My Shepherd

February 19

Exodus 40

Psalm 23

Proverbs 5:21-23

Matthew 28

My Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures;  He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul;  He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  Psalm 23  NKJV

David was a shepherd.  He used the imagery of a shepherd tending to his sheep to explain God’s care and protection over His people.  Just as the shepherd is responsible for his flock, God provides for us in every aspect of our lives giving guidance, comfort, and protection.  He meets our physical needs and He helps us face any challenge that arises.  As a sheep is completely dependent upon the shepherd, and trusts the shepherd without reservation, so we are completely dependent on God and can trust Him to take care of us without fear or anxiety.  During the many long hours David spent in the fields caring for his sheep, God tenderly showed him how He cared for him in the same way. 

            “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”  This symbolizes a place of abundant provision and rest. God is able to provide for all our needs and give us peace and rest.  We don’t need to worry or be anxious.  We can present our requests to God and then trust that He will take care of us.  “He leads me beside still water.”  Sheep won’t drink water that is running.  I’m not sure why, but they are afraid of flowing water and won’t get near it.  The shepherd leads them to still waters to drink so they won’t be afraid.  God knows our fears and He can make provision for us in a way that is best for us.  “He restores my soul.”  He knows us intimately and personally and meets us where we are to provide healing and restoration.  “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”  God knows that righteousness leads to good things for us.  He sees the destruction that sin causes and He gently leads us away from sin to the better path. 

            “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”  David knew darkness well.  As a shepherd, he would be out in the fields for days or weeks at a time with his sheep.  He didn’t go home at night to sleep in his bed.  He was probably not referring to physical death in this passage.  He was talking about the valley of the deepest darkness.  David knew the fear of things that lurked in the shadows.  He was referring to the most painful and difficult times of our lives.  This may be the death of a loved one, a personal illness or any difficult situation we face.  We are able to walk through the darkest valley if the Lord is our shepherd.  There is no depth of darkness He cannot see us through.  A shepherd would not send his sheep into a dark valley ahead of him.  He would walk beside them the whole way just as God walks through the darkness beside us even carrying us if we are too afraid or weak to walk. 

            “Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.”  This provides an image of protection and discipline.  The rod was a tool the shepherd would carry with him.  He used it in a number of ways.  He could use it to fend off animals that came to harm his sheep.  He also used it to discipline the sheep when necessary.  Sheep are not very smart animals and they tend to wander off and put themselves into harmful situations.  I think of a curious toddler who wants to touch an outlet or a hot stove.  In love we spat their hand to prevent them from getting shocked or burned.  God sometimes has to discipline us to protect us from harm and to teach us to stay away from harmful things.  The staff is a little different.  The shepherd carried the staff to lean on when he was tired and to help him walk on long trips.  It provided support and additional strength.  We can find rest when we lean on the Lord.  We can lean into Him and He is always available to give us support and strength.  The shepherd also used the staff to guide the sheep as they walked so that they didn’t wander.  He would hold it out and nudge them along the right path.  God does the same thing for us as he gently leads us along the right path. The shepherd could also use the hook of the staff to rescue the sheep if it got stuck in a thick brush or if it fell in a hole.  Sometimes God needs to rescue us when we get ourselves into trouble. 

            “You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.”  We don’t have to fight our battles.  He is our defender and will vindicate us.  He will provide for us despite the opposition we may face.  We can rest at His table.  “You anoint my head with oil.”  Sheep are prone to getting infections in their eyes from insects and parasites.  They would rub their heads on the ground or other objects to try to get rid of the insects.  This often caused sores and callouses.  The shepherd would pour oil over their head to protect their eyes and keep the bugs away.  If the shepherd did not keep the oil on their head, the sheep could get serious infections that could even lead to death.  God provides the healing balm of comfort and mercy to protect our hearts from becoming calloused.

            “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  God will take care of us all the days of our lives and our eternity is secure.  We have a good, good shepherd who loves and cares for us.