The Lord is my Shepherd…

God’s promise is to always go before us and lead the way, but it’s our choice whether or not we follow…

“If He be a shepherd to no one else, He is a Shepherd to me. He cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me.”
— Charles H. Spurgeon

Read Psalms 23
The Good Shepherd
David’s poetic praise to God
(The Passion Translation)

Most scholars conclude that Ps. 23 was written by David when he was a young shepherd serving his father, Jesse, while he was keeping watch over sheep near Bethlehem.

He was most likely sixteen or seventeen years old.

The other psalm that he wrote when but a young lad was Ps. 19.

Those are two good psalms to memorize and meditate upon if you want to have the heart of the giant killer.

[NOTE: The word most commonly used for “shepherd” is ra‘ah, which is also the Hebrew word for “best friend.”

The translation includes both meanings.

Also, the Greek word for “love” is agape, which is a merging of two words and two concepts.

Ago means “to lead like a shepherd,” and pao is a verb that means “to rest.”

Love is our Shepherd leading us to the place of true rest in His heart.]

We live in increasingly tough times today, as we draw closer to the return of our Lord. And that’s just as Jesus said it would be.

This is the reason why we must be in the Word and we must put on the MIND OF CHRIST each day, as we learn to walk in the Spirit and not in our flesh.

Like the children of Israel, going into the Promised Land, we find ourselves with many challenges in our life today, many Giants, and the first thing we know to do in order to conquer the Giants is to conquer our fear!

These first 3 verses of Psalms 23 have so many incredible truths that we need to focus and meditate on.

God always has more than enough to meet our every need; but He requires that we set our priorities in order and that we SEEK FIRST His Kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing things), and then ALL these other things (that we need) will be added to us – this is what Jesus said!

So in our Father’s house, there is more than enough (check Luke 15:17).

If you feel like you’re in need, come back to the arms of your Father, He has rest for you.

He has EVERYTHING we need and is leading us every step of the way, as we choose each day to follow Him.

Years after David wrote Psalm 23, another Bethlehem Shepherd would say: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am” (Jn 14:2–3).

Note the promises of Jesus: “I will come back and take you to be with me.”

He pledges to take us home. He does not delegate this task.

He may send missionaries to teach you, angels to protect you, teachers to guide you, singers to inspire you, and physicians to heal you, but He sends no one to take you. He reserves this job for himself. “I will come back and take you home.”

He is your personal Shepherd. And He is personally responsible to lead us, and to guide us through all the challenges of life, and then when we have finished our course and have completed our destiny, He promises to come back personally and take us home.

When we allow God, our shepherd, to guide us, we have contentment.

When we choose to sin and go our own way, however, we cannot blame God for the environment we create for ourselves.

Our shepherd knows the “green pastures” and “still waters” that will restore us.

We will reach these places only by following Him obediently.

Rebelling against the shepherd’s leading is actually rebelling against our own best interests.

We must remember this the next time we are tempted to go our own way rather than the shepherd’s way.

The lesson that we can learn all throughout the Bible is that as we follow Jesus, He’ll make a way of escape in our Wilderness (our times of troubles and testing), even when there doesn’t seem to be one.

Just like what you’re going through now with this illness you’re battling. God knows exactly where you are and he sees all of your struggles.

Your part is to hang on to the promises of His Word (in faith) and not give up!

SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things)

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