THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD (part one)
Psalm 23:1-3
In his book, I Shall Not Want, Robert Ketchum tells about a Sunday school teacher who asked her group if any of them could quote the twenty-third psalm. A little four-year-old girl was among those who raised their hands. A bit skeptical, the teacher asked if she could really quote the entire psalm. The little girl nodded and the teacher motioned for her to come up to the front.
The little girl walked up to the podium, turned around to face the class, made a little bow, and said: "The Lord is my shepherd, that's all I want." She bowed again and sat down. Although she obviously missed a few verses, that little girl captured the heart of Psalm 23. Throughout the psalm the idea is that we are totally reliant on and should be content in the shepherd's care and that everything we need comes from him.
Psalm 23 is perhaps the most well-known Psalm. It's often quoted at funerals or memorial services. Although you may be familiar with it, have you ever really studied it? That's what we're going to do. Let's take a look into this psalm of David and see what we can learn.
1) The Shepherd (vs. 1). “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.”
Before David was king, he was a shepherd. He understood all that was required of a shepherd. A good shepherd cared for and looked out for the flock. When David was getting ready to take on Goliath he told Saul about how he had chased after and killed lions and bears when they grabbed one of his sheep. A shepherd was brave and courageous. A shepherd knew about sheep; he knew their characteristics and their limitations. He knew their needs.
So David contemplates all this and makes comparisons to how the Lord is as a shepherd. A shepherd leads, guides and directs and the sheep follow him. A sheep cannot lead itself. So David is humbly and wisely saying, 'I don't lead myself for I am as incapable as a sheep to do so. A sheep will not follow another shepherd. It responds only to their shepherd's voice. So David is also saying that, as a sheep, he is not led by any other. God is my leader; God is the one I follow'.
An interesting synonym I found for shepherd is show. A good shepherd not only leads and guides, he shows. When I see this I think of Jesus as our shepherd. John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." Jesus called himself the good shepherd. In Heb. 13:20 he is called the great Shepherd and in 1st Pet. 5:4 he is called the Chief Shepherd.
What did Jesus do as the not only good but great and not only great but Chief shepherd? He laid down his life for the sheep. And not just at the cross. He laid down his life every day. Jesus showed us what a good shepherd is all about. He showed us what sacrificial love was all about. He is the good shepherd because he set the example of someone who truly cares about and cares for the sheep.
When David went after the lion or bear he risked his life for the life of the sheep. David knew that if he was willing to do that how much more would God be willing to do that for his sheep.
This is why David could say the result of having the Lord as our shepherd is we will not be in want. This means I will not have to go without the things I really need. There may be times when I don't receive what I need as soon as I would like, but if I follow the lead of my shepherd my needs will be met. God doesn’t promise to give us everything we want, but he does promise to supply all our needs.
Phil. 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Notice it doesn't say that God shall supply a few of my needs but all of them. What are our needs? I'm sure our list of what we would consider 'needs' is probably longer than God's. We need things like food, clothing and shelter. We may need medicinal care and supplies. God will make a way for these things to be provided.
And this doesn't just pertain to our physical needs. We also need love, peace and security. God provides all of those. With the Lord as our Shepherd we shall not be in want. But if something else is my shepherd, if I follow after a person, money, drugs, or any other worldly thing then I will be left wanting; unsatisfied.
The Lord has shown himself to be loving, caring, protecting, wise and generous. He'll provide everything we need for life and godliness (2nd Pet. 1:3). He proved that to David and he'll prove that to us too. With Jesus as my shepherd I'll be taken care of.
Philip Keller was a sheep rancher. In his book, A Shepherd Looks at the Twenty-third Psalm, he says sheep require more attention than any other livestock. They can't take care of themselves. Unless their shepherd makes them move on, sheep will actually ruin a pasture, eating every blade of grass, until finally a fertile pasture is nothing but barren soil.
Sheep are near-sighted and very stubborn, but easily frightened. An entire flock can be stampeded by a jack rabbit. They have little means of defense. They're timid, feeble creatures. Their only recourse is to run if no shepherd is there to protect them.
