THE LORD OUR SHEPHERD
“We all need somebody to lean on” is the popular line of a hit song you may be familiar with. It’s a sentiment with which most of us agree, as indicated by your responses on the little test on which you assessed your level of satisfaction with your current situation, and whether or not you need someone to lean on.
When my wife was hospitalized in Augusta with a serious illness, she was prayed for by a deaconess visiting a patient sharing her room. As the deaconess was leaving to go back across the river to South Carolina, she asked my wife if she could pray for her – and did she ever!
We shall never forget the deaconess telling the Lord, “Now, Lord, you know my sister’s need better than I do. So, right now, in Jesus’ Name, prop her up on her leaning side!”
How could my wife not get better, at least feel better about her situation? Doesn’t it do you a world of good to know that somebody cares enough to pray authoritatively over you?
David felt so cared for by the LORD God – from the time Goliath sought to do him in, to the time Saul tried to kill him, to the time the Devil got the best of him and his emotions – that he could not contain the excitement within himself. Thus, his pen became his instrument of poetic praises to the LORD – the Book of Psalms. The Shepherd Psalm magnificently, yet succinctly, paints a word picture of the unique position occupied by every person who trusts in the Lord – Psalm 23 . . .
The Lord was to David (is to you and me) what the shepherd was (is) to his sheep - Provider . . . Protector . . . Peace giver . . . Name any character trait that is true of any good shepherd, and you can apply it to the Lord our Good Shepherd to describe the many ways the Lord relates to us - the sheep of His pasture.
As long as we the people of God truly trust (depend on, count on, lean on) the Lord our God with all our minds, hearts and souls, we shall be reassured - as were those sheep under the watch care of their shepherd David - that:
Basic needs shall be supplied either by we ourselves or someone the Lord sends our way . . . Desires of our hearts shall be satisfied to the extent that those desires are right in God’s sight . . . Our enemies shall be denied victory over us . . . Our souls shall be sanctified by that closer “walk with the Lord in the Light of His Word” . . . Satan shall be petrified by our courage in overcoming shadows of death . . . Our Lord shall be glorified by our reliance upon Him as the Good Shepherd . . . We ourselves shall be glorified when we behold Him face to face! How can I say these things?
Our Shepherd is not just any shepherd . . . care giver . . . protector . . . peace giver . . . comforter . . .helper in time of trouble . . . provider . . . proper upper.
“The LORD is” (not was, not may be one day, but is) – the exact same verb form used by the great “I Am” who appeared to Moses as yet another Old Covenant authentication of the preexistent Son of God!
Whose shepherd is The LORD (the eternal One who was . . . is . . . forever shall be)? He is “my” shepherd! A fact which reassures me that The LORD shall provide every good thing necessary for my life and the life of anyone who by virtue of their new birth has become a part of the Family of God.
Because of this close knit family tie, we who truly trust Him ought to be as content as a cow chewing its cud (as Mama used to say)! Which is to say:
There is a high degree of satisfaction on my part due to my basic need for security having been (and still is) supplied by the Lord’s presence.
Where His presence is, no fear is! So, lying down at night and going to sleep ought to be less difficult if I have communicated with my Shepherd and I have petitioned Him for His watch care and protection. I am convinced the Lord my God is watching over me!
There comes to mind a touching story about a father and son who slept in the same bed the first night after their wife and mom had died:
Lying there in the darkness, the little six year old asked, “Dad, are you there?” “Yes, son, I am here” as he reached over and touched his son to reassure him. A few minutes passed, the little fella asked, “Dad, is your face turned toward me?” “Yes, son, my face is toward you.” With a sigh, the son said, “Good, because if your face is turned toward me, I think I can go to sleep.”
Under the watch care of David, his sheep felt secure enough to “lie down in green pastures” – a situation of vulnerability due to many dangers and snares that surrounded them – a situation which yours can become if you let all the negativity out yonder in the world get to you emotionally! Learn to tune it out; stay focused on that which is good where you live - in green pastures where you “graze”.
It’s a hard lesson for sheep to learn, but the bad experiences on the other side of the “fence” or “wall” teach the sheep to stay where they can be safe, and avoid the dangers of going astray. There is no wrong in the presence of the Lord; therefore, it is imperative that we stay on the right path!
Our Lord always leads in paths of righteousness “for His name’s sake” . . . It’s up to you and me individually to choose between the right and the wrong. However, if and when we go astray, as did the prodigal son, our Lord is waiting with open arms to welcome our return to “the straight and narrow” path that leads Home.
Just how many “shadows of death” the prodigal went through before he came to his senses, I don’t know; but personal experience brings to mind brushes with disaster that reminded me of the brevity of life, the inevitability of death . . .
Staying on the right path, where we are acutely aware of the presence of the Lord, brings comfort, as it did to the sheep due to the shepherd’s rod and staff – the rod used to keep predators away, the staff used to keep the sheep in tow.
Your comfort and mine comes from a keen awareness that, as we walk with the Lord in the Light of His Word, the aura of our Lord’s presence keeps Satan at a distance, and the Word of God in our hearts and on our minds keeps you and me on the right path, headed in the right direction. Be guided by the Word! Even so . . .
Satan hangs around, yes; our enemies abound all around; they don’t go far; nevertheless, we go on praising God and enjoying the blessings of the tie that binds our hearts together in love, doing unto others as we would have others do unto us, all the while pointing others to our Great Shepherd whose voice we have heard, whose sacrifice for us we will one day celebrate with Him at that great feast in heaven.
But you know what? We do not have to wait until then to count our blessings. As for me, my cup has overflowed to the extent that I find myself right now like the anonymous poet, “drinking from my saucer”:
“I’ve never made a fortune and it’s probably too late now, but I don’t worry about that much, I’m happy anyhow. And as I go along life’s journey, I’m reaping better than I sowed and I’m drinking from my saucer ‘cause my cup has overflowed.
Don’t have a lot of riches, and sometimes the going’s tough, but I’ve got my family who love me, and that makes me rich enough. I just thank God for his blessings and the mercies He’s bestowed; I’m drinking from the saucer, ‘cause my cup has overflowed.
Oh, I remember times when things went wrong, and faith got a little bit thin, but then all at once the dark clouds broke, and that old sun peeked through again. So, Lord, help me not to gripe about the tough roads that I’ve hoed; for, you see, I’m drinking from my saucer, ‘cause my cup has overflowed.
And if God gives me strength and courage, when the way grows steep and rough, I’ll not ask for other blessings, I’m already blessed enough. And may I never be too busy to help others bear their load; I’ll just keep drinking from my saucer, ‘cause my cup has overflowed.”
And, guess what! There will be no end to my Lord’s blessings . . . His goodness and mercy . . . to God’s love that sent His Son to die on the Cross for the remission of our sins . . . the Lord’s omnipresence, for, I have been reassured: “I shall dwell in the House of the Lord (in the presence of the Lord) forever.” Amen.
