Introduction
Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd…
This morning I want to break this first verse up so that we can get a better grasp as to what the Psalmist David was saying.
The passage starts with The LORD – The first thing to note is the source of David’s comfort.
It is ‘The LORD’ who is his shepherd!
This name written in the text is “Yahweh’, the sovereign, almighty, delivering God!
So many people place their trust and hope is all sorts of so-called ‘lords’. But David had it right in ‘The LORD’
– the one true God who created and controls all things.
This also shows us our need of giving Him His rightful place as Lord over our life.
Then it continues with
Is – Can you say that?
Do you have the confidence to say that the almighty God IS your Shepherd right now?
Not was, like He helped you in the past.
Not will be, like you look forward to something He will do… but IS.
(As in a right now God)
David had extreme confidence in who God is right now! Do you?
It continues with…
My – This is probably the best thing about this psalm… it is so personal!
When you read this text in Psalm, note how many times ‘I, my, me, he, his’ are used.
There are only 6 verses in the chapter but these terms are used about 30 times!
The wonderful discovery in this text is that the Lord is not just a shepherd who looks after the entire flock,
but He is MY shepherd because He is that interested in each and every one of His sheep!
Shepherd -
Do you know much about shepherds? What does a shepherd do?
Let’s think about this.
A shepherds main purpose is to provide, protect, and guide his sheep.
In the New Testament Jesus often used this analogy of the sheep and the shepherd to describe His relationship with those who came to believe in Him.
In John 10:11, Jesus called Himself the ‘Good Shepherd’.
When we read the first verse
(Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.)
The Psalmist is indicating that with the Lord protecting and providing for us then we shall not be in lack of what we need.
We sometimes are greedy creatures, and we always seem to have different ‘wants’, but thank the Lord that He gives us what we need.
Do you have this same confidence that David had?
We should not think however that this verse means that there will not be times of drought, valleys and needs.
(sometimes what we need is a valley experience)
The rest of this Psalm show that these valley experiences do occur. But the confidence David had is that the great shepherd will always know what we need and when to provide it.
Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters; he restores my soul.
He makes me…
He leads me
Jesus our Shepherd knows exactly what we need and He is the one that brings spiritual nourishment and rest for our souls.
Often we get into a trying situation and we rack our brains wondering how we can ever get out of it.
If this is you, then I truly believe this verse is true for you.
Jesus is the shepherd, not you, and He knows when to give you rest and refreshment, and where it will come from.
The verse says…
Lie down in green pastures… quiet waters
First he makes you lie down.
That is, Jesus arranges times of rest for you!
He also arranges times when you can feed off the greenest of green pastures.
This feeding is symbolic of being fed with the word of God. (Heb 5:12-14) Jesus also arranges the quiet waters, which speak of refreshment and revitalizing.
There are times, as the Psalm says, when He restores your soul spiritually.
They are quiet waters… times when there are no waves and no troubles.
And we thank God for such times!
Psalm 23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
The paths that the Shepherd takes us on are the righteous or ‘right’ paths. They will lead us to places of rest and provision.
Obviously this doesn’t mean that the road that the shepherd takes is always an easy one. But it is still the paths that lead to righteousness.
God’s eternal desire is that He would have many sons and daughters who display His glory and light within them.
It is expressed in Rom 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
So God will always lead us into that which is right and that which is true. It is for ‘His name’s sake’ that He does this.
Our lives should be a testimony to God Himself.
As Jesus said ‘let your light shine before men.
Psalm 23:4 Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Take a look at this verse very carefully. It says “Ye though I walk through the valley
of the SHADOW of death.”
What is a shadow?
Webster defines a shadow as an imperfect and faint representation. So tell me, when is the last time a shadow hurt you.
The verse states it is the valley of the Shadow of Death.
This means your problems and your trials that we walk through a just mere shadows.
They can’t hurt us nor kill us. (elaborate)
That’s why the Psalmist continues in verse 4 to say: (Psalm 23:4 I will fear no evil, for you are with me)
As Christ as our shepherd we have nothing to fear.
Psalm 23:4 Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Two things gave comfort
The Shepherd’s rod: The rod, which the Shepherd carried, was for protecting the sheep from predators.
Do we not gain comfort from the fact that it is Almighty God who is our Shepherd!
No enemy or predator can ever take Him by surprise!
The Shepherd’s staff: The staff was used by the Shepherd to direct the sheep in the way in which they should go, and in the case of a wandering nosey sheep
(that like to get into trouble),
he uses it to pull it back into line.
(elaborate) When I was going the wrong way, hanging out with the wrong people and crowd, getting into bad relationships, going to places I had no business being at, God used his rod to pull me back and his staff to guide me to where I needed to go.
(Uncomfortable places – Bad Jobs/Employers)
Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Here David pictures God as a gracious host who provides all that he needs… even in times of apparent difficulty.
David is saying that the provision and grace of God gives him such confidence that in a time when he should be fearful and anxious he is still able to sit, relax and eat!
(elaborate – In the presence of enemies)
God was the one providing for him,
God was the one anointing his head with oil.
Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
This some revelation!
He will never, ever, leave you!
And not only that!
His goodness and kindness will always follow you.
David states: Psalm 37:23-25
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
What confidence for this life!
Psalm 23:6 And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
And finally we have a glimpse of that which occurs after ‘the days of my life’.
So our great Shepherd protects and provides for His sheep during their life on this earth.
But there is a greater provision and far greater blessing still to come.
One where… ‘the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things has passed away.’ Rev 21:3-4
I want to make it there how about you!
I am excited because I know that I have someone I can depend and lean on!
A good shepherd that leads and guides his sheep.
And when the days of this life are over, then we shall enter into that which we can only partly imagine.
Yet we wait eagerly for Jesus, knowing
that…
“No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those
who love & Trust him.”
As I Close
I’m grateful to know that
The Lord is my Shepherd
= That’s Relationship!
I shall not want
= That’s Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures = That’s Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters
= That’s Refreshment
He restoreth my soul
= That’s Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
= That’s Guidance!
For His name sake
= That’s Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
= That’s Testing!
I will fear no evil
= That’s Protection!
For Thou art with me
= That’s Faithfulness!
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me
= That’s Relief!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
= That’s Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil
= That’ s Consecration!
My cup runneth over
= That’s Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
= That’s Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever
= That’s Eternity!
Appeal
God is offering you a chance to let go and let God.
He has offered to Guide our lives.
He has promised to keep us at peace even through tough situations.
Will you allow God to lead your life?
Will you all him to protect you?
Will you give your trials, your problems, your hurts, your wants, your needs, or your life over to him?
If I’m talking to you I encourage you to stand with me and we are going to pray!
