“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

Psalms 23:1-6

1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4Yea, 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. 5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Psalm 23
Verse 4 – Even though we walk under the threat of death and destruction, if we do not fear, God’s presence will be with us to protect and preserve us.  Winston Churchill made a true statement, when he said, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself!”

It does not matter what threat of disaster comes your way, it cannot actually touch you, as long as you realize that God is on your side and He walks with you to comfort and encourage you. Only if you take your eyes off Jesus and His Word and allow the devil and the circumstances to intimidate you, will you fail or fall. As long as you keep your eyes on Jesus and His Word and you continue to trust in Him, you will make it through and you will come out in victory on the other side. Your victory is not dependent on the severity of the attack, but on the strength of your trust in God.

Matthew 14:26-32
26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water. This is a major miracle, defying all the natural laws of physics, even on a totally calm day. Peter, however, took his eyes off Jesus and looked at his surroundings, his circumstances, the wind and the waves, and he began to sink. He did not sink because he was on water – he sank because he considered the circumstances above Jesus’ word, “Come”. It does not matter what you are going through, your faith in God’s Word makes water solid ground under your feet. The good news is that Peter walked back to the boat, on the water, with Jesus.  You must deal with your fear if you want to make it through.

Psalm 23
Verse 5 – It does not matter what terrible circumstances you have to live through, or what the enemy is trying to do to you, God promised to prepare a table before you – to meet all your needs. Not only that, He anoints your head with oil. The word ‘anoint’ has to do with ‘fatness’ and ‘fullness’ – in other words –abundance. God also promises not only to fill your cup, but cause it to overflow! Even though you might face a strong enemy and a mighty battle, if you will trust God, He can bless you exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think. Great victories come from great battles – as long as you do not lose heart or faint!

2 Timothy 1:7
7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.