Life can make us tired and discouraged. Psalm 23 is a precious encouragement, all about our Lord and us. Every line is about who He is and what He does for us. Every line is also about us when we belong to the Lord. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Jesus said, “I am the Good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) The relationship between a shepherd and his sheep is one of ownership. When we are in the flock of God, the Shepherd possesses us. We are HIS. This is true if you are a Christian. You are not your own. You have been bought with a price.
What will the Shepherd do for the flock that He owns? Psalm 23 gives us marvellous answers to this question: He leads and guides us, He restores us, He comforts us, He protects us, He provides for us, He loves us, and He anoints us. When the Lord is your Shepherd, you have ALL that you need.
David, who wrote Psalm 23, knew what it took to be a shepherd. It was a dangerous job. He used his sling, his rod, and his hands against wild animals who threatened his flock, even killing a lion and a bear. (1 Samuel 17) This was hand-to-hand combat as a teenager. He risked his life. David knew what it was like to be exhausted, under pressure and discouraged, but he knew His Good shepherd would protect him and look after him.
THE LORD is our Shepherd. Quality of life depends upon WHO the Shepherd is. In the Old Testament in Ezekiel 34 we read about how the shepherds (priests and leaders of Israel) failed to look after their sheep. (Verses 2-3) so the sheep were scattered. (V 4) God would hold the shepherds accountable, and He would rescue His flock. “For the Lord GOD says this: “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them.” (V 11) “I Myself will be the Shepherd of My sheep, and I Myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes – feed them justice!” (Verses 15 + 11) Father God is our Good Shepherd who seeks us out, rescues us and looks after us with tender love.
In the New Testament Jesus spoke about Him being our “Good Shepherd” who is committed to our care and the one who leads us into righteous paths. Our experience of life depends on who our Lord and shepherd is…To be wholly owned by the Good Shepherd is the most wonderful experience on earth! This awareness can continue throughout our lifetime.
“The Lord is MY Shepherd.” He makes ME lie down…He leads ME…He restores MY soul…He guides ME…He is with ME when I walk through the valley of death…He prepares a table for ME…He anoints MY head with oil and MY cup overflows…His goodness and love will follow ME…and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The whole of Psalm 23 flows out of a relationship between the Good Shepherd and you and me! It is a very personal Psalm, one we can memorise and quote daily to help, guide, bless, and comfort us.
“The Lord is my Shepherd. I lack nothing.” He is ALL I need.
Myrtle Turunen