The Lord Is My Shepherd
1. Psalm 23
A few weeks ago we took our thoughts from the 23rd Psalm, "He Leadeth Me". Then, we looked again at those verses for our devotions on "He Restoreth My Soul". I feel like it would be good to go back to Psalm 23 and our theme title is "The Lord Is My Shepherd". This is a favorite Psalm of many and we can never talk too much about our wonderful Lord.
"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." (Psalm 23:1-3)
2. David Was A Shepherd Who Protected The Sheep
Pastor Jack Tripp has been preaching on some of the "I am" verses Jesus said, and I want to borrow a few thoughts from one of his sermons, "I Am The Good Shepherd". He told how some of the shepherds in the Bible are pictures of Christ. I am beginning with David because he wrote the 23rd Psalm, which begins, "The Lord is my shepherd..." David was a shepherd boy, that God called to be the King of Israel. God called David "a man after his own heart". (I Samuel 13:14) David protected the sheep. He put his own life in jeopardy to protect his sheep from a lion and a bear. Jesus gave His life to protect His sheep. He is the Good Shepherd. "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:15)
"34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee." (I Samuel 17:34-37)
3. Abel Was A Shepherd Who Was Killed By His Brother
We are going all the way back in time to the first family. "And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground." (Genesis 4:1-2) Cain gave an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground, and Abel gave an offering to the Lord of his flock. The Lord accepted Abel's offering, but He did not accept the offering of Cain. This made Cain angry, and God told him, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him." (Genesis 4:7-8) The first man and woman had their first sons, and the older one killed the younger one. Oh, what a sad fate sin had brought to their family. As we look for similarities between shepherds in the Bible, and Jesus, we see that Abel was a shepherd who was killed by his brother. Jesus was also slain by wicked hands. He is the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep. "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)
4. Jacob Was A Tender Shepherd
Jacob was a shepherd who took care of Laban's sheep for twenty years before going back home with his own flock. We can tell from the gift he sent ahead to his brother, Esau, that he had a great wealth in flocks and herds. "Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals." (Genesis 32:14-15) He knew how to care for the animals and he was a tender shepherd. Look at his words to Esau in Genesis 33:13, " And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die." Our Lord is a tender Shepherd. "The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." (Psalm 145:9) We can pray like David, "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions." (Psalm 51:1) We read again in Psalms 69:16, "Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies." I am so thankful for the tender mercy of my Lord!
5. Joseph Was A Shepherd Feeding The Flock
As we continue with the shepherds in the Bible and how they are pictures of Christ, we come to Joseph, who has been found similar to Christ in many ways. He was hated and stripped of his coat by his brothers, and falsely accused, but rose in power (as Jesus is King of Kings.) There are many others, but we are looking at Joseph, the shepherd. Genesis 37:2 begins, "These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren;..." Joseph was feeding the flock. Jesus feeds His sheep. "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." (John 10:9) As we are looking at the 23rd Psalm, we see verse 2 and verse 5 both tell of the Lord feeding the sheep in green pastures. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters... Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." If God feeds the birds, then He will surely feed His children. "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26) Jesus gives us more than the food we need for our physical bodies. He is also the Spiritual Bread that gives us eternal life. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life." (John 6:47-48)
6. Moses Watered The Flock
"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." (Psalm 23:2) This verse brings us to the shepherd watering the flock. Our example is Moses. He fled from Egypt and came to a well where some women needed help to water their flock. "Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock." (Exodus 2:16-17) Jesus is the living water. I like how this story begins. John tells us that Jesus needed to go through Samaria, to reach out to the woman at the well. Is Jesus calling you to reach out to someone today?
"4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:4-14)
7. There Are Foolish, Idol Shepherds
Not all of the shepherds in the Bible were good shepherds, that took good care of the sheep. In Pastor Tripp's sermon, he also showed us the foolish, idol shepherd in Zechariah 11:15-17.
"15 And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened."
I believe that we have to be aware, and beware, of those who profess to be good shepherds, pretending to lead the flock of the church, but they are foolish, idol shepherds. Zachariah's warning was to Israel and Judah, but Jude gives a warning to the New Testament church. "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 4) We also have the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:15, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Not all preachers today preach the true gospel message. The Apostle Paul tells us to "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (I Thessalonians 5:21) Don't follow the wrong shepherd.
8. Amos Was A Poor Shepherd, But God Chose To Use Him
There is one more shepherd that I want to mention before we get to our discussions on The Good Shepherd. Amos was a poor herdman, but God used him to prophesy to His people. Not only did Amos send a message of judgment against the enemies of Israel, but He also proclaimed God's message of judgment against Israel. Our wealth, status in life, and even our looks, do not determine our ability to be used by God. God looks more on our availability and dependability. Are we available for God to use? Can God depend on us? God gives us all we have, what do we return to Him?
"12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court.
14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel."
9. The Good Shepherd Gave His Life For The Sheep
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and I am thankful to be His sheep. He gave His life on the cross to pay the debt I owed for my sin. My life was changed when I trusted in Him and asked Him to save me. I think about how a sheep follows the shepherd, without question or complaint, and that's the way I should follow my Lord. I think about how the sheep trusts the shepherd, to provide and protect him, and that's the way I want to be. The Lord is my Shepherd, and He is the Good Shepherd, and I am thankful!
