THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

Proclamation:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me besides quiet waters, and He refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake. ... Goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of The Lord forever." Psalms 23:1-3 and 6

Explanation:

This Psalm is a prayer of King David, a man after God’s own heart.  It reveals the intimate and personal relationship that David has with God.  He is confident of God’s care.  He states that God will supply all of his needs and he will not go lacking.  God will provide his food and shelter and will direct his path.  God’s love will take care of him all of his life and he expects to be with God for all of eternity.

Application:

Sheep would be lost without a shepherd.  The shepherd provides for their total care.  He leads them to peaceful places to sleep, to eat, and to drink.  Not only do sheep need to be lead to places to eat, they need to be moved from time to time so they do not destroy their feeding grounds.  Sheep will not drink from running water, they will only drink from a still pool.  Sheep need to be protected, they cannot protect themselves and are easily slaughtered. (Isaiah 53:7)  Like sheep we are just dumb animals who cannot protect ourselves from the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)  Like dumb animals all of us follow someone.   The question is, who are you following and where are you being led to?  Jesus said that His sheep know His voice and will not follow anyone else. (John 10:27)  If you are not following Jesus then who are you following and where are you going?  The love of God, His goodness and mercy will protect those who follow Him all of the days in this life and in the eternity to come.

The Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."  John 10:11 (NIV)

As Jesus continues His discourse about the sheep and the shepherd, the Apostle John records these words.  This is the fourth of the seven great "I AM" statements spoken by Jesus, The Christ, as He addressed the crowd.  He said "I AM the good shepherd".  Because He cares for His sheep, "the good shepherd" will die to save the sheep.  This is a reference to His death on the cross at Calvary.

Jesus could have been referring to Himself as "good" in comparison to the "bad" and "evil" leadership of His chosen people, who were seeking personal gain.  However, in keeping with the parable of the shepherd and the sheep, a good shepherd leads, guides, directs, protects, provides for, cares for, fights for, and will die for his sheep.  Jesus, "The Good Shepherd", did all of that and He was willing to, and did, lay down His life in order to save us, His sheep.  He later repeats the statement, "I AM the good shepherd" (John 10:14), and adds that He knows His sheep and they know Him.  He knows His sheep by name (John 10:3), and they know the sound of His voice (John 10:4-5).  This phrase can also mean that Jesus is THE Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, the Supreme Shepherd.  He is The Head of the Church, and The Head of all principalities, the ultimate leader, The King of kings and The Lord of lords.  Believers can say, The Lord in my Shepherd. (Psalms 23:1-6)

I Shall Not Want

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."  Psalms 23:1 (NIV)

This well known psalm of David depicts God as a shepherd who provides for, protects, and directs His sheep.  This image was clearly understood in David's time.  His comment "I shall not want" (KJV) implies that God will provide all that he needs and therefore he wants for nothing.

Most Christians today can quote the twenty-third Psalm, in part if not recite it in its entirety.  We say it, but we do not really mean it.  We say "I shall not want" but our prayers are usually long lists of "wants".  And that does not include our long list of worldly wants, wishes, desires, and preferences.  We need to realize that our number one priority should be to give God glory, not our personal pleasure or self satisfaction.  He knows what we need and what we want, and He is able to supply it according to His riches in glory.  Let us spend more time thanking Him for what He has already done and less time asking Him for more blessings.  He is able to supply all of our needs.  We need to do a better job of appreciating all that He has done for us, is doing for us, and know that He will do for us in the future.