Sheep have no homing instincts. A dog, horse, cat, or a bird can find its way home, but when a sheep gets lost, it's a goner unless someone rescues it. So the over-riding principle of Psalm 23 is that sheep can't make it without a shepherd. This should cause us to be more thankful that we have the Lord as our shepherd.
Isaiah gives us a special explanation of our heavenly shepherd in Isa. 40:11, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those who have young.”
What a special depiction of our loving shepherd. We are close to his heart. His leading is loving and gentle. He knows our weaknesses; he knows we're fallible creatures. So he takes special care of us; especially when we're young in the faith. With descriptions like these, who wouldn't want to have the Lord as their shepherd?
2) He restores my soul (2-3a). “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”
When you picture this scene you see peace and tranquility. This is what the Lord, our shepherd, wants to do with us; this is where he wants to bring us. Life can be busy and chaotic. Jobs, kids, bills, responsibilities-it can get overwhelming very rapidly. And it's easy to have negative responses to life's pressures. We forget things, we're confused, we lose our temper, we make poor decisions, etc.
What do we do? Allow the Lord to bring us to a place of spiritual serenity. It's interesting that it says, 'he makes me lie down'. The Hebrew word for makes here means, to cause to rest. This reveals the way God wants to settle us down. The Lord makes it possible for me to rest.
In order to get his sheep to lie down, the shepherd must meet four basic needs: sheep will not lie down if there is any hint of fear in them. Sheep will not lie down unless they are free from any friction from the other sheep. Sheep will not lie down if bugged by flies or parasites. Sheep will not lie down if they are hungry.
So in order to get sheep to lie down, they must be free from fear, tension, aggravation, and hunger. The Lord is the only one who can do all these things for us. He leads us, guides us and assures us of his presence. The shepherd makes the sheep lie down in cool, soft green pastures.
“He leads me beside still waters”. Still waters evokes calmness. Sometimes the waters we find ourselves in are turbulent and rough. We're struggling to keep afloat and swim to safety. The Lord will help us. He pulled Peter up when he started sinking. The Lord wants to bring me to the blessing of peaceful waters.
A sheep will only drink from still waters; it's afraid of swift moving water. The shepherd is on watch for still waters for the sheep to quench their thirst. Picturing calm waters relieves tension. It produces a wonderful trust that enables us to face the day confidently, knowing that under the care of our wonderful shepherd there is refreshment.
However, if we don't take the time to rest then he may cause our circumstances to be such that we will be forced to rest. He doesn't want to do it that way, though. He wants us to choose to do the smart thing and find peace and rest in him. This will help us to deal with life.
Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” When we allow the Lord to move us into tranquility we will be able to see him and hear him. The noise of the world is replaced with the voice of Jesus. We receive wisdom and knowledge. We receive strength and energy. We get what we need to carry on.
"He restores my soul." The idea of green pastures and quiet waters is not only about removing stress and anxiety, it's also about spiritual things. He wants me to meditate on the thick, lush enrichment of his word. He leads me beside the living water in prayer and reflection.
When we don't take the time to be still it can be detrimental to us physically and mentally. Likewise, if we don't take the time for spiritually replenishment it will be harmful. If I distance myself from prayer, bible study and gathering with fellow Christians it will affect me. When we become spiritually depleted we begin to come unraveled more easily. We open the door to worldly things more easily. When these things happen to us we need restoration.
Philip Keller gives a description of what happens when a sheep is cast-down. "When sheep are on their back, gas begins to collect in their stomach. It hardens the stomach, cuts off the air passage and they suffocate. Not only that, their legs go numb in that position. They need a shepherd to restore them.
When a shepherd restores a cast-down sheep, it doesn't just happen immediately. It takes time. The shepherd lovingly massages the four legs to get some circulation back. Then he begins to talk in a reassuring tone to the sheep, "You're going to make it."
Then he gently turns the sheep over and lifts it up, because it can't stand up on its own. He'll hold the animal there while the sheep begins to get some equilibrium. The blood begins to flow in the legs again, and it begins to get some stability. When the shepherd is sure that the sheep can stand on its own, he'll lovingly have the sheep follow him home."
