, and rest in Him. Amen? Amen. God bless you. We'll see you on the Monday edition of Morning Manna. We love you. Bye-bye.