The Triumphant Shepherd
THE TRIUMPHANT SHEPHERD
Join your Calvary Chapel family on Sunday, March 29, at 10:00 a.m. in the main sanctuary or online through our website (www.calvaryinv.com
Facebook, and YouTube (Calvary Inverness). We will come together to exalt Jesus, build each other up in love, and be equipped to share the gospel as we continue a three-week in-depth study of Psalm 22:22-31.
Darkness. The only light came through the cracks in the cave’s ceiling. To add to David’s misery, the cave was cold and damp. Though he was thankful for the hiding place from the relentless pursuit of his father-in-law, Saul, the king of Israel.
Forsaken. David couldn’t understand why God had turned His back on him. Nothing made sense. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reconcile recent events. He was the commander of Israel’s army. He had joined the royal family, which gave him influence. Yet, despite everything he had, his most cherished role was as a worship leader. He was a skilled musician who played worship music for Saul, who was tormented by evil spirits. But all of it was gone in an instant. One moment, life was good, and the next, he was in hiding.
Pain. His mind and emotions were frayed. His bones ached. His head throbbed. One moment, he was freezing, and the next, his insides felt like an inferno. He couldn’t eat or drink. Sleep eluded him. And when he did sleep, it was brief or filled with dreams of running, hiding, and struggling. It was a nightmare that never ended.
Shamed. David’s family, friends, and countrymen all abandoned him. They believed whatever happened to him was his fault. Betrayed by many he thought could be trusted. His memories haunted him as he reflected on all he had enjoyed when he was honored and respected.
Silence. It was deafening. Even though he was in a cave, he wasn’t alone. Over four hundred of his men approached the cave where he was hiding, bringing their wives and children with them. David’s parents arrived along with many family members. Yet, amidst all the noise of conversations, laughter, and arguments among his family, the one David desperately wanted to hear from was nowhere to be found.
Joy. Just when David felt like nothing would change, a light broke through, illuminating and infusing his heart with inexpressible joy. God had answered his cries. He gave him the absolute certainty that his suffering was not being ignored, nor would he die in a cave alone and frightened. His circumstances hadn’t changed. His pain remained. Yet, the difference was that David knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was with him. His strength returned. He knew how or when, but he knew he was going to make it.
Praise. The moment David received a message from God, he declared that he would testify to everyone he knew about God’s greatness, goodness, kindness, and power. He planned to do this through song. He would take everything he had compiled while on the run and give it to the Levites, who God had anointed to lead Israel in worship.
Prophecy. David documented his cave experience in a journal. He was a talented songwriter and musician. He was also a prophet, anointed by God. His psalm speaks of his greatest descendant, Jesus of Nazareth, and details what He experienced and endured on the cross. It also vividly describes Christ’s victory on the cross and His millennial reign.
Conclusion: What started as a lament and dirge has transformed into praise for God, giving us a beautiful prayer, a song of praise, and a prophecy of our Great God and Savior, Jesus, our faithful high priest and soon-coming King.
My prayer is that, as our church family reads this psalm, we will notice how David stayed firm in his trust in God, no matter what he faced, also how his suffering foreshadowed what Jesus would go through, so that we, who were sinners in need of a Savior, could be forgiven and become a new creation.
In His strong love, Pastor
Join your Calvary Chapel family on Sunday, March 29, at 10:00 a.m. in the main sanctuary or online through our website (www.calvaryinv.com
Darkness. The only light came through the cracks in the cave’s ceiling. To add to David’s misery, the cave was cold and damp. Though he was thankful for the hiding place from the relentless pursuit of his father-in-law, Saul, the king of Israel.
Forsaken. David couldn’t understand why God had turned His back on him. Nothing made sense. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reconcile recent events. He was the commander of Israel’s army. He had joined the royal family, which gave him influence. Yet, despite everything he had, his most cherished role was as a worship leader. He was a skilled musician who played worship music for Saul, who was tormented by evil spirits. But all of it was gone in an instant. One moment, life was good, and the next, he was in hiding.
Pain. His mind and emotions were frayed. His bones ached. His head throbbed. One moment, he was freezing, and the next, his insides felt like an inferno. He couldn’t eat or drink. Sleep eluded him. And when he did sleep, it was brief or filled with dreams of running, hiding, and struggling. It was a nightmare that never ended.
Shamed. David’s family, friends, and countrymen all abandoned him. They believed whatever happened to him was his fault. Betrayed by many he thought could be trusted. His memories haunted him as he reflected on all he had enjoyed when he was honored and respected.
Silence. It was deafening. Even though he was in a cave, he wasn’t alone. Over four hundred of his men approached the cave where he was hiding, bringing their wives and children with them. David’s parents arrived along with many family members. Yet, amidst all the noise of conversations, laughter, and arguments among his family, the one David desperately wanted to hear from was nowhere to be found.
Joy. Just when David felt like nothing would change, a light broke through, illuminating and infusing his heart with inexpressible joy. God had answered his cries. He gave him the absolute certainty that his suffering was not being ignored, nor would he die in a cave alone and frightened. His circumstances hadn’t changed. His pain remained. Yet, the difference was that David knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was with him. His strength returned. He knew how or when, but he knew he was going to make it.
Praise. The moment David received a message from God, he declared that he would testify to everyone he knew about God’s greatness, goodness, kindness, and power. He planned to do this through song. He would take everything he had compiled while on the run and give it to the Levites, who God had anointed to lead Israel in worship.
Prophecy. David documented his cave experience in a journal. He was a talented songwriter and musician. He was also a prophet, anointed by God. His psalm speaks of his greatest descendant, Jesus of Nazareth, and details what He experienced and endured on the cross. It also vividly describes Christ’s victory on the cross and His millennial reign.
Conclusion: What started as a lament and dirge has transformed into praise for God, giving us a beautiful prayer, a song of praise, and a prophecy of our Great God and Savior, Jesus, our faithful high priest and soon-coming King.
My prayer is that, as our church family reads this psalm, we will notice how David stayed firm in his trust in God, no matter what he faced, also how his suffering foreshadowed what Jesus would go through, so that we, who were sinners in need of a Savior, could be forgiven and become a new creation.
In His strong love, Pastor
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