I’m Still Being Shepherded

Bible Passage

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 KJV 1900

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth 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 thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 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.

INTRODUCTION

As we continue our journey through the Psalms, we arrive at the most beloved, most quoted, most memorized passage in the entire Psalter.

Psalm 23.

Six verses that have been read at more funerals than any other Scripture.

Six verses that have comforted more saints in hospital beds than any other words.

Six verses that have been framed on walls,

printed on bookmarks,

and whispered in dark valleys for thousands of years.

But church, I need to tell you something this evening:

We have domesticated this Psalm.

We have sanitized it.

We have turned it into a greeting card when it was meant to be a battle cry.

We have made it soft when David wrote it STRONG.

We have made it pretty when David wrote it POWERFUL.

Because when David penned these words, he was not sitting in a comfortable study with a leather-bound journal.

He was a fugitive.

He was running for his life from King Saul.

He was hiding in caves.

He was sleeping in wilderness.

He was leading a band of broken men who were in debt, in distress, and in despair.

And in the MIDST of all that chaos,

all that danger,

all that uncertainty,

David picked up his pen and wrote:

"The LORD is MY shepherd."

Not "was" my shepherd.

Not "will be" my shepherd.

Not "used to be" my shepherd back when things were good.

IS.

Present tense.

Right now.

In the cave.

In the crisis.

In the chaos.

David is saying, IM STILL BEING SHEPHERDED.

And somebody needs to hear that today.

You may have lost your job, but you are STILL being shepherded.

You may have lost your health, but you are STILL being shepherded.

You may have lost your way, but you are STILL being shepherded.

The circumstances changed, but the SHEPHERD did not!

I. THE SHEPHERD'S OWNERSHIP: "The LORD Is MY Shepherd"

Now, before we go any further,

we need to understand something about shepherding in the ancient Near East.

When David says, "The LORD is my shepherd," he is making a statement about OWNERSHIP.

Shepherds did not just guide sheep.

They OWNED them.

Every sheep in that flock belonged to the shepherd.

The shepherd had total authority.

The shepherd had complete responsibility.

The shepherd had absolute ownership.

And when you declare, "The LORD is MY shepherd," you are saying:

I do not belong to myself anymore.

I do not belong to my job.

I do not belong to my reputation.

I do not belong to my past.

I do not belong to my pain.

I BELONG TO THE SHEPHERD.

And here is the blessing hidden in that declaration:

When God OWNS you,

your problems become HIS responsibility!

When God OWNS you,

your battles become HIS battles!

When God OWNS you,

your enemies become HIS enemies!

Because a shepherd who owns his sheep is INVESTED in their survival.

A shepherd who owns his sheep is COMMITTED to their protection.

A shepherd who owns his sheep will risk his OWN life to save theirs.

And David knew this personally!

When David was a young shepherd boy watching his father's sheep, a lion came.

Did David run?

NO!

He fought the lion and killed it because those sheep BELONGED to him.

When a bear came, did David hide?

NO!

He struck down the bear because those sheep were HIS RESPONSIBILITY.

And when David grew up and became a man after God's own heart, he understood:

I am to God what those sheep were to me.

When the enemy comes after me,

God does not run.

When danger surrounds me,

God does not hide.

BECAUSE I BELONG TO HIM.

That is why David could say with confidence:

"I shall not want."

Not because David had everything.

Not because David's life was easy.

Not because David never faced lack.

But because when you belong to a GOOD SHEPHERD,

He ensures you never lack what you truly NEED.

You may not have everything you WANT,

but you will never lack what you NEED.

You may not have luxury,

but you will have PROVISION.

You may not have abundance,

but you will have ENOUGH.

BECAUSE THE SHEPHERD TAKES CARE OF WHAT BELONGS TO HIM.

II. THE SHEPHERD'S FORCED REST: "He MAKES Me Lie Down"

Now watch this.

Verse 2 says:

"He MAKES me to lie down in green pastures."

Not "He invites me."

Not "He suggests I should."

Not "He recommends that I consider."

"He MAKES me."

And that word "makes" is the Hebrew word which means to FORCE down.

To CAUSE to rest.

To COMPEL to stop.

Why would a loving shepherd have to FORCE his sheep to rest?

Because sheep are foolish creatures.

They will graze until they collapse.

They will wander until they are lost.

They will work until they drop dead.

Sheep do not know when to stop.

Sound familiar?

How many people in on this platform have worked yourself sick?

How many have hustled and grinded until your body broke down?

How many have pushed and strived until you ended up in the emergency room?

And then you got mad at God for "allowing" you to get sick.

But maybe God did not ALLOW it.

