The Provision of the Shepherd:
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
These first three verses speak of the provision of the “Good Shepherd”. Verse one confirms the Lord as a Shepherd and then comforts us by saying “I shall not want”. Verse two and three tell us why we should not want.
His Sheep He Knows:
Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Calls:
Joh 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Gathers:
Isa 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.
Guides:
Joh 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Feeds:
Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Cherishes Tenderly:
Isa 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.
Luke 15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?(5) And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Will lay down his life for:
Zec 13:7 ¶ Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man [that is] my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Mt 26:31 ¶ Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Ac 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Gives eternal life to:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.30 I and my Father are one.
The Protection of the Shepherd:
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
The phrase though I walk tells us the psalmist is well aware that new troubles will confront him. But he has confidence that God who has blessed him in the verses prior will continue to bless his path.
Job 31:4 Does He not see my ways and count all my steps?
Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord
Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps
Psalms 119:1-3 Blessed are the undefiled in the way; Who walk in the law (instruction or direction) of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies Who seek Him with the whole heart! They also do no iniquity, they walk in His ways.
Remember as we walk through the valley Jesus is the lily that grows in that valley and we have nothing to frit. Also we walk in a shadow but for a moment there may come up things that block the “SON” but his light still shines. His light can be blocked but it can’t be stop!
Before we can confidently give God our all, we must be sure that He will take good care of the life we are putting in His hands. Just as sheep know and trust the shepherd we must know and trust God completely.
When we follow the shepherd and give Him our all we must realize that even our schedule and our life goals are in His hands.
Everyone has plans for their life but only those that line up with the Lord’s will come to pass. The rest will just fall aside. Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
Even as we plan the direction our lives will take, it is God who directs us along the way. He is the One who opens and closes doors and gives us the desires of our heart.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Psalms 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me.
The Shepherd carries with him a rod and a staff. The rod is for our protection and the staff is for guidance. Also the shepherd would use the staff to count his sheep as they passed under into the sheepfold, he would also dip the end of the rod in dye and marked every tenth sheep for a tithe to God. We have been counted and marked for the Lord.
He is with us in the good times and the bad. Even when we are in the midst of the adversary or in situation that are not the greatest their He is in the midst to comfort and calm us.
His oil His spirit is poured out that we may have our peace and joy. His oil is an extension of His presence. Just as when Jesus told the disciples he must go so that the comforter can come.
Our cups when we stay under His fountain will always stay full and running over, it is only when we move out from His presence that our cup goes dry.
If we remain in His presence His presence will always follow, and that includes all that He is and that He has.
There is no better place to be but in His presence!
