The Lord Is My Shepherd
Scripture: Psalm 23; John 10:11-13; Phil. 4:19; Col. 1:13-14
Introduction:
The title of my message this morning is “The Lord Is My Shepherd.” Although I delivered a message on Psalm 23 in March of 2007, this is not the same message. I want to make that clear to those of you who were members back then. Although some of the content will be the same, where I am going with this message is different from the last time you heard it. This message comes out of some struggles I’ve had this week and will serve as a foundation for several messages to come in the next few weeks. Just so you know I have had the type of week this week where I had to remind myself several times that the Lord is my shepherd. I laid awake at night thinking of the importance of this knowledge. Some of the things I had to deal with took my mind to a place where I was starting to think “I” had to work something out but the Spirit of God brought me back to the reality that regardless of what I faced, He was my shepherd. As I stated before, the other reason for this message is that it will serve as the foundation for several messages that will follow pertaining to the names of God. David did a great job through Psalm 23 of introducing us to several of the attributes of God from which several of His Hebrew names derived. David was a shepherd and understood fully what the job entailed and thinking on this he concluded that God was his Shepherd. He understood fully what it meant to take care of sheep and the care and attention that were necessary to do the job right. He speaks to the love that a shepherd has for his sheep and how that love is demonstrated in how he cares for them. As I reflected on this Psalm this week during my midnight hours I was comforted with the gentle reminder that I have a shepherd watching over me and understands everything that is happening around me. Let me set the stage for you so that you can see in your mind’s eye the role of the shepherd as it relates to the sheep which will make Psalm 23 clearer and next week we will begin with the first name of God.
I. Sheep and Shepherd
Psalm 23 comes from David’s experience as a shepherd and one who spent the early part of his life in the field with sheep. When David wrote this, he understood what he was talking about from a shepherd’s viewpoint. Remember what I have shared with you previously that sheep are generally stupid. I am not saying this as an insult to sheep, but it is a statement of fact. Because sheep are “stupid” they are willing to follow their shepherd, but only their shepherd, and depend solely upon him. Sheep are also timid. For example paper blowing in the wind will cause them to flee and storms will send them into a panic. If they get scared they will drown in a stream of water without fighting or burn to death in a fire without trying to run away. They are the classic example of what it means to be paralyzed by fear. Physically, if a sheep is tipped on their backs they cannot get up and will die in that position because of how their bodies are designed. But they love their shepherd and will only follow his/her voice. They will not under any circumstance follow the voice of another shepherd. This is how David described himself in his relationship with God. He saw himself as a stupid sheep needing a shepherd to guide and lead him. Imagine this accomplished man of war who had successfully won many battles by the hand of God saying that he was a timid sheep who could be paralyzed with fear. I am glad to acknowledge in my relationship with God that I am a sheep! Now let’s examine the shepherd’s role. Turn with me to John the tenth chapter.
Let’s begin reading at verse eleven. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep.” (John 10:11-13) Jesus gives the best example of the role of a shepherd versus that of a person who is “hired” to watch the sheep. He says that a shepherd knows his sheep versus that of a hireling. A hireling sees a group of sheep and unless there is something that definitely stands out about one versus another, all he will see is sheep. The shepherd knows his sheep individually and cares for each one individually. A shepherd understands the nature of sheep and their tendency to stray. He is willing to do whatever it takes to care for his sheep. This is not true with a hireling. A hireling will not lay down his life for the sheep that belongs to another. When he sees a wolf coming he will flee to save his life putting the lives of the sheep at risk. A true shepherd would never do this and would actually put his life on the line for his sheep. Remember when David was talking to Saul about facing Goliath and he told Saul about a lion or bear taking one of his sheep and he chased it down and delivered the sheep from the mouth of the bear and lion (1 Samuel 17)? This is attitude of the shepherd is what Jesus was referencing in these verses. The shepherd has a vested interest in his sheep while the hireling does not. If you are a child of God you can rest assured that His Son Jesus Christ does not take His role in our lives as one of a hireling – He is THE Good Shepherd! Now please turn with me to Psalm 23.
II. Psalm 23
Vs. 1: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” This statement simply means that God leads and cares for me. There are many people who believe that their talents, gifts, money, job and/or intellect sustain them. But I will say as David said, “the Lord is my shepherd and thus I shall not want!” Why can this be said? The shepherd anticipates the needs of his sheep so he knows what to provide and when to provide it. If I walk with God, my needs will be met. If I focus on His kingdom, everything else that I need will be “added” to me (Matthew 6:33). Paul said in Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Sheep are able to recognize their shepherd and carry on a simple relationship with him where they are able to both give and receive affection. Caring for sheep implies ownership and often the shepherd will mark his sheep with a notch cut in the ear or by some other distinguishing mark. Ephesians 1:13-14 says “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” We have been marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit and thus are God’s property – His sheep! Understanding this, when things are bad at work, the Lord is my Shepherd! When my bills are due and my body is tired, the Lord is still my shepherd! When I am faced with trials and tribulations that I have no clue as to how to deal with them, the Lord is my Shepherd! The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want!
