The Lord Is My Shepherd (Part One)

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.