This is a wonderful picture of how God is with us. He ministers to us in his loving care and takes us through the step-by-step process of getting us back on our feet. Then, when we're able to stand he says, "follow me". Sometimes we need to be restored. We start neglecting the things that keep us stable. We get sidetracked and lose our way. We stumble and fall and need help to get back up. We need to allow the great shepherd to lead us to green pastures and quiet waters so he can restore us.
3) Paths of righteousness (3b). “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”
We come to the forks in life’s road and we can’t decide which way to turn. There are so many factors to consider in the decisions we make. Sometimes we can take a wrong turn and end up getting lost. David, remembering his own experience as a shepherd, knew that sheep do not have the sense of direction like cats and dogs do.
A sheep has poor eyesight. The sheep follows the shepherd's voice knowing that it's walking in the right path. There are times when we can't see clearly. So we look to the trustworthy voice of our shepherd, knowing he will always lead us in the right direction. Although he doesn’t promise us an easy, effortless life he does promise us his strength and his presence.
It’s interesting that David says paths-plural. There is the overall path of righteousness. However, as we travel on that path, the Lord leads us down off-shoots; branches, if you will. These are righteous paths because they lead to righteous outcomes; whether it's helping someone or advancing in our spiritual walk in some way. The things that aid in our process of becoming more like Jesus are paths of righteousness.
There are other paths, too. These are not good paths; the paths of unrighteousness. These are not off-shoots from the path of righteousness; these are separate paths altogether. We find these paths only when we stray from the path of righteousness.
Unfortunately, some of these paths look like the right path. The Holy Spirit will give us signs that we're not on the right path. His voice will tell us to get off that path and the great shepherd will lead us back to where we need to be. The closer we are to the shepherd the less apt we will be to stray down a wrong path. We will recognize when the enemy is trying to capture us and we'll run away from him.
Dr. Lynn Anderson in, They Smell Like Sheep, writes, "Several years ago in Palestine, my wife and I rode a tour bus through Israel's countryside, nearly mesmerized as the tour guide explained the scenery, the history, and the lifestyle. In his description, he included a heart-warming portrayal of the ancient shepherd/sheep relationship.
He expounded on how the shepherd builds a relationship with his sheep—how he feeds them and gently cares for them. He pointed out that the shepherd doesn't drive the sheep but leads them, and that the shepherd does not need to be harsh with them, because they hear his voice and follow.
He then explained how on a previous tour things had backfired for him as he was giving this same speech. In the midst of spinning his pastoral tale, he suddenly realized he had lost his audience. They were all staring out the bus window at a guy chasing a 'herd' of sheep. He was throwing rocks at them, whacking them with sticks, and siccing the sheep dog on them.
The sheep-driving man in the field had torpedoed the guide's enchanting narrative. The guide told us that he had been so agitated that he jumped off the bus, ran into the field, and accosted the man, "Do you understand what you have just done to me? I was spinning a charming story about the gentle ways of shepherds, and here you are mistreating, hazing, and assaulting these sheep! What's the matter with you?"
For a moment, a bewildered look froze on the face of the sheep-chaser, then the light dawned and he blurted out, "You don't understand. I'm not a shepherd; I'm a butcher."
John 10:3-5, "The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
Later in vs. 10 Jesus said that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy but that he came to give us the fullness of life. The sheep follow the shepherd but they run from the butcher. We need to do the same. Let's follow Jesus, the one who gives us life and run away from Satan, the butcher.
"For his name’s sake". Being led in paths of righteousness does benefits us, but we need to remember who we're doing it for. Our acts of righteousness should be for God's glory; not ours. We need to remember that without our shepherd leading us we're just lost, helpless sheep.
Therefore, the credit for everything we do needs to go to him. We acknowledge that we couldn't have done it without him. We acknowledge that apart from him we have no ability to be righteous.
In this humble spirit of praise we point people to Jesus, the great shepherd. We want the lost to be saved; we want the saved to be inspired and restored. Our goal is to show everyone the great benefit of having the Lord as our shepherd.
