The 23rd Psalm, is perhaps one of the best loved passages in the Bible. We often read it in times of stress or sorrow. But I would like you to see it in a slightly different way.The 23rd Psalm begins with these familiar words, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want."
We can be thankful because in this life the Good Shepherd gives us all we need.
Frequently in the Bible human beings are compared to sheep. Now that sounds nice, but surely you realize that is not necessarily a compliment, because sheep are among the dumbest and dirtiest animals in the world.
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 one over riding principle of the 23rd Psalm is that sheep can’t make it without a shepherd. And the only reason that David could say, "I shall not be in want," is because David could first say, "The Lord is my Shepherd."
Obviously, God wants us to be a happy, satisfied people. We shouldn’t be restless and jealous, always chafing about what we don’t have. There should be a spirit of thankfulness in us that brands us as belonging to Him.
So when Isaiah says, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray" (Isaiah 53:6), he is not saying "That’s good." He’s saying, "That’s bad, because we’re just about on a level with sheep."
When Jesus looked out on the people with compassion, the Gospel writers say that He saw them "like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). That’s not a compliment, either, but a concern, because sheep are so helpless when they’re all alone.
Now let’s look at what David says the Good Shepherd does for his sheep, (vs. 2) tells us that "He makes me lie down in green pastures." The good shepherd leads his sheep to a lush pasture where they have plenty to eat & their stomachs are soon full.
Here, then, is a picture of a sheep so completely satisfied that there isn’t the least desire for anything more. He’s so content he lies down in green pastures.
The Lord has provided us with plenty, too. There are few of us who ever go hungry. In fact, we have so much to eat that dieting is a constant discipline or, maybe more accurately, a constant discussion.
But did you notice the wording? David said, "He makes me lie down." Sheep sometimes have to be forced to lie down.
But God makes us lie down once in a while, doesn’t he? We rush about, trying to meet this engagement and fulfill that obligation. And in our hurry and scurry we tend to miss the things that are most important.
So once in a while God has to say, "You need to lie down," by allowing an illness, or heartbreak, to make us stop and reevaluate our priorities.
David then says, "He leads me beside quiet waters." (vs. 2) Sheep are frightened of swiftly moving water. They’re poor swimmers, and get bogged down with their heavy wool just as we would if we tried to swim wearing wool overcoats.
So when the shepherd comes to a flowing stream, he doesn’t try to force the sheep to drink. Instead, a good shepherd builds a dam and makes a quiet little pool where his sheep can drink from still waters.
God knows our weaknesses. He leads us by quiet waters. He promises to protect us from the temptations that we can’t handle. He never forces us into situations with which we cannot cope.
"Surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach me. You are my hiding place, you will protect me from trouble & surround me with songs of deliverance" (Psalms 32:6 7).
"He restores my soul" (vs. 3) A lost sheep cannot find its way home, so the shepherd has to restore the stray or it is lost forever.
“For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls" (1 Peter 2:24 25).
David continues on in Psalm 23:3, "He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake." A careless shepherd might lead his sheep over steep and dangerous paths where they could fall. But a caring shepherd leads his sheep over paths that are safe.
The Bible clearly teaches that there are two paths we can take. One leads to destruction, and Satan tries to lead us along that path. It is such a broad and smooth road. It often seems like the logical way to go.
The other is the path of righteousness that leads to the glory that God is preparing for us. Sometimes this way is narrow, difficult, and filled with obstacles. But the good Shepherd knows which way His sheep are to go, and He leads them on that path of righteousness.
So here is something for us to be thankful for. Thank God that in this life He provides us with everything we really need.
~Bits and Pieces of the sermon "The Lord is my Shepherd" by Melvin Newland
