The Lord’s My Shepherd, That’s All I Need
Psalm 23:1
Rev. R.I. Williams of Fairmont Park Methodist Church in Norfolk, VA called the newspaper office with his sermon title: “The Lord is my Shepherd” he told the paper. “Is that all?” he was asked. “That’s enough!” he answered. And sure enough, the paper printed his sermon title as “The Lord is My Shepherd, and that’s enough!” As simple as the little song, Jesus Loves Me, the opening phrase of Psalm 23 boils it all down to one basic concept—the Lord is my shepherd, and that’s all I need.
It is pure speculation to try to figure out exactly WHEN Psalm 23 was written. It could have been when Saul was chasing David and his men trying to kill them. They are hiding in the caves by the Dead Sea at En-gedi (according to I Samuel 23:29). Saul discovers David’s camp and comes to try to kill the man who is more popular than the king—ever since David killed Goliath. You can just imagine Saul’s men in their armor marching around—swords and shields glistening in the desert sunlight. David is bunkered down in a cave, afraid that even one falling rock could give away his hiding place. And then he sees walking across the valley in front of his cave a shepherd and his sheep. A sense of peace and calm comes over David as he is reminded of the years of tending his father’s sheep. He is also reminded of God’s care and protection over him, so he writes…”The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
“The Lord is my shepherd.” Think about what this phrase is telling us.
1. It is a statement of decision. I have decided that Jehovah God will be my shepherd. I have tried other shepherds, but they just don’t measure up. I have tried psychology and philosophy but it doesn’t provide answers. I have tried career to drive my life, but it does not provide protection. I have tried popularity, but it doesn’t last. I have tried friends and family, but they need a shepherd as much as I do. So I have decided that Jehovah will be my shepherd—because when I trust Him, I have everything that I need.
In the same way, I have tried other ways to get to heaven, but I have decided to follow Jesus. Some of you have tried other churches, but they tell you that you need to work your way into heaven, and you’re never ever sure that you have done enough good stuff to make God happy. You may have tried other religions, but their founder is still dead. You may have tried other theological systems but they are so confusing. So we have decided that Jesus will be our shepherd, and we will allow Him to make us into something that He is happy with. I’ll trust that His blood sacrifice on the Cross will pay for my sins—that’s faith…saying “The Lord is My Shepherd” is a step of faith…and that is a decision I make because I believe it is true.
The Lord is my shepherd is a statement of decision.
2. The Lord is my shepherd is also a statement of submission. David was used to being a shepherd. But at this moment of crisis, he would have to learn to be a sheep. He was used to being in charge; he was used to getting his way; he was used to trusting his own instincts and expertise. Now he was going to have to learn to be a sheep. Sheep are totally dependent. They can’t swim, because the wool weighs them down and their hoofs don’t act like flippers very well. Their teeth are not going to hurt if they bite you. Sheep have no sense of direction and wander away all the time. They cannot cleanse themselves like a dog or cat. They have no claws to defend themselves. And they can’t run away from predators. They cannot tell the difference between good food and poisonous weeds, so they need a shepherd to guide them to the right food. And sheep scare easily. They are timid, they are easily frightened.
In the same way, we all need to get to the point of saying, I need a shepherd. My life is easily upset. I am easily frightened. I cannot keep myself clean. I cannot defend myself. I really need someone to watch over me.
Someday, when you are overwhelmed with how complicated life gets, or how desperate or hopeless your situation gets…someday, you will need to get to the point of saying, “The Lord is my shepherd—I NEED a shepherd.” It is a statement of humility to admit we are as helpless as a sheep. Saying “The Lord is My Shepherd” is a statement of submission.
3. It is a statement of trust . The Lord is my shepherd and I am just a sheep—I need a shepherd and I trust the shepherd to care about me, be concerned about my feelings, to want to guide me through the trouble I’m facing. Proverbs 3:5,6 Trusting God means He will direct our paths.
Matt. 6:33 Free from worry about clothing, food or shelter when I trust Him and Seek Him First.
When we learn to say “the Lord is MY shepherd,” we can more easily say, “I shall not want.”
When we learn to say, “The Lord is MY Shepherd,” we can more easily say, “the shadow of death cannot scare me…the rod of discipline cannot harm me…the table of my enemies cannot shake me.
Imagine how much stress and worry this thought can eliminate. Nothing can make me afraid because I know God is working ahead of me and for my welfare. (see vs. 4)
Psalm 56:4 “In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid what mere man can do to me.”
Notice the picture—when we learn to say “The Lord is MY shepherd,” we will find ourselves settling down in quiet pastures with a strong shepherd watching over me.” We will find ourselves trusting in God’s ability – and that produces a peace and quietness.
Who are we calling our shepherd?
Psalm 78:52 says that my shepherd rescued Israel from Egypt and led them through the wilderness. Those stories in the Bible were written down so they could say to us, I did it once, I can do it again if you trust me.”
John 10:11 reminds us that OUR shepherd laid down His life for us.
I Peter 2:25 says He is the guardian of our souls.
Jeremiah 31:10,11 says that God is a shepherd who can go in and rescue you from the jaws of someone who is stronger than you are!
