Psalms 23:2-3

The Good Shepherds care

Recap: Phillip Keller, A shepherds look at psalm 23.

We need to understand who the good shepherd is and why he is the good shepherd. Once we see him as he ought to be see then we will rightfully give him the authority of our lives.

Psalm 100:3 NKJV

Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

00:3

Identity marked by the one who leads us and cares for us.

We are a people of Identity. we are also a society of labels. With this may be where you find your description of who you are.

I am a drunk

I am an addict

I am an orphan

I am weak

I play football

I wear carhartt

I wear oakleys

Seeking the approval of those around us by finding an identity in something note-worthy. Something commendable.

See in Christ we are no loner identified by these petty things but now who we are in Christ. I am the sheep of His pasture. Oakleys or not that is not what defines me but who i am in the eyes of God.

“Under the good shepherds care we will not lack, for our needs will be met, but also we will not desire nothing else.

Read with me psalms 23 as we find how good our shepherds care is.

REad psalms 23

Pray.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

It is significant that to be at rest there must be a definite sense of freedom from fear, tension, aggravations, and hunger. The unique aspect of the picture is that it is only the shepherd himself who can provide release from these anxieties

Free from fear

Timidity of the sheep. One stray jackrabbit bolting from behind a bush can send a whole flock stampeding. If one startled sheep runs fearfully a dozen others will follow in blind fear. Sheep were prone to attacks from all kinds of predators that could slaughter a whole flock if the shepherd was not diligent in watching his sheep. There is nothing that would calm the sheep more than the presence of the shepherd.

He makes me to lie down. The governing force that supplies fearful sheep with the ease to rest.

What fears often overtake us?

In the Christian life there is no substitute for the keen awareness that my shepherd is nearby. There is nothing like Christ’s presence to dispel the fear, the panic, the terror of the unknown.We live in a most uncertain lifeGenerally it is the unknown, and unexpected that produces the greatest panic.

How many times are we walking on pins and needles fearful of what lies beyond the next corner?

Psalm 3:3–6 NKJV

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around.

Psalm 3:3–6 NKJV

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around.

Psalm 3:3

psalms 3:3-

2 timothy 1:7, “ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

The idea of sound mind is that of a mind at ease, at peace, no perturbed or harassed or obsessed with fear and foreboding for the future

The idea of sound mind is that of a mind at ease, at peace, no perturbed or harassed or obsessed with fear and foreboding for the future

The second is Rivalry.

They have a butting order. One old ewe will control a whole flock by butting her way to the best feeding and bedding grounds and others will follow in rank. Many times a young ewe could be feeding contently or resting and the older one would come over arch her back, tilt her head, dilate her eye, and approach her with a stiff-legged gait. All this was saying Move over, Make way or else. If the ewe didn’t move then she would be butted unmercifully or if the challenge was accepted then after a couple butts the little ewe would run away.

Never cease to amaze the writer that how his presense alone would attract the sheep steal their attention and immediately they would forget their butting order.

Think of the petty pursuits of men as we try to keep up with the joneses or the pecking order we place in the societal ranks in our businesses, our churches, and our organizations. The recognition and self-assertion we strive for as we butt, quarrel, compete with others. The jealously and envy that arises as our hearts are not contented but desire for more.

It is funny as many Christians find themselves in these pursuits even with the wisdom and knowledge found within Gods word. But when the presence of the shepherd comes all the sudden those pursuits don’t matter as much.

Same is true in our churches. How we boast and elevate certain gifts and abilities in the church.

Romans tells us not to think to highly of ourselves because it is God who distributes the gifts to each one. Not obtained by our own power.

All gifts matter to God as they work seamlessly together for the common goal of glorify Him in the kingdom work.

We easily get distracted as life happens though. AS trials and temptations knock on our doorsteps and calamities befall our homes.

I think of Job’s response to Gods revelation at the end of the book of Job.

Chapter 38-42

My eyes have seen the KING.

No longer did his problems seem so big. no longer did his trial seem difficult. No longer did he see himself as he did.

Gods has made provisions for his sheep that they may rest free from fear, tension, aggravations, and hunger.

Fear not for I have overcome the world

Think of all the fears that overtake us and how in the presence of God they no longer exist. They no longer haunt or direct our steps but confidence and hope fill their place.

He promises that he will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear.

Cast all your cares upon him for he cares for you.

He who is hungry, he who thirsts come to me and your thirst will be quenched. He will gives us of the river of living water.

Does this not put you at rest.

Dont go to the immediate releases our culture supplies to attempt to put us at ease but rather turn to our shepherd and his presence that puts our hearts at Ease.

HE makes me to lie down in green pastures, not only that but also,

HE leads me beside the still waters

dont forget woman at the well i am the fount of living water.

Sheep have a need of water in order to survive like most animals. There bodies are made up of 70 percent water and their water supply needs to be replenished or else dehydration can kick in. In these instances they will drink off of the dirty filthy holes that carry many deadly parasites.

There are 3 main sources that you would find your water.

The quiet still waters. The deep, clean, pure, quiet waters. These were places that only the shepherd knew about and many times engineered.

The dew droplets that come in the early mornings upon the grass. Sheep can go months on end just from the dew droplets that they would take in from feeding at sunrise and sunset. Many times the shepherd would have to wake early to ensure his flock was up and feeding to take advantage of this clean, pure, quiet water.

The deep wells. This was hard, hot, and sweaty work. The shepherd would strip naked and go down to the deep well and bail the water so that his sheep would be satisfied.

