Have you ever looked around at the world you are living in and wondered if God really is good, why am I surrounded by all this bad?

What has made you feel this way?

In this new series, we will be looking at Psalm 23. This psalm is a message of hope. It is a message for those of us in the middle of a mess, when life is hard, and when it just doesn’t seem that things are going good. This psalm reminds us that even in the middle of the mess, God’s goodness is still present and very active.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. —Psalm 23:1-6 (ESV)

What does it mean to not be in want?

The Christian’s joy is found in one simple thing: the presence of the Shepherd.

The story of Job illustrates how faith grows as we become content with the presence of the Shepherd to fulfill all our needs.

Dallas Willard (in his book “Life without Lack”) talked about the 3 different kinds of faith in Job.

1.“The faith of

.”

What does this faith look like?
How does the beginning of the story of Job illustrate this faith?

2.“The faith of

.”

What does this faith look like?

Though he slay me, yet will I trust him. —Job 13:15 (NIV)

How does the most of the story of Job illustrate this faith?

3.“The faith of

.”

What does this faith look like?
How does the last of the story of Job illustrate this faith?

You can only learn the faith of sufficiency by being in the presence of God every day.