"11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
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.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:11-18)
10. The Good Shepherd Comforts The Sheep
Our devotions recently focused on "He Leadeth Me" and "He Restoreth My Soul" which we find in Psalm 23:2-3. We are going to look at verse 4 for our thoughts today. "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." The Good Shepherd comforts the sheep. The Apostle Paul told the early church that the God of all comfort, comforts us, so that we can comfort others. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." (II Corinthians 1:3-4) When I lost my job, God gave me peace and comfort that He was still in control. And when my Dad died in his sleep, unexpectedly, God gave me peace and comfort. Even in the death of our Christian loved ones, our Good Shepherd gives us comfort. Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus!
"13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
11. The Good Shepherd Supplies All My Needs
I have never had sheep, but I can't imagine a sheep wondering where the next meal is coming from. I believe that the sheep follow the shepherd, and a good shepherd provides what the sheep needs, whether it is food and water, or shelter, or oil for health reasons. Psalm 23 begins, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." When I was small I didn't quite understand this verse because there were things that I wanted. The older I get, the more I realize that God provides my needs, and there are very few things that I want. We read in Psalm 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." In verse 2 we see the green pastures and still waters. And in verse 5 David shows us that our Good Shepherd prepares us a table, and anoints our head with oil. To sum it all up, he says, "my cup runneth over." Life can't get any fuller than running over, and that is just how great my Lord has blessed me!
"1 <<A Psalm of David.>> 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.
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." (Psalm 23:1-5)
12. The Good Shepherd Protects The Sheep
We are living in perilous times. I don't know how people live who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. I would live in constant fear if I was not under the protecting hand of my Good Shepherd. We are still looking at Psalm 23:4-5. "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. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." I told the story before of how my Dad had already taken off his boots for the evening and he needed something out of the car. He asked me to go get it for him and I was young, and scared to go in the dark. He told me that he would stand on the porch the whole time I was outside, and that took away my fear. Just knowing that he was standing there, watching over me, gave me peace to walk to the car and get what he needed. There are many things in this world today that can cause fear in our lives, but knowing that my Lord, who gave His life for me, is watching over me gives me peace even in the midst of trouble. The Lord can prepare us a table in the presence of our enemies because He has all power and He is in control. My prayer list gets longer and longer with people who need help from the Lord. The world falls farther and farther into sin and God's Word tells us that in the last days things will get worse and worse. But, stay close to the Good Shepherd. The enemies are not afraid of the sheep, but they have no power against the Shepherd.
13. The Good Shepherd Knows The Sheep
Jesus knows His sheep. Jesus spoke to the disciples and people around Him, but I feel like I was also included in John 10:16. He said, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold..." That's me! I am one of His other sheep.
"14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
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." (John 10:14-16)
The Good Shepherd knows everything about me. He knows the number of hairs on my head. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." (Matthew 10:30) He knows everything I do and hears everything I say, and even knows my thoughts. "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off." (Psalm 139:2) The Lord thinks of me. "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." (Psalm 139:17-18) All of this is so amazing. Our great and powerful, almighty Lord and Savior knows us, and watches over us, and loves us so much He died for us!
Do you believe that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God and that He gave His life to be a sacrifice for your sin? Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sin? The saddest words in the Bible are found in Matthew 7:21-23. You can ask Jesus to save you now, before it is too late.
"21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
14. The Good Shepherd Hears My Prayers
I am one of the few people who still carries a flip phone. There have been a few times when it would have been nice to have a smart phone, such as when we didn't have a GPS with us and needed one. But, I hate to take on the added expense that goes with it. But, I am having trouble with my little phone. Sometimes people tell me that they called and my phone never rang. And it seems like more and more I am having trouble hearing the person on the other end and they are having trouble hearing me. It reminds me of the old telephone commercials, "Can you hear me now?" It is time for me to get another phone.
I never have to ask the Lord if He can hear me. He heard my prayer when I asked Him to save me fifty years ago, and He is still listening to me when I call. I never worry about my prayer not going through. And the line of prayer is always open and my Lord is never too busy to hear me when I pray. I don't have to worry about static on the line because even in the worst of storms He has no trouble knowing what I need. "I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation." (Psalm 118:21) And I can call on my God any time, and any place, and He will always hear me. "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." (Psalm 55:17)
15. The Good Shepherd Has A Home Prepared For Me
For our final devotional on the 23rd Psalm, we are looking at the last verse, number 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." My Good Shepherd has a home prepared for me and I will live there forever! With all the chaos in the world today, it will be so wonderful to live in heaven and spend eternity with our Lord who gave His life for me. There will be no sin, or heartache, or sorrow in heaven. We have this promise from Jesus. And Jesus even made the way for us to go to heaven. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) There is only one way to go to heaven, and that is by believing in Jesus and trusting Him to be your Savior. He is coming again! Are you ready?
"1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." (John 14:1-4)