As a shepherd watches the thirst quenched on the still waters he recognizes that everything hinged and depended upon the diligence of the owner, the shepherd. Had he left them to themselves they would have wallered in the holes that only would have brought greater problems.

This principle applies in our lives as well, though the path we may be led down is dark, dangerous, deep and somewhat disagreeable we must remember he is there with me. His work, his effort, his energy is extended on my behalf even in these dark places and that he is very much at work in the situation to give me the source that truly satisfies.

I must remember that only He can satisfy me. It is He who makes sense of purpose and meaning that come out of situations that would otherwise be a mockery to you. You realize you have worth as you have the attention and special care of your master. Dignity and direction begin to come into the events of my life and I see them sorting themselves out in a definite pattern of usefulness.

There are definitely times in our live where we are like the sheep and on the way to the good watering holes we will choose to water in the mud holes in the paths that carry parasites, poop and other deadly contaminants from the sheep that had passed before.

These sheep were convinced that this water was the best drink obtainable. This water was filthy and unfit for them.

It was obviously contaminated with nematodes, and fluke eggs that would eventually riddle them with internal parasites diseases of destructive impact.

People try this pursuit with the causal comment so what? I cant see that it will do any harm.

Little do they know that there actions have a delayed reaction and time before the aftermath kicks in.

How many times among the journey that may be difficult, troublesome and exhausting do we settle for the dirty water, when we know where the master is bringing us has the best watering holes.

In our lack of patience we crave the filthe of the world rather than waiting upon the Lord for the nourishment that only He can provide. The water that is pure and not mixed with the parasites that rot us out from the inside out.

W

This is what happens when we settle to sin instead of being satisfied in the shepherds direction and watering holes.

I would rather indulge myself in the muddy waters of pornography and sex outside of marriage rather than waiting for the pure watering hole of marriage that the Good shepherd has provided.

I would rather indulge myself with the filthy entertainment of my day to fill my time rather than going to pure watering hole of the word of God to fill my time.

If there is one thing for sure it is this that the water Christ offers us affects us temporally here and now but satisfies us forever.

The woman at the well.

All who thirst come and you will be satisfied.

John 4:34–38 NKJV

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

John 4:34-

My food is to do the Will of Him who sent me.

Our you satisfied in the mission and the purpose that Christ has laid on us and that being was quenches our appetites.

There is no greater place to be then when you are living and dwelling where the shepherd has led you and satisfied on the ground that he has provided.

When you are living for what you know God has created you for.

No longer do the petty things that once directed our lives like riches, success in climbing the ladder, recognition for our works but rather now we want His name to be glorified.

Are you satisfied in Christ and the feeding ground of His word, that supplies the nourishment and direction for our lives.

One would think that it would be impossible to need restoration under the good care of our shepherd but at times it is necessary. Even david has the question in

psalms 42:11, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

This is an old English shepherds term for a sheep that has turnded over on its back and cannot get up again by itself.

A cast sheep is a very pathetic sight. Lying on its back, its feet in the air, it flays away frantically struggling to stand up, without success. Sometimes it will bleat a little for help, but generally it lies there lashing about in frightend frustration.This was a ever present danger for sheep that shepherd had to be diligent in watching for otherwise his lose could be great.If the owner does not arrive on the scene with a reasonably short time, the sheep will die. This is but another reason why it is so essential for a careful shepherd to look over his flock.

There is a parallel to this in shepherding and caring for the sheep. For the shepherd would need to be diligent in looking across the field to make sure that he didn’t have any cast sheep. That all were on their feet. If there was one or two sheep missing immediately the first thought would be one of my sheep are cast somewhere I must go in search of it.

We must realize that at some point in our lives as ones that strive to be in the presense of our shepherd and strive to serve him that at some point we become cast down. It is when we often become most sure of ourselves is when we become laxed and become in danger.

1 corinthian 10:12, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”Often when we look for that comfy spot we can become cast. There is always great danger when we look for that cozy corner, easy place, the comfortable position where there is no hardships no need for endurance, no demand upon self-discipline.When a sheeps wool is to thick it can become cast as it gets caught with many contaminants that would make it more difficult to regain its feet.This is the sign of the old-self, the flesh in the Christian walk that often burdens us down.You cannot carry bitterness expect to walk in the joy of Christ.You cannot choose to commit sins and expect Gods had of blessing.You cannot treasure the things of this world and grow deeper in your walk with God.These things do not go hand in hand but rather are contrary one to the other.

God is the subject that goes through great measure to take care of his sheep.

He provides the best platform for this life and the only for the life to come. But this great care has its boundaries.

David would be one who would understand this principle to well as his sin with Bathsheba (outside the fence).

, “I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight?”

David did not find full contentment in God and what is amazing that god says had what he supplied not been enough he would have given him much more. Yet under this great care David still chose to do evil in the sight of God.

We find ourselves in the same shoes as David sometimes.

The green pastures and quiet waters of our lives?

It begins with the presence of God.Walk in the spirit you crucify the flesh with its lusts and desires.Then from there you see blessings that pour out of this relationship.

We serve a merciful God that restores our souls.

He is a good shepherd who goes and looks for the lost sheep.

Who waits watching for the prodigal son.

Who is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we confess them to him.

This is why Jonah refused to go to Nineveh (a wicked city) and proclaim the word of God. The coming judgments. 4:2

Because he knew God was merciful and would forgive them.