The Good Shepherd

Psalm 23 ESV

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.

Series Recap

Over the last few weeks we have been digging into the palms in our “summer psalm series.”

So far we have made our way through psalms 97, where we saw God as the Almighty ,Eternal and Universal King

then we made our way through psalms 1 where we were reminded of the daily choices we have to either lives Gods way, heed God’s wisdom and word, and receive blessing..

receive eternal life

or ignore the ways of god, and live the in the way of the world and receive the curse that comes with it.

Psalms

Our journey through the psalms is reminding us of many different aspects of God and our relationship with him.

And today, psalms 23 over archingly reminds us of his gudance through our journey in this life.

As Psalms 23 paints God as the Good shepherd who leads and guides us.

Psalms 23

Psalms 23 is probably one of the most well known psalms, if not passages, in scripture

Like John 3:16 .

Psalms 23 is a scripture that is known, not just by believers, but known and used by even unbelievers as well..

Its spoken at many funerals

And its Used to speak comfort to those walking through difficult times

But the overarching theme of this psalms is not difficult times, or even death.

that is just a small part of it.

The bigger picture of the 23rd psalm is life itself and gods leading in the midst of it.

David

Its author, david, was a man who was well versed in the journey of life and the leading of God as his shepherd..

David was a man of many emotions, and many seasions

He walked through mountains and valleys

he expereinced seasons of green pasture and still waters

many times he feared for the threat of his life

as his enemys pursued him.

He found friendships and foes

joys and and great dispair..

and much more.

Like us

David faced times like many of us..

the ups and downs in life

the good and the bad

and as david writes in this psalm

he came to the understanding that through it all

it was God who was leading and guiding him

be it mountain high

or valley low

peace and security

or the imanant threat of death

david saw the hand of God shepherd him through each season securly

and today, through this psalm he reminds us that in every season of our life, God wants to be a shepherd to us..

Today

I want to remind you do that god is not only interested in your eternal life..

Though that is very important.

but rather god is interested in helping you and I walk Through Life..

He wants to lead and guide us through each and every season of this life.

He wants to be our shepherd

Shepherd and the sheep

The image we find in this passage is that of a sheperd and the sheep.

David knew this relationship well.

He speaks from exerience

After all when we fidn david first in the bible he is in the feild tending to the sheep.

and he has seen the good and the bad.

He has played his harp for them in peace..

and he has fought the lion and the bear for them..

Job

And david draws from this expereince and writes that God is the good shepherd.

That he cares for the sheep in all capacity.

You see it was the job of the shepherd to take care of the sheeps needs.

and to guide them..

Sheep

Sheeep are not normally intelligent animals..

They need guidance of they get themselves into trouble..

Shepherd

So the sheperd will lead them to green pastures where they can eat

and find still waters where they can drink and not be frightended..

they will protect them in dangerous situations..

and force them to lay down and rest....

They will annoine their head with oil to prevent the flies from bothering them..

IN ALL CAPACITIES IT IS THE SHEPHERDS JOB TO CARE FOR THE SHEEP!

IF THE SHEEP IS LEFT UNTENDED .. IT COULD GET HURT..

OR WORSE

WONDER INTO DANGER AND LOSE ITS LIFE..

and thus we find a picture of how god cares for us..

not just for our eternal needs..

but our daily needs.

Wholistic guidance

If we look at this psalm, we find that we serve a god of wholistic provision and guidance..

in every every of our lives we find that God wants to lead and guide us..

To help us navigate the journey

Spiritual Needs

as we would expect we see that gods leads and guides us in our spiritual needs.

Psalm 23:3 ESV

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

It is god who reveals our spiritual needs..

The new testament tells us that the holy spirit is both the convictor of sin and the revealer of truth..

It is god that points out within us the needs for spiritual restoration..

And it is god who, through the work of Jesus on the cross, accomplishes that restoration..

And and restores our soul..

Directional Needs

But god also cares for our directional needs..

He leads us.. beside still waters..

he leads us in paths of rightousness

he leads us…

He shows us the ways and the direction

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Proverbs 3:5 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 16:9 ESV

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

You see god takes delight in helping us navigate the journey of life..

GPS

we live in a world where GPS is everywhere..

on the phone, on the car, on the computer

You punch in the destination and the unity tells you where to go..

But if you serve the lord..

you have access to the greatest form of GPS avalible to humanity..

The God Positioning System..

The holy SPirit..

and he wants to lead and guide you and i

to help us keep our feet in the rightous path

and end up at the destination he has planned for us..

Every days..

There are directional choices god wants to help you with every day..

To send you into paths of people who need to know you..

to put you in connection with those who will propel you..

to accomplish the will of god in your life..

but in order to find the direction.

we have to be willing to be lead by him..

Emotional needs

god wants to care for our emotional needs.

Psalm 23:2 ESV

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

Psalm 23:4 ESV

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.

God cares about our emotional well being just as much as our eternal well being

Over 365 times through scripture the bibles tells us not to fear or be afraid

the topic of peace is mentioned 492 times through scripture

Joy appears overs 165 times..

comfort appears 66 times…

Fruit

In the new testament paul tells us that the fruit produced by the holy spirit in the life of the believer is a fruit that deals much with our emotions..

that the holy spirit produces

Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)

… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; ...

Simply put god cares about our emotional needs and wants to help lead and guide us through them..

Physical Needs

God wants to care for our physical needs.

Psalm 23:2 ESV

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

Psalm 23:5 ESV

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

God is not oblivious to the physical needs we have as humans…

he is fully aware.

The psalmist tells us he cares about our provision..

Provision

He prepares a table before..

He leads me to green pastures..

he leads me besides still waters..

Sheep eat grass if you didnt know it..

they need green grass for nutrients..

And they need fresh water..

Rest

But green pastures and still waters are more than provision..

they are also places of rest..

… he makes me lie down..

Sabath

God cares about our season of rest..

so much so that he created the concept of sabath..

of making times of regular rest …

appointed times of rest..

Protection

god protects us as well..

He prepares a table in the presence of my enemys..

meaning that the enemy can do nothing to prevent god from preapring it for you..

He provides protection and shelter..

Proverbs 18:10 ESV

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

He cares about our phsyical needs.

New testament

Jesus reiterates this in the new testiment in mathew 6..

where he tells us that our heavenly fathers knows the physical needs we have..

and if we will just seek first the kingdom of god and righeousness..

the rest will be taken care of..

Eternal Needs

Finally, and ultimately… God cares about our eternal needs..

Psalm 23:6 ESV

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Some theologians render the last line of this passage as a riteration of all my days of life..

while others render it as and eternal outlook..

both are in focus though..

and both are acurate in the larger context of scripture..

God cares about all the days of life..

but ultimately he care about our eternal life..

Because it is our eternal life, or eternal death that will determine where our soul dwells for ever more..

This is so important that Jesus himself makes a statment in the book of john chapter 10…

Look what he says..

Jesus is the shepherd

John 10:11–18 ESV

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Jesus tells us that God cares so much about our eternal life..

that Jesus gave his own life..

so we could be part of his flock…

but I want you to notice what he says a little later

You can only be guided if your willing to be lead

John 10:27–28 (NRSV)

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.

John 10:1–5 (ESV)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

If we know the good shepherd..

then we must follow him..

that means hearing his words and doing what he says..

and by doing so we will not follow another..

Who is leading and guiding you today?

Who is leading you today?

Who is caring for you needs..

You spiritual, emotional, physical, directional, and eternal needs.

is it the good shepherd or a stranger?

There is only one gate..

there is only one true way..

His name it Jesus..