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You know, over the last few weeks we have been exploring the Lord our shepherd. The Lord our Shepherd from verse one of Psalm 23. And as I’ve said before, King David here, in a great expression of thought, imagery and creativity, has crafted a description of God’s desire for a relationship with us. As I was studying this and reading this, four things came out to me that the Lord said, the Lord is my shepherd who provides, the Lord is my shepherd who protects, the Lord is my shepherd who prepares, and the Lord is my shepherd who passionately pursues us. We started by studying verse one, which begins with the phrase the Lord my shepherd. And we saw that the Hebrew word for Lord in this verse is Jehovah.
And there are five characteristics of Jehovah that define who he is fully. Number one, the Self existent one, Number two, he’s the God of all favor. Number three, the one bringing into being the life Giver, the giver of existence, the Creator, and number four, he who brings to pass the profaner his promises. And number five, the one ever coming into manifestation as the God of redemption. Now, three weeks ago, we started looking into the Lord Jehovah, the Self existent one. Two weeks ago, we explored the second characteristic of Jehovah, the God of all favor. Let me just summarize this again. His favor is expressed through his kindness and divine blessing.
And because he favors us, he takes pleasure in us, delights in us, and shows us his good will. He accepts us and approves us and shows us unmerited favor. Think about that. That means we don’t have to earn it. We don’t do anything to deserve it, we just receive it. He shows us his favor because of his unconditional love for us. We also saw that his favor surrounds us as a shield at all times, for he is with us always. He never leaves us, never forsakes us.
His favor is always with us, always around us. Last week we learned about the third characteristic of Jehovah, which is the one bringing into being the life Giver, the Creator, the Lord, your shepherd is the origin, the Author of all things, causing all things to become. He is the sustainer of all creation. So today we will continue our study by looking into the fourth characteristic which defines Jehovah. Our Lord, he who brings to pass the performer of his promises. Now, Scripture affirms that he is faithful and unchanging in his purpose. Jehovah is the one who brings his plans to pass and fulfills his promises. So let’s look at this first description here.
This first quality Jehovah brings his purposes to pass. Isaiah 46, 10, 11 declares declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times, things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Calling a bird of prey from the east. The man who executes my counsel from a far country. Indeed, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it, I will also do it. So right there in the end of that verse, we see two things. Number one, he speaks it.
If he speaks it, he’s going to bring it to pass. If he purposes it purposes to do it, he’s going to do it. That is the Lord our Jehovah. There is never a question. Jehovah’s plans are certain and will be fulfilled. What the Lord says is done. Pastor Kanye and I tell each other all the time, we’re just doing the done. God’s already done it.
Job 42, 2 says this. I know you can do everything, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. Job is recognizing here. If God says it, it’s done. If he purposes it, it’s done. There is nothing, no one that can hold him back. Nothing can stop Jehovah. You need to get up every day and tell yourself, nothing can stop my Lord.
I don’t care what’s going on, political, economics, weather. Nothing can stop my Lord from accomplishing his will. No matter what man devises or any strategies of the enemy, God’s purposes will come to pass. Know that today. Hold that in your heart. Walk in that every day. Numbers 23, verse 19 says this. God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should repent.
Has he said, and will he not do? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good? God is trustworthy and always follows through on his word. He will make it good. He will do it. Proverbs 30, verse 5. And this is from the Passion translation says this. Every promise from the faithful God is pure and proves to be true. He is a wraparound shield of protection for all his lovers who run to hide in him. And as we saw last week, he surrounds us, shields us with his favor, his good will.
Romans 8:28 says this, and we know. We know that all things work together for good. To those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. And let me say this. You were called according to his purpose. Whether you realize it or not. You are. That’s why you’re here today.
That’s why you’re on the earth. God has a plan and a purpose for you, and he wants to work through you to accomplish his will. And he will cause all things to work together for good to you. Hallelujah. And for you. Jeremiah 29:11 I know you’re familiar with this. I’m going to read this from the NIV. Jeremiah 29:11.
NIV says. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Stop right there. Think about that. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord has plans for you. Before you were ever born, he had plans for you. Before the foundation of the world, he had plans for you. And this goes on to say, plans to prosper you and not to harm.
Plans to give you hope and a future. God’s purpose is to care for you, to take care of you, to protect you, to give you hope and a future. And as I’ve taught before, that word hope means expectation. God wants you get up every day expecting to see him moving and working in your life, expecting his goodwill. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Expect it every day. And expecting that word means active.
Being active. Not sitting around wishing and waiting, but actually getting up expecting, looking for what God has for you. The Lord your shepherd has purposed it, and he will do it. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. We get up every day looking for what you’re doing today, Father the second thing we see here is Jehovah is the performer of his promises. So he’s going to bring his purposes to pass, but then he performs his promises. Joshua 21 verses 43 through 45 in the New Living Translation, the NLT says, so the LORD gave to Israel all the land he had sworn warned to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there.
And the Lord gave them rest on every side. Just he had solemnly promised their ancestors none of their enemies could stand against them. For the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies. Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled. Everything he had spoken came true. Everything Jehovah promises is fulfilled again if God says is done. He is always true to his word. Hallelujah.
