Great treasure can be found in the middle of the greatest loss. In the midst of personal loss, Bill Johnson teaches from Psalm 23 and God’s promise to prepare a feast for us in the valley of the shadow of death. We can be assured that God is always with us, and there is treasure to be found even in our darkest moments.
great treasure is in the middle of the
greatest loss
you can feed your soul and whatever you
want
but you have the opportunity
to encounter God in a way
that you’ll never have a chance outside
of the Valley of the shadow of death
[Music]
the lord gave us statements like all
things work together for good
to those who love God called according
to his verse all things work together
I’ve even stated in recent weeks this
this reality it’s a good reminder for me
it’s a good reminder for you all things
work together for good
my favorite restaurant
is French Laundry
glory to God
in Napa
Youngfield actually
and I remember the first time I went to
this restaurant now I I just like things
when I can tell the chef or the
architect or the you know the
author or whatever it might be they were
so intentional in the way they laid
things out in this case uh just the way
they prepared this food so I’ve got nine
courses
so
all small but you end up full I don’t
know it’s a miracle I don’t know how it
happened
so I sat down first time Benny and I are
there and another couple friends of ours
were there and and they brought me this
course
of
dominated by two things I did not like
immersed in a sauce
the two things were oysters
I know some of you like them to me they
remind me of something else
slimy things yeah you’re good all right
all right oysters and caviar
was never a fan
so they served this and I looked over at
Benny and I said honey I’m paying too
much money for this to not at least
taste it so I took a bite and I looked
at her and I said
I want a chili bowl full of this stuff
how how could he take
two things that I don’t like mix it
together with a bunch of things I do
like
and make it to this date one of the best
things I’ve ever eaten in my life
the same way our Master Chef takes the
bitter
the tasteless
the meaningless
the stuff that’s too spicy this stuff is
too sweet
the stuff is too sour
and then put it together in The Perfect
Blend and at the end of your life you
look back and you say I wouldn’t change
a thing
I wouldn’t change a thing because every
single part of my life he took by his
grace and he worked it together to what
brings him glory and it’s the most
satisfying meal I’ve ever had in my life
I wouldn’t change a thing
he has promised us he has designed life
in such a way there there are always
discoveries to be made
he’s the one who said
though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death
I fear noiver because you’re with me so
in other words the great treasure is in
the middle of the greatest loss
you can feed your soul on whatever you
want
but you have the opportunity
to encounter God
in a way
that you’ll never have a chance outside
of the Valley of the shadow of death
it’s not self-determination it’s
surrender it’s yielding to the purposes
of God it’s yielding to the word of God
he is the one who has declared this to
be so
it goes on and he says
he sets a table before me that table is
a place to eat
Brent’s laundry yeah
it’s just almost time for lunch I’m just
doing you a favor I’m giving you
motivation here
he prepares a table before me what is
that it’s a place of Fellowship of
Encounter of Engagement of personal
pleasure Delight Joy
he sets that table in the presence of my
enemies
if all I see are the enemies I’ve missed
the table that he put there
and we all have different stuff going on
most of you know
what my family and I have been facing
last month
the tragic tragic loss
without question
but there’s also a table there
is a table
there’s a table of intense Fellowship of
great Delight
of personal
pleasure of satisfaction of fulfillment
it’s there
it’s much like
the Easter egg that’s been hidden in a
bush
I know it’s in there
in our Easter egg hunts we
put small amounts of cash in most of the
eggs but there’s a few eggs
though I have a much larger bill in them
and one of my grandsons
one of them went to his dad before
everyone was released to go find the
eggs he said Dad
where is the one with all the money
and Brian excuse me my son
was so impressed that his son had the
courage to ask that he told him right
where it was
[Applause]
so he went over and got I don’t know it
was a 20 bill or what was in there but
it was a it was a good egg
you know what sometimes you just ask the
one who hid it
just it’s a Funny Story and there’s
there’s more but we’ll leave that right
where it is but just think with me for a
moment
he wouldn’t have asked if he wouldn’t
have thought there was a possibility
of him being rewarded for asking
there’s something about his own father’s
nature that he responded to and inviting
nature of exploration Discovery personal
success
and if you’re sitting in the middle of
maybe a personal loss maybe a financial
crisis legal matter what whatever
whatever we all have stuff
there’s a table there
he says so
the one who cannot lie
the one who cannot lie has declared over
your life
there’s a table there
and that table will nourish you it will
strengthen you
anybody else glad that he made food good
yes except for cilantro it’s uh
[Applause]
in my opinion
God sees people eating cilantro and he
says
it was a decoration
I just offended three quarters of the
room
but some of you are with me
come on be bold put your hands up all
right man all right
what are they eating bad for I was a
decorations
foreign
the table that he set
is not just for your strength
it’s for your pleasure
yeah I’m so glad that you watched this
video I do pray that it’s a great great
strength and encouragement to you and
I’ve got a verse that it really is My
Cry for all of us and it’s Psalms 20
it’s verse 4. may he grant you your
heart’s desire and fulfill all your
plans
that’s my prayer that’s my prayers that
this would be the season of rich rich
fulfillment
thanks for joining us