Vs. 2: “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me besides quiet waters.” In this verse we find that God makes us free to rest. You can only truly rest when everything around you is as it should be and the one in control is on his job. In this verse David speaks of one of the primary roles of the shepherd – to provide food, shelter and protection for the sheep. He speaks of green pastures versus pastures that are barrens and dried out. It is important to note that sheep rests in the same fields in which they feast, so the green pastures provide a dual purpose. Sheep will not rest unless they are free from conflicts with other sheep; free from predators; free from pests; and free from hunger. The good shepherd provides all of this for his sheep. We can rest in God’s security and provision! In the natural, our green pastures can be represented by our homes – the one place where we should be able to find peace and protection against the outside elements. With my travel schedule every night that I am at home, I am in green pastures! It does not matter what happens during the day when I am away from my house, when I get home, I can enter into my green pastures.
When David speaks of being led to the still waters, he is referring again to what needs to be done with sheep. Remember, raging waters will scare the sheep so it is important that they are led to quiet waters. If the sheep gets fearful near the raging waters and accidently fall in, remember, they will drown without a fight and depending on the season, the amount of wool they carry with pull them under the water. In that case only the shepherd could pull them out. God provides us with safe, life-giving drink. We can drink deeply of God’s Holy Spirit Who is water to my thirsty soul! If I am going through a mental, emotional storm and my soul is under attack, I can have total piece because my Shepherd leads me to green pastures beside the still waters. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” As I have said before, if your shepherd is not leading you to green pastures and besides the still waters, please try mine!
Vs. 3: “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteous-ness for His name’s sake.” God care for and keeps my heart and my mind! I have had many days when my soul needed to be restored. What does it mean to “restore” something? The Hebrew word for restore means to “return or go back.” In this verse it could be defined as “to bring back to health, strength, etc.” as defined in the Webster dictionary. From a shepherd’s view point, sheep may become “cast” when they get stuck on their backs and unable to get up. In this condition, a sheep struggling to raise itself may quickly become dehydrated in the summer sun. A cast sheep is also easy prey for wild animals. The same happens spiritually with us. When we are cast down and become tired from fighting to get back up, we become spiritually dehydrated and easy prey for our enemy. This verse speaks to God restoring us just as the shepherd reaches down and picks up the sheep and restores it to its feet. Whenever we step out of God’s will through sin, our souls become vexed because we know we have done something against God. When we repent and are restored, our soul finds peace. When Satan tries to bring our past sins and failures in an attempt to vex us, the Spirit of God is there to remind us of our current state – that we have been restored. Paul told the Colossians “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14) When we have troubling times and we lose sleep at night; when it seems like all things are going wrong around us; God can restore our souls.
When David speaks of being guided in the paths of righteousness, think about this in the natural. Before a shepherd will lead his sheep to green pastures and/or still waters, he first scouts out the best way in which to get the sheep to the destination safely. The shepherd does this because he would look foolish taking his sheep to a location and losing some of them because he went along a path that was not the best for the sheep. His reputation would be on the line. Spiritually it is the same way. Through His word, God has provided a roadmap for us to follow that will keep us on the right path – the path He has laid out before us. He has done this for His own name’s sake. Remember, our lives are a testimony to the goodness of God! Jesus promised us in John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” God has made provisions for us for His own name’s sake and will lead us on the right path because of His great promise!
Vs. 4: “Even 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 the comfort me.” If you are a shepherd and you are leading your sheep to green pastures or to still waters and you had to pass through a valley between two mountains that would be a great place for an ambush. The shadows provide hidden places for the enemy to hide and wait. The shadows also offer opportunities for our minds to become fearful if we allow it. To be in the shadow of something often means to be under the power of the shadows. Think about walking down the street at night in an unfamiliar area and you will understand how often you “see things” in the shadows. David said, as a sheep that has God as his shepherd, when he walked through the valley of the shadow of death (the valley where he could face death and not know it) he would not fear. He would not fear the evil that was obviously out there and could befall him at any time. For us, God knows and deals with all of our fears about the deadly dangers of life. It does not matter what I am faced with or who is plotting against me, God will provide all that I need when I need it! Danger is always around us and we can choose to live our lives in fear. We can also choose to live our lives in faith and while recognizing danger is all around us, we can choose not to fear and continue to focus on those things that God would have us to do.