Hallelujah. And just like he did for Israel, he wants to do for you. Jeremiah chapter 1 and verse 12, this is from the amplified translation, says, Then said the Lord to me, you have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over my word to perform it. God is always giving attention to His Word. Here it says, he is alert, he is active to ensure that his word is fulfilled. He’s not sitting around going, oh yeah, I forgot about that. I said, I just want to do that. Now we know for sure, we can be sure of this, that he is watching over his Word, to perform it, to bring it to pass.
Ezekiel 12:25 For I am the Lord, I speak, and the words which I speak will come to pass. It will no more be postponed. For in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it, says the LORD God. Now God’s talking to Israel here they hadn’t been behaving, and he goes, I’m still going to perform my Word. I’m still going to perform my Word. I will say the Word and perform it. God’s Word is not delayed, but comes to fulfillment at his appointed time. And God has an appointed time.
Habakkuk 2:3 this is from the Amplified also Habakkuk 2, verse 3. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, and it hastens to the end fulfillment. It will not deceive or disappoint, though it tarry, wait earnestly for it. And that word earnestly means expect it, look for it, wait earnestly for it, because it will surely come. It will not be hindered, be behindhand on its appointed day it will come to pass. 2nd Corinthians 1:20 Paul said this for all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, to the glory of God. Through us, every promise of Jehovah is affirmed and fulfilled in Christ. Every promise you find in Scripture is fulfilled in Christ, and God does it through us.
Hallelujah. As I like to say, he works in us, do us with us, and for us. And that is what he’s doing today. The third thing we see here when looking into this characteristic of the Lord, Jehovah is Jehovah is faithful to fulfill his covenant and his promises. Deuteronomy 7:9 Therefore know that the Lord your God, he is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commandments. Jehovah’s faithfulness endures. It endures forever. Think about that.
A thousand generations. If a generation was 70 years, that’d be 70,000 years. What the writer is saying here is like I like to say, this goes way beyond, infinitely beyond, beyond beyond. God’s faithfulness endures to every generation. First Kings 8:56 Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people. Israel According to all that he promised, there has not failed one word. Of all his good promise, which he promised through his servant Moses, nothing failed, not one word. Faithful means to stand firm.
God is standing firm in His Word. Faithful means to trust and believe. God knows His Word is sure and true. And for us it means this. You can stand firm on the promises of the Lord. You can trust in and believe that what he has spoken, he will do. His promises are certain. They are established, they are reliable.
I don’t care what anybody else says, what the world says, what the enemy tries to distract us with. I know this. God’s Word is true. I can believe that what he says is coming to pass. Romans, chapter 4, verses 20 and 21 says this. And he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief. Now Paul’s talking about Abraham here. So Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God and being fully convinced that what he had promised, he was able to perform.
So even before Abraham saw it fully manifested or come to pass, he believed and was strengthened in his faith and was praising God for it before he saw it. He was giving glory to God because he was fully convinced that what the Lord had promised him, he was able to perform it. Abraham trusted that Jehovah was fully able to bring the promise to pass. And guess what he did? He saw it come to pass. Hebrews 10:19 through 23 says this. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. For he who promised is faithful.
Hallelujah. Guys, we can come boldly before the Lord, for the Lord’s faithfulness is a foundation for our confidence. Nothing should hold us back. The Lord, your shepherd, will fulfill his covenant and his promises. Which brings us to the fourth quality we’re looking at here today. Jehovah’s word never fails. Isaiah 55, 1011 says this. For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, it does not return there, but waters the earth and makes it bring forth in bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth.
It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. God’s Word is active. God’s word is effective. God’s word is always prospering in fulfilling his promise, his purpose. You can count on it. Luke 1:37 for with God, nothing will be impossible. I don’t care what man says, I don’t care what it looks like to you know this. With God nothing will be impossible.
God’s power ensures that his promises are fulfilled. They never fail. Hallelujah. His Word never, never fails. His Word never fails. The Lord, your shepherd, is the one who brings to pass his purposes and faithfully performs his promises. His Word is sure and nothing can prevent him from accomplishing what he has declared. Let’s bow our heads in prayer.
Father, we thank you for your word today. We thank you that we can come with confidence and faith in your word, knowing that you will accomplish and do and perform all that you have spoken and declared. We come boldly before the throne of grace today knowing that when we come to you in faith, believing and petition you, Father God, whatever you have said will come to pass. Your purpose, your plan, is working in us and through us to accomplish all that you desire in us and with us and for us, Lord. And we thank you for that. We thank you that, as we press out to the world, Lord, that we get to go share about your goodness and testify and give testimony to the fact that you are who you said you are and you will do what you said you will do. And your kingdom is coming and we invite everyone to come into harmony with you, Lord, to be restored to harmony and relationship with you. Father, we thank you for your faithfulness and your goodness and we give you praise and glory for it all.
We get up every day going forth looking for it, expecting it to come to pass in Jesus name. So be Amen. Pastor Kanye’s coming with a closing word and prayer. God bless.
