The Lord Is My Shepherd
I’ve been meditating on Psalm 23 for some time so I decided to do a series of 6 Blogs on this Psalm. There is so much depth in each verse, so much the Lord is saying to us. We can miss it if we just simply read the verse and not study what is being said. Today let’s look at Psalm 23:1…
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”In Biblical times they understood the value and importance of the Shepherd. Today we have lost most of it’s meaning. The Shepherd was responsible for feeding the sheep, bringing them to water, protecting them from predators, counting them at night to make sure none were lost, they took care of their medical needs, and sheering them when needed.
Sheep are creatures of habit and left to themselves would die of their own demise.They would feed in the same pasture until it became barren and useless. They would drink any water they could find even contaminated pools. Fear, tension and aggravation will keep sheep from digesting their food properly and make them sick. They have no way to protect themselves from predators and would soon fall prey.
It’s no wonder God refers to human beings as sheep. We are pretty vulnerable when left to ourselves.We need a Shepherd that watches over us, keeping us safe not only from outside dangers but from our own self-destructive ways. We don’t always know what is good for us, although we think we do! That usually gets us into trouble.
We as Believers can think we know the way to go, or what we should do in a situation but it’s important to always ask the Holy Spirit for His guidance. He knows all of the hidden dangers that may be ahead that we do not see.Going out on our own, making a decision without His help, can cause more trouble than we bargain for. Psalms 119:176, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep, seek your servant…”
The Shepherd leads and guides his flock to the right pastures and the good water sources so that they are properly fed and nourished.I’ve found myself more than once in a ditch somewhere wishing I had consulted God on where I was supposed to go and regretting that I had not! He always knows what is best for us, and a lot of times it’s not the way we would do it or even want to do it, or the way we would go. But that is where trust becomes important. We must trust our Shepherd and know He knows the best way to get us where we need to go.
The good Shepherd is always on the look out for danger, for predators that would harm the flock.We can get busy doing our own thing and not even be thinking about a possible problem. But, God sees and knows what is ahead. He is the I Am. He is in the past, the present and the future all at once and knows every possible problem. We should always be seeking His guidance for what is coming not just for where we are. If we forget to seek Him daily we can find ourselves face to face with a problem we could have avoided.
“I shall not want”…The sheep have no needs that the Shepherd does not meet.When they are sick he takes care of them. When they are lost he finds them. When they are hungry he feeds them. It’s the Shepherds job to make sure their every need is met. God has provided for every need we may have. He provided a Savior before we ever knew we needed one. He provided healing through Jesus sacrifice for our sicknesses. He gave us His word to teach and guide us. He gave us His Spirit to be with us until He comes again.
If He has done all of that, why do we think He cannot meet any other need we may have?Why do we doubt He cares when we are hurting? Why do we worry and try to do it all on our own, making a bigger mess of things? Because we are like sheep, we have no ability to make it on our own without our Shepherd. Remember He is your Shepherd today, He wants to take care of you, He will not leave you wanting for anything.