MAYBE GOD CAUSED IT.

Maybe that was not the devil attacking you.

Maybe that was the SHEPHERD forcing you to lie down.

Because you would not rest voluntarily,

so God made you rest INVOLUNTARILY.

That job you lost might have been God making you lie down.

That door that closed might have been God making you lie down.

That plan that failed might have been God making you lie down.

Because the Shepherd loves you too much to let you destroy yourself.

And notice WHERE He makes you lie down:

In GREEN pastures.

Not dry fields.

Not barren ground.

Not dead wilderness.

GREEN PASTURES.

Which means even when God forces you to stop,

He puts you in a place where you can still be FED.

Even in your rest, you are GROWING.

Even in your pause, you are being NOURISHED.

Even in your stillness, you are being PREPARED for what is next.

Then the text says,

"He leads me beside the STILL waters."

Not raging rivers.

Not rushing rapids.

Not turbulent floods.

STILL waters.

Because the Shepherd knows that sheep cannot drink from rushing water.

They will panic.

They will stumble.

They will drown.

So the Shepherd leads them to STILL waters where they can drink safely.

And I hear the Lord saying to somebody today:

Stop trying to drink from chaotic streams.

Stop trying to find peace in rushing circumstances.

Stop trying to get refreshed in the middle of a storm.

God is saying:

LET ME LEAD YOU TO STILL WATERS.

Let Me take you to a place of PEACE.

Let Me bring you to a place of CALM.

Let Me guide you to a place where you can drink WITHOUT FEAR.

III. THE SHEPHERD'S RESTORATION: "He Restores My Soul"

Now we come to verse 3, and this is where the word gets personal.

Text says: He restores my soul."

That word "restores" in Hebrew means to TURN BACK.

To BRING BACK.

To RETURN to the original position.

And here is what most people do not know about sheep:

Sheep are wanderers.

They will follow a patch of grass away from the flock.

One bite leads to another.

One step leads to another.

One choice leads to another.

And before they know it, they are LOST.

And when a sheep wanders too far and gets tired, it can become what shepherds call "cast down."

It falls on its back, and it cannot get up.

Its legs flail in the air.

It bleats for help.

And if the shepherd does not come, that sheep will DIE right there.

Church, can we be honest this evening?

How many of you know what it feels like to be CAST DOWN?

You did not plan to backslide.

You did not intend to wander.

You did not mean to fall.

But one compromise led to another.

One excuse led to another.

One sin led to another.

And now you are on your back,

spiritually stuck,

and you cannot get up on your own.

You have tried to pray yourself up

BUT YOU COULD NOT DO IT.

You have tried to work yourself up

BUT YOU COULD NOT DO IT.

You have tried to fake it until you make it

BUT YOU COULD NOT DO IT.

BECAUSE A CAST-DOWN SHEEP CANNOT RESTORE ITSELF.

It takes the SHEPHERD.

And here is the good news of the Gospel:

THE SHEPHERD COMES LOOKING FOR THE LOST SHEEP.

He does not wait for you to find your way home.

He does not sit back and say, "Well, they wandered off—let them figure it out."

NO!

The Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes after the ONE.

The Shepherd searches until He FINDS you.

The Shepherd picks you up, puts you on His shoulders, and CARRIES you back.

That is RESTORATION.

Not just forgiveness.

Not just pardon.

Not just a second chance.

BUT FULL RESTORATION.

He restores your JOY.

He restores your PEACE.

He restores your PURPOSE.

He restores your PASSION.

He restores your POWER.

HE RESTORES YOUR SOUL.

And notice what comes next:

"He leads me in the paths of righteousness FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE."

Not for YOUR name's sake.

Not because you deserve it.

Not because you earned it.

BUT FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE.

God's reputation is tied to YOUR success.

When God restores you and leads you in right paths, it is because HIS NAME is on the line.

You represent HIM.

You belong to HIM.

You carry HIS name.

And God is not going to let you fail and make Him look bad.

YOUR VICTORY IS CONNECTED TO HIS GLORY.

IV. THE SHEPHERD'S PRESENCE: "Through the Valley of the Shadow"

Now we come to the most famous verse in the entire Psalm.

Verse 4:

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me."

Let me break this down for you.

David does not say "IF I walk through the valley."

He says "Yea, though I walk through"

The valley is not OPTIONAL.

The valley is INEVITABLE.

Every believer WILL walk through dark valleys.

There is no route around it.

There is no detour.

There is no shortcut.

THE PATH TO THE MOUNTAINTOP GOES THROUGH THE VALLEY.

But notice what David calls it:

"The valley of the SHADOW of death."

Not death itself.