That’s MY shepherd. He is able to keep and protect me through whatever I face, because He is bigger than the creation that tries to scare me. When I call God my shepherd, I am saying, “I need to trust Him.”
4. It is a statement of contentment. I’m trusting God to meet my needs. I’m trusting God to take care of me. I’ll admit that I’m a sheep . The job of the shepherd is to do whatever he has to do to make the sheep produce wool. The shepherd must constantly think ahead for places where his sheep can graze or drink. He must constantly be moving them to green pastures where they can lie down and be contented. Contented cows make sweet milk—and contented sheep make high quality wool. In the same way, our Good Shepherd is constantly moving ahead of us preparing exactly what we need and when we’ll need it. God doesn’t just RESPOND to our situations, God works ahead of our situations making “all things work together for the good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.” You know that scripture says, “Eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has entered into the heart of man all the things God has prepared for those who seek Him.” (I Cor. 2:9) If we ever stray away from His purpose for us, we are moving away from what He is preparing. Anxiety and worry comes when we stray from trusting our shepherd. We resist His plans…we think we can find better pastures on our own…and then worry when things don’t work out the way we thought they should.
Saying “The Lord is my SHEPHERD is a statement of contentment. I’ll trust Him to know what I need and what I have to have—and when I have to have it. I’ll trust the shepherd, because I’m just a sheep. I’ll trust Him to know where the nourishment comes from. I’ll trust Him to protect me—because He has to make sure I produce wool and He’ll make sure I produce really good wool. I’ll be content letting my shepherd be MY shepherd.
We often quote Philippians 4:13 that says, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.” But remember, that verse comes right after Paul says “I have learned to be content with what I have and where I am and what happens to me.” Contentment comes when you trust God to supply all your needs.
5. It is a statement of worship. David didn’t say elohim or adonai (the Lord); he didn’t say El shaddai (God almighty) is my shepherd; he didn’t say “El Elyon (the God most high). He chose God’s name—not a description, but the all inclusive, whatever you need when you need Him, don’t write this name unless you have washed your hands—holy Yahweh, Jehovah God. “I am.” …and that awesome, Majestic, Holy God has chosen to come down and be my shepherd! This is a statement of awe!
Don’t minimize this psalm by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd, I get what I need.”
Or, the Lord is my shepherd, he takes care of me.
Or, the Lord is my shepherd, we get to always have green pastures.
Those are all selfish, self centered, self consumed reasons to make God your shepherd.
But saying, “The Lord is my shepherd” is a statement of worship. Change the order of the sentence to read, “MY shepherd is Yahweh, the holy, unchanging, all caring, sovereign Lord of everything.” Hush. Quiet. It’s all about God—not you.
Think about this statement—the health of the sheep depends on what kind of shepherd watches over them. If the shepherd is harsh and cruel, the sheep would not be content. If the shepherd is incompetent, the sheep would suffer hardship and be fearful or undernourished. But is the shepherd is brave and kind and resourceful, the sheep grow and are content.
I want to worship almighty God, holy, faithful, merciful and sovereign. That’s the kind of shepherd who will care for His sheep and will make sure that I have everything I need to be a healthy sheep.
It is a stamen of worship—because it allows God to be God and I’m a sheep who desperately needs that shepherd taking care of me.
Since I had Mary write up the outline, I thought of something else:
VI. It is a statement of relationship
John 10:27 says about Christ the Good Shepherd, “I know them and they follow me.”
David says, the Lord is MY shepherd…not the shepherd of the whole world..but mine.
Intensely and intimately concerned…I am HIS possession.
It is as though he could say, He is my PERSONAL shepherd.
Others may want, but I don’t…I have a shepherd.
Others may worry, but I don’t…I have a shepherd.
Others may wander, but I don’t…I have a shepherd.
Those who don’t have a personal relationship with Christ cannot understand what it means to be able to say, “The Lord is MY Shepherd.” It is a statement of relationship.
You may have heard this old story, but it emphasizes my point. At a dinner party, a famous actor was asked to recite the 23rd Psalm. He did it with great emotion and flair. After he was finished, the audience clapped appreciatively. Then a little old man was asked to recite the same psalm. He stood up and leaned on his cane and began to recite the words from memory. A silence fell over the room as he repeated the same words that the actor had said. When he was finished, there was a hush until the actor once again stood up and said, “I know the shepherd psalm, but this great man knows the Shepherd.”
A little boy kind of got the words mixed up—but really got the right message. He recited it by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd and that’s all I want.” Don’t get mixed up in the generalities of religion or in complicated theologies, charts and outlines. Get back to the simplicity of what that little boy said. It was that great philosopher Porky Pig on the Looney Tunes cartoons who kept telling us “That’s all, folks”? Have you ever said that to God? That’s all I need. That’s it. That’s all folks.
Lord, You are all I need. I need you more than any amount of money you can give me. I need you more than I need a job. I need you more than I need friends. If you are my shepherd, “that’s all I need.” You can give me contentment with what I have as well as you can give me everything I want. You can give me peace in my heart as well as you can quiet my storms. You can give me hope as well as you can turn the light on in a dark night. You are all I need.
That is a statement of trust, submission, decision, contentment and worship.