When David speaks of the rod and staff providing comfort, if you think about it the way David did this will make sense. The shepherd staff has a curved end so that in any given situations it can be used to loop around the sheep to pull it to safety or back on its feet if for some reason it falls down. For the sheep, the sight of the staff becomes a comforting thing because it will realize that it is there for their protection. It is a great comfort to know that God through His Son will never leave us in our misery. But the staff is also used for disciplining the sheep. Discipline which comes through a genuine love for the one being disciplined provides a real sense of security for that same one who is on the receiving end of the discipline. I can say that God’s discipline and guidance in my life make me feel safe and secure.
Vs. 5: “Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou has anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.” I have come to realize that not everyone who smiles at you like you. Not everyone who walks up to you and shakes your hand really desires something good for you. David said “Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Sheep sleep and eat in green pastures while their enemies circle the parameters waiting for an opportunity to attack. While the sheep are eating, the shepherd watches over them to protect them. The sheep can eat freely and peacefully knowing that if they are attacked they will be protected by the shepherd. Just as the shepherd does for his sheep, God is able to provide for our hunger even when our enemies are circling around us. We have hope that no matter who is planning an attack against us, our shepherd is there to handle the battle. We cannot know everything that is being planned against us but our hope in God allows us to be forewarned against the plans of our enemies.
When David speaks of God anointing his head with oil and his cup overflowing he is recognizing that God takes care of his bodily needs just as a shepherd does for his sheep. Flying insects often plague the sheep in the summer months and oil is a natural bug repellant and emollient that aids in healing the skin. Palestinian shepherds used a mixture of oil, sulfur, and spices applied especially around the head of the sheep. Can you see God spiritually pouring oil over us to protect us from the insect bites of our enemy? When David speaks of his cup overflowing he is speaking of the fact that God’s provision is abundant. The good shepherd provides more than the bare necessities to his sheep. The shepherd is willing to take his sheep to the better grazing and water sources even if it is dangerous to get there. He does that because he wants to ensure that his sheep has more than enough. Well we have the best shepherd of all and do you not know that our Shepherd does this better than anyone? Because each of us is special to God, He has “abundance” in all areas of life awaiting us; we just need to line up with him to receive.
Vs. 6: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all of the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” I want you to look at the word “follow” for a moment. To follow means “to come after or to pursue.” So you can actually think about this verse in this manner: no matter where you go with the Lord, goodness and mercies will pursue after you – they will track you down. This is what it means to be blessed. You have no choice but to be blessed when you are in a relationship with God. Many are those who are actively “seeking” God’s blessings but when we understand our relationship with God we know that we do not have to seek the blessings at all. They will chase you down and overtake you because that is God’s desire for you. You were blessed yesterday, you’re blessed today and you will be blessed tomorrow, next year, forever. You have a target on your back and those blessings are just following you around aiming to hit that target. You cannot escape God’s blessings for you – it is one of the core benefits.
Not only will you walk in blessings on this earth, you will die and live with eternally with God! First your blessings will chase you down in this life and when you cross over to the other side you will forever be in the house of the Lord. It is not uncommon for people to move every 3-7 years just to upgrade their homes, but this will not be the case in God’s house. When you move into the house He has prepared for you, it will have everything you need and nothing you do not need. While I do not know what you house will be like, but I do know that to be in God’s presence forever outweighs anything that we have here on this earth. Jesus confirmed our security in John 14:1-3 when He said “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” God is making preparations right now for us to spend eternity with Him.
Conclusion
Throughout history man has tried to be the Shepherd instead of the sheep. Satan convinced Eve to eat the fruit by telling her that by doing so she would “be like God knowing good and evil.” When God brought the Children of Israel from Egypt, throughout their history there were some who refused to walk as sheep and tried to be the shepherd. When Christianity was born, throughout the age of the Church, there have been many who felt the calling on their life elevated them to the role of Shepherd thus giving them the power to “change” God’s word to suit their own interpretation and doctrines. In order for the benefits of Psalm 23 to apply to us, we must walk in the role of an obedient sheep. Anything other than this can be construed as rebellion as we may be trying to walk in the role of Shepherd, thinking we know what is best for us.
Everything I have shared with you today is to prepare you for what is coming. Next week I will begin a series on the names of God. Some of His Hebrew names will make complete sense when you think about Psalm 23. Please take some time this week and reread Psalm 23 and meditate on the fact that in God’s eyes, we are His sheep.
May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
