When the Lord is your Shepherd

Psalm 23 NKJV

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.

I. Jesus is the One who can take care of our Frailty 

A. The word translated for "Lord" is the word for Jehovah. The word Jehovah breaks down three tenses of the Hebrew verb "to be". The name signifies God as one who is, who was, and who is to be - the eternal One 

B.  Our Lord shares His own resources with His own people. We can cast our worries and anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7) 

II. Jesus is the One who can take care of our Foes 

A. For the servant of Jesus, death no longer has its sting. (1 Corinthians15:55) 

B. We have the assurance of the presence of the Shepherd when we come face to face with the grave and when we face our enemies. 

III. Jesus is the One who can take care of our Future 

A. On this journey called life, goodness takes care of our steps and mercy takes care of our stumbles. (Psalm 23:6) 

B. David is confident that nothing will be able to separate him from God's goodness and mercy until he finds his eternal rest. (John 14:2-3) 

In Psalm 23, we find words of faith, confidence and assurance. These words should be on the lips of every saint, as we trust our Good Shepherd to lead us in the paths of righteousness and to walk us through the valley of the shadow of death, as we give our lives in service and dedication to our Shepherd and King.