What a Good Shepherd

This weeks Psalm is probably the second most famous passage in the Bible – just behind John 3:16. Here it is – Psalm 23



Often times when I read a section of the Bible that I have previously read, I tend to see things differently. Usually when I read this Psalm, I see a picture of lamb and a loving shepherd … a picture of comfort in knowing that God loves me and protects me. Although that is a wonderfully perfect way to look at it, this time when I read the Psalm, I saw something a little differently – this time I saw a list. A set of qualifications. A description of who my God is and what he does for me – a truly Good Shepherd

Verse 1 – The Lord is my shepherd? What in the world is that supposed to mean. Well, think about it – if we are the sheep and He is the shepherd, that would mean his job is to provide, to sustain, to guide, to protect – obviously the list goes on. In a nutshell, this simple verse that people tend to glaze over to get to the “meat” of the chapter is somewhat the most important. The Good Shepherd has claimed ownership over us. In other sections of the Bible, we are told that we have been adopted (Ephesians 1:5). How crazy is it to think that the owner of the universe would take the responsibility of making you His son or his daughter. We're told that his thoughts are endless towards us – it simply blows my mind. In this Psalm, we'll see just what it means the Lord is our Shepherd.

Verse 2 – God makes us as sheep lie down by still waters. He puts us in the greenest of pastures. If that makes absolutely no sense, think about the most peaceful place you've ever been. When I was a freshman in High School I sat on a rock in the middle of a river waiting on the Lord – peace. As our shepherd, God has taken on the responsibility of giving us a safe-haven, a place of rest, and most of all a place of peace. Sometimes I find myself questioning this idea – does God really give me peace? The answer is a resounding yes. The only times I find myself in danger or in pain is when I stray from the plan that He has for me – when I take my life in my own hands. Check out the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). This section of the Psalm also talks of abundance and life. In Psalm 1, we're told that we are to be a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit. God has given us the opportunity to find peace, as well as an opportunity to grow spiritually – what a Good Shepherd.

Verse 3 – Here it is again. God has called us His own. As we make our way down the checklist, we find that our God is a God of restoration. Many of you are probably familiar with this cultural tidbit, but bear with me. In old times, shepherds were known for breaking the legs of misbehaving sheep – if they walked too close to a cliff … BOOOM … broken leg via a mighty swing of a staff. What happens next? Well the shepherd carries the injured lamb on his shoulders to teach it to stay close – to build a strong relationship between the sheep and himself. That's what God is constantly doing with us. So putting it together – restoration hurts … it's not fun. On the other hand, we have a Shepherd who uses situations in our lives to teach us more about Him and to keep us in line. We have a God who will do whatever it takes to call us his own – what a Good Shepherd.

Verse 4 – Sometimes God uses the rod on us – to protect us right? On the other hand, think about what damage he can do to those who try to mess us up – uhm … like the devil. The last several Psalms that we covered talked about God as a rock, as a foundation, a shelter, etc. This week, we see an active portrayal of what God truly is as a Shepherd – He is our protector. I go to a Bible study every Tuesday (almost) … It's led by a guy named Mario. Before we start every week, Mario likes to say something along the lines of, “If there are any wolves here, I'll protect my sheep.” Although I like Mario very very much, he will never be able to save me from the wolves of my life. He will never be able to defend me in the way our Almighty God can. Truly, as he has promised time and time again, God will protect us and keep us from harms way – what a Good Shepherd.

Verse 5 – Out of all of the descriptions of a shepherd, this is the weirdest to me. Never in my life have I ever heard of a Shepherd preparing a feast (a Thanksgiving Style feast) for his sheep. Animals are meant to eat slop. I loved my pet pig, Kramer. Even so, I fed him garbage – cause he ate it. Think about it this way – even though we are but sheep in the presence of a mighty Shepherd, He has gone above and beyond – preparing us a feast in the presence of our enemies. He, after snuffing out a wolf, shares the triumph with us. God is our victory. Not only that, but he blesses us with so much more than we will ever deserve. People have asked me time and time again – why does God love us? … Too which I generally end up at - “I'm just as confused as you.” The question is not why he loves us but HOW HE LOVES US. God has chosen to provide for us in abundance, give us peace, make our lives fruitful, restore us, adopts us and give us belonging, protect us, bless us, and share in his triumph with us – what a Good Shepherd.

Verse 6 – So we lay it on the table. Truly, if you recognize the truth of these statements, then you can say - “I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever … and ever … and ever ...” can you?


It's good to be back home!
Look forward to seeing all of you guys!
-Chris