Text: Psalms 23:1-6, A Psalm of David
(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.
(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.
(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.
The beauty of living for Jesus and having an intimate relationship with Him is the reassurance that He gives us as He leads us.
Life is full of extremes, but His assurance is always with us. Our Shepherd, our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Savior looks over us and He sees the end from the beginning.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “(1) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; (3) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; (4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; (5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; (6) A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; (7) A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (8) A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
Jesus is a present in the good times as He is in the bad.
He is just as present in our yesterday as He is in our today and is already awaiting us tomorrow.
It does not matter what the day may bring, He is there…present.
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).
Did you catch that?
- Fear not, I am with you…I am present.
- Don’t be disheartened, or alarmed, I am your God
- I will reinforce, brace and support you
- I will help you to bear your trial
- I will do this because I am faithful
Four Ways the Shepherd Assures Us:[1]
- The Shepherd is present
- “…he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).
- Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
- Throughout Psalm 23 David reminds himself of God’s assuring presence:
- He is present in Death Valley, in the green valleys, beside still waters, paths of righteousness, when enemies present themselves.
- Following close behind His Goodness and Mercy.
- He is present to restore your soul; anoint your head with His oil; comfort you in the midst of your anxiety and fear.
- He is present to guide, comfort, restore and assure you
- Since He is so willing and caring enough to be present with you, then you should develop that intimacy with Him that comes from time spent with Him.
- It is possible to be with someone and for them not to be with you.
- To be in the room, but miles away.
- Not our Jesus, He is every where present at the same time.
- Henri Nouwen wrote, “the mystery of God’s love is not that He takes our pains away, but that He first wants to share them with us…God is not a distant God, a God to be feared and avoided, a God of revenge, but a God who is moved by our pains and participates in the fullness of the human struggle.”[2]
- Jesus said, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Mt. 28:20).
- The Shepherd Guides
- He leads me beside still waters
- He leads me in paths of righteousness.
- He leads me…
- Three Hebrew verbs that define the way the Shepherd guides us[3]
- Nahal – leading with tenderness…bringing a flock to a place of rest and refreshment.
- Nakhah – straightforward guidance
- Nahag – the kind of directive herding accomplished from the back of the flock, when the shepherd’s will has to be imposed.
- Trust the Shepherd. He knows the way you need to go.
- Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heat…”
- The Shepherd Provides
- Lush green pastures, refreshing still waters, rod of correction, staff of protection, lavish table of food, oil, overflowing cup.
- He daily provides all your needs
- 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
- Jehovah-Jireh. He sees and provides
- The Shepherd Gives Hope
- You may be discouraged and disappointed, Discouraged and despondent, but God will provide
- “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…”
- Romans 8:35-39, “(35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jesus, our Shepherd, is present, He guides us, provides for us, and He gives Hope.
[1] Much of this is derived from Tom Nelson’s book The Flourishing Pastor.
[2] Henri J. M. Nouwen. (1992). Show Me the Way.
[3] Tom Nelson. (2021). The Flourishing Pastor.
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