The Good Shepherd

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even 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 overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

This is one of the most well known Psalms and it is one that I always find myself turning to. This Psalm shows a strong belief in the perfect care that the Lord provides. We know that he is good and that he cares for us and that is truth that we can rest in.

A shepherd is someone that cares for sheep and sheep need constant attention just like we do. We are the sheep and God is our shepherd. He leads and guides us in the way that we should go. Often we rebel against this guidance and we pay the consequences for that. When we rest in the care of the Lord like the psalmist does we can be assured of our provision. This does not mean that life will always be easy for us but it means that we can go through even the toughest times with ease because we trust in God so much.

God can remove every want

God can provide safe rest

God can provide a safe life

God restores our soul

God leads us down his righteous paths

God comforts us even in the darkest times

God cares for us when our enemies surround

God’s goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our life

The care of the Good shepherd is the best care that we can ask for and we should embrace this in every area of our life so that we can live in the way that God intends for us to live. Are you allowing God to shepherd you? Are you in his flock?