Pastor Jerry Eze, in a powerful sermon, has shed light on the profound message behind Psalm 23, emphasizing the connection between declaring God’s identity and experiencing His provision.
Reflecting on the psalmist’s words, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” Pastor Eze explained the significance of the sequence. “The psalmist didn’t just say, ‘I shall not want,’” Pastor Eze said.
“If he had stopped there, it would mean something entirely different. Instead, he declared, ‘The Lord is my shepherd; as a result, I shall not want.’ To put me in want, you would have to destroy my foundation—my declaration that God is my shepherd.”
He encouraged believers to ground their reality in God’s nature. “If you don’t like who I am, take it up with my shepherd,” he asserted. “My state of being in ‘I shall not want’ exists because the Lord is my shepherd. Who He is shapes who I become.”
Pastor Eze emphasized the power of personal experience in shaping how individuals perceive God. “The psalmist said, ‘This is what I am calling You because of what I’ve experienced,’” he noted. “What you call God will determine what you see in your life. That’s why I am careful not to call God a failure so I don’t see failure. Even in disappointment, I refuse to let disappointment define my reality.”
He urged the congregation to make faith-filled declarations, especially during difficulties. “When the devil says there’s no money in your pocket, declare, ‘You are my provider.’ If doors are shut, call Him a way-maker. If your body is sick, declare Him as your healer,” Pastor Eze said. “What the psalmist called God became his reality. Somebody shout glory!”
