The Lord is my Shepherd

I came across a familiar Psalm this morning, Psalm 23. It can be so easy to gloss over something that we’ve read hundreds of times, but I love when the Lord speaks afresh, whispering His promises to our hearts. May we never fail to see the richness and depth of His Word. In reading the first line, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” the following verse came to mind as well,

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

Jesus said this of Himself, which was significant for the times.

In ancient Israel, a shepherd was considered a lowly position at the bottom of the social ladder. Their status in society would have been similar to that of a tax collector. This was not only the case in society but for families as well, with the position often being reserved for the youngest in the family. The job was nothing short of unglamorous as the shepherd cared for dirty, smelly sheep all day. Knowing the shepherd’s humble position speaks volumes and alludes wonder into the fact that the miraculous news of the long awaited Messiah’s birth was first announced to shepherds “keeping watch over their flock by night.” A handful of shepherds who were disregarded and outcast by society were the chosen to break the 400 year silence that preceded and announce the Messiah that had been promised from Genesis 3:15.

Thirty something years after this announcement to the shepherds, Jesus lovingly declared Himself to be the Good Shepherd. Our shepherd.

This is beautiful.

You see, a shepherd worked around the clock, living among his sheep. His responsibility was the safety and well-being of his flock, taking care of their every single need. A shepherd kept his flock safe from predators, led them to graze in areas of good forage and sources of water, worked to keep them free from disease, and shore their coats of wool in the spring. The shepherd and the sheep existed in a trusting relationship as the sheep maintained a dependency on their shepherd to guide and sustain their lives.

When David declared “The Lord is my Shepherd,” his reference was no accident. You see, David was well acquainted with the role of a shepherd. We are first introduced to David in 1 Samuel 16 when Samuel was looking to anoint a new King and David was found “tending the sheep.” Knowing the responsibility of a shepherd, David did not just proclaim the Lord to be “a” shepherd, but declared, He is “my Shepherd.” Spurgeon puts it this way, “The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, ‘My.’ If He be a Shepherd to no one else, He is a Shepherd to me; He cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me.”

In David acquainting the Lord as His shepherd, he was not only declaring who the Lord was, but he was also recognizing his status as a sheep in need of a Shepherd. Likewise, before we can accept Jesus as our Lord, we must first acknowledge our need for a Savior.

David continues,

“I shall not want.”

What is David saying here? One commentary I came across shows the meaning as two-fold. Because the Lord is His Shepherd, all of his needs are provided for. His physical needs, his spiritual needs, his emotional needs. It’s all encapsulating - Jesus is his source. But also, “I shall not want” means that David is making a decision to not want more than what the Lord has provided. It’s being content in any and all circumstances, trusting that whatever one has is sufficient for right now.

Friends, the same is true of us. There is no thing, no need, no concern that the Lord does not see. When we trust Him as our Shepherd, He will provide what we need for each moment. But His care extends beyond even that - His very next instruction is to rest. Don’t worry, don’t strive or stress, but abide in His care.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

Simply, rest. Physically rest and also rest in Him. Sheep don’t always know what they need, but the Shepherd does. Just as a literal shepherd would lead his sheep to rest, so does the Lord. But he wouldn’t just lie them down anywhere - he would lead them to “green pastures” - the places of genuine rest.

Philip Keller describes it this way, “Sheep do not lie down easily and will not unless four conditions are met. Because they are timid, they will not lie down if they are afraid. Because they are social animals, they will not lie down if there is friction among the sheep. If flies or parasites trouble them, they will not lie down. Finally, if sheep are anxious about food or hungry, they will not lie down. Rest comes because the shepherd has dealt with fear, friction, flies, and famine.”

A good shepherd meets all of these needs and also, “leads {us} beside still waters.”

You see, sheep are afraid of moving or running water. Flowing streams can also be dangerous and deadly as sheep cannot swim well. This is why the shepherd leads his sheep to still waters; He simply knows what’s best for them.

The Good Shepherd not only takes care of our physical needs, but so much more - He takes care of our spiritual needs. David declares,

“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.”

The Hebrew word for “restore” here means “to turn back” or “return” and can also mean “to turn back to God.” The Lord restores our heart and our souls back to Him. Sin broke the communion and fellowship man had with God, but when we repent, our souls are restored back to that communion. The Shepherd longs for us to return to Him. He seeks after and pursues our hearts. Jesus tells a parable of a lost sheep in Luke 15. “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”

What is Jesus saying here?

Every sheep is important - important enough to rescue. When we come to the place of understanding His deep love for us, it should change us. Oh friends, it is simply beyond our understanding, but may we embrace it. The Lord cares for us so much that He knows us by name (Isaiah 43:1). He knew us before we were even in our mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). He does not desire for anyone to go astray - but for all to come to Him (Matthew 18:14). He rejoices over us and quietens us with His love. (Zephaniah 3:17). His love is steadfast and abounding, meaning it cannot be contained (Exodus 34:6).

When we submit to Him, He leads us into righteousness and obedience.

And look at the confidence we have with Him by our side,

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Yes and amen. Oh friends, we have nothing to fear with Him as our Good Shepherd. We have promises of blessings, promises of victory, and the promise of eternity with Him. May we live in the promises and not in our fears, our worries, or our pain. Jesus, thank you for being our Shepherd, caring for our every need.