Just the SHADOW.

And a shadow cannot hurt you!

A shadow has no substance.

A shadow has no power.

A shadow is just an OUTLINE of the real thing.

So when you are in that valley and it FEELS like you are dying—

When it LOOKS like everything is falling apart—

When it SEEMS like this is the end—

IT IS JUST A SHADOW.

The REAL death cannot touch you because you belong to the Shepherd who CONQUERED death!

And here is the key to surviving the valley:

"For YOU are with me."

Not "Your blessings are with me."

Not "Your promises are with me."

Not "Your angels are with me."

YOU.

IT’S PERSONAL.

IT’S PRESENT.

IT’S PROXIMATE.

The Shepherd Himself is IN THE VALLEY with you.

You are not walking through alone.

You are not crying alone.

You are not suffering alone.

THE SHEPHERD IS WITH YOU.

(Pause)

And then David says something that sounds strange:

"Your rod and Your staff, they COMFORT me."

Now, the rod was a club used to BEAT OFF predators.

The staff was a long stick with a hook used to PULL sheep back from danger or PROD them in the right direction.

Both of these instruments could HURT.

The rod could strike an enemy.

The staff could strike a SHEEP.

So why does David say they COMFORT him?

This is because, the presence of the rod meant the Shepherd was ready to FIGHT for him.

And the presence of the staff meant the Shepherd cared enough to CORRECT him.

Even God's DISCIPLINE is a form of comfort.

Because a shepherd who does not care will let his sheep wander into danger.

But a shepherd who LOVES will do whatever it takes to keep them safe—

Even if it means using the staff to pull them back.

Even if it means correction that stings for a moment.

BECAUSE CORRECTION IS PROOF OF LOVE.

V. THE SHEPHERD'S PROVISION: "A Table in the Presence of My Enemies"

Now David shifts the imagery.

Verse 5 says:

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."

This is one of the most POWERFUL declarations in all of Scripture.

Notice: God does not remove your enemies before He blesses you.

He does not clear the room.

He does not wait for the coast to be clear.

He does not postpone your blessing until the opposition is gone.

NO.

God sets a TABLE right in FRONT of your enemies.

God spreads a FEAST while the haters are watching.

God pours out BLESSING while the critics are talking.

God PROMOTES you while the opposition is plotting.

This means you can be BLESSED while still in BATTLE.

You can have PEACE while still surrounded by problems.

You can have JOY while the enemy is still present.

Because your blessing does not depend on the absence of opposition.

YOUR BLESSING DEPENDS ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

And when God prepares a table for you, He does it with HONOR.

(Pause) Next verse says:

"You anoint my head with oil."

In ancient culture, to anoint someone's head with oil was a sign of SPECIAL STATUS.

It was reserved for kings, priests, and honored guests.

It meant you were under the HOST'S protection.

When God anoints you, He is marking you as His OWN.

He is putting a sign on you that says:

"THIS ONE BELONGS TO ME."

"TOUCH THEM AND YOU DEAL WITH ME."

"HURT THEM AND YOU ANSWER TO ME."

And then David says:

"My cup runs over."

Not just filled.

Not just full.

Not just enough.

BUT OVERFLOWING.

God does not give you just what you need.

He gives you MORE than you need.

He gives you SURPLUS.

He gives you ABUNDANCE.

He gives you OVERFLOW.

Because when your cup is overflowing,

you have enough to SHARE.

When your cup is overflowing,

you can POUR into others.

When your cup is overflowing,

you become a BLESSING to everyone around you.

GOD'S BLESSINGS ARE NEVER JUST FOR YOU

THEY ARE THROUGH YOU.

VI. THE SHEPHERD'S PURSUIT: "Goodness and Mercy SHALL FOLLOW Me"

Now we come to verse 6, and this is where the Psalm reaches its crescendo.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall FOLLOW me all the days of my life."

That word "follow" in Hebrew does not just mean "follow."

It means to CHASE.

To PURSUE.

To HUNT DOWN.

To RUN AFTER.

This is the same word used when an army PURSUES an enemy.

This is the same word used when a predator CHASES prey.

This is AGGRESSIVE pursuit.

And David is saying:

GOODNESS AND MERCY ARE HUNTING ME DOWN.

You might be running FROM God,

but goodness and mercy are running AFTER you.

You might think you have disqualified yourself,

but goodness and mercy are in HOT PURSUIT.

You might feel like you have gone too far,

but goodness and mercy are CHASING you down.

And notice it is not just goodness OR mercy.

It is goodness AND mercy.

BOTH.

Goodness is what you DO deserve because of God's faithfulness.

Mercy is what you do NOT deserve because of God's grace.

And BOTH are pursuing you.

BOTH are following you.

BOTH are tracking you.

BOTH are refusing to let you go.

ALL the days of my life.

Not just the good days.

Not just the church days.

Not just the victorious days.

ALL DAYS.

Monday through Sunday.

January through December.

Cradle to grave.

Goodness and mercy are FOLLOWING you.

And then David ends with this eternal declaration:

"And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

This is not just about heaven.

This is about PERMANENT RESIDENCE in God's presence.

David is saying:

I am not just VISITING God's house.

I am MOVING IN.

I am not a GUEST.

I am FAMILY.

This is not TEMPORARY.

This is FOREVER.

When you belong to the Shepherd, you do not just get occasional access.

You get PERMANENT ACCESS.

You get a FOREVER HOME.

You get to DWELL

You get to ABIDE

You get to REMAIN,

in His presence.

Not just on Sabbath morning.

Not just during worship.

Not just when you feel spiritual.

FOREVER.

CONCLUSION: I'M STILL BEING SHEPHERDED

Church, let me bring this home.

Psalm 23 is not just poetry.

IT IS A TESTIMONY.

This is David saying:

I have been in the VALLEY,

and God walked with me.

I have faced ENEMIES,

and God fed me anyway.

I have WANDERED,

and God restored me.

I have been OVERWHELMED,

and God made me rest.

I have been CAST DOWN,

and God picked me up.

I have been in the SHADOW of death,

and God brought me THROUGH.

You did not die in that valley

YOU LIVED because the Shepherd was WITH you!

You did not die when the enemies surrounded you

YOU LIVED because God prepared a TABLE!

You did not die when you wandered

YOU LIVED because He RESTORED your soul!

You did not die in the darkness

YOU LIVED because His rod and staff COMFORTED you!

And I came to tell somebody today:

YOU ARE STILL BEING SHEPHERDED!

That job you lost

YOU ARE STILL BEING SHEPHERDED!

That relationship that ended

YOU ARE STILL BEING SHEPHERD!

That dream that died

YOU ARE STILL BEING SHEPHERDED!

That diagnosis you received

YOU ARE STILL BEING SHEPHERDED!

Because the Shepherd does not QUIT on His sheep!

The Shepherd does not ABANDON His flock!

The Shepherd does not GIVE UP when the sheep wander!

THE SHEPHERD KEEPS SHEPHERDING!

So stop trying to shepherd yourself!

Stop trying to PROVIDE for yourself!

Stop trying to PROTECT yourself!

Stop trying to RESTORE yourself!

Stop trying to GUIDE yourself!

LET THE SHEPHERD DO WHAT HE DOES BEST!

Let Him LEAD you!

Let Him FEED you!

Let Him RESTORE you!

Let Him GUIDE you!

Let Him PROTECT you!

Let Him BLESS you!

Because when the Shepherd is leading,

you WILL NOT WANT!

When the Shepherd is leading,

you WILL find rest!

When the Shepherd is leading,

you WILL be restored!

When the Shepherd is leading,

you WILL walk through the valley!

When the Shepherd is leading,

you WILL have a table!

When the Shepherd is leading,

goodness and mercy WILL follow you!

And when the Shepherd is leading,

you WILL dwell in His house FOREVER!

So you can declare:

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD!

Not "was"—IS!

Not "might be"—IS!

Not "I hope He will be"—HE IS!

RIGHT NOW!

IN THIS MOMENT!

IN THIS SEASON!

IN THIS VALLEY!

IN THIS BATTLE!

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD!

And because He is MY Shepherd—

I shall NOT want!

I SHALL find rest!

I SHALL be restored!

I SHALL walk through the valley and FEAR NO EVIL!

I SHALL have a table in the presence of my enemies!

I SHALL be anointed!

I SHALL overflow!

I SHALL be pursued by goodness and mercy!

I SHALL dwell in His house FOREVER!

BECAUSE I AM STILL BEING SHEPHERDED!

And if you are STILL here—

If you are STILL standing—

If you are STILL breathing—

If you are STILL believing—

If you MADE IT through another valley—

And when I get to the end of my journey—

When I finish my race—

When I take my last breath—

I am going to DWELL in the house of the LORD—

NOT AS A GUEST!

NOT AS A VISITOR!

NOT AS A STRANGER!

BUT AS FAMILY!

FOREVER!

BECAUSE I BELONG TO THE SHEPHERD!

AND THE SHEPHERD TAKES CARE OF HIS OWN!

GLORY TO GOD!

HALLELUJAH!

PRAISE HIS NAME!

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD—AND I SHALL NOT WANT!