The Good Shepherd

Daniel Norman

TGP A Kingdom Provided • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago • Presented 5 years ago

Psalm 23

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The Lord Is The Good Shepherd who lovingly cares for His people

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Introduction

video? Now or later?

Good Morning, how are we doing this morning?

Psalm 23 ESV

A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 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. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Tension

In our Gospel Project Series this is our last week looking into the character of David, the Shepherd boy who slayed the giant and became King. For many weeks we held him up as an example of what loyalty and honor looks like. Making connections between this much beloved and respected King of Isreal and the Messiah who would be called “The Son of David”.

Then last week we saw this rising star fall. David, the “larger than life” king fell in larger than life sinning. You and I today, and to a much greater degree the children of Israel, could easily lift David up as this perfect picture of humanity, but that is not who He was. We saw how even David has the same need to be rescued from the effects of his sin as we do. He was just as broken as we are, and after last weeks spiraling story of his laziness lust, adultery, betrayal, and murder we might even say he is even more broken, but when confronted with his grievous sin, his heart was bent in repentance not hardened in pride.

Did you know that half of the content from the Biblical books of 1st and 2nd Chronicles are repeats of things found in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel and Kings, and yet in this historical record that “chronicles” the exploits of Israel's greatest rules there is no mention of David’s atrocities toward Uriah and his wife. It was just not something that people wanted to remember, look at or think about. They wanted a picture of the great King that was not tainted with the evil things that he did - but David did not shy away from being honest about his shortcomings - even his epic ones. In fact, he wrote many songs about them.

David did not shy away from being honest about his brokenness. In fact, he wrote many songs about it.

We talked briefly about the one that corresponded to our text last week, , and I hope you took some time to read through that Psalm of David either on your own or in your Bible Study group. In the narrative account that we read in 2 Samuel we hear David saying “I have sinned against the LORD” but he was able to convey something so much fuller than this in the Psalm.

simple statement to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord”.

We talked about one last week, , hope you took some time to read through that Psalm of David either on your own or in your Bible Study group, as you can find in that Psalm that David was able to convey something there that was so much fuller than his simple statement to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord”.

He wrote songs about them. I

This is at the core of what a Psalm is. It is the language of artist, poets and songwriters who dive deeper than the surface, factual information into the turbulent waters of the passion and feelings that swell around the information.

A great example would be the artistic nature of the video that Susan showed us on Operation Christmas Child. She could have just stood up here and said “These boxes go out to children all over the world” and that is true, but we got such a fuller picture when we saw those trucks trecking over rugged terrain or the boat being polled across a quiet river of the young man carrying a tattered box on their shoulder that looks like it had just traveled all over the world. And then the smiles, can you get over the joy that is seen in those smiles. It’s electrifying! This is the gift that creative artists give us in pictures, songs, poems and creations of all kinds.

They inspire us with more than just information, they give us this fuller picture of the reality that we could make a difference like this in the lives of these kids. And I hope that this fuller understanding has touched your heart in such a way that you want to get involved in one of the ways that she mentioned.

And David was an artist like this. Even though we know David to be a warrior King, we should never forget that the first thing that brought him into the throne room was not his sword, but his harp. David was a skilled musician. The strength of his worship-filled music would keep the evil spirit from tormenting King Saul.

And even though we know David to be a warrior King, lets not forget that the first thing that brought him into the throne room was not his sword, but his harp. David was a skilled musician. The strength of his worship-filled music would keep the evil spirit from tormenting the King Saul. And David didn’t stop writing music, as we talked about last week he was often honest and raw in many of his Psalms. In fact of the 70 some Psalms that David wrote, more than half of them were laments, or Psalms crying out to God over hurt, pain and frustration. Many of those, like , were about specific incidences in David’s life.

And David didn’t stop writing music even after he became King. As we talked about last week he was often honest and raw in many of his Psalms. In fact, of the 70 some Psalms that we have of Davids, more than half of them were laments, or Psalms crying out to God over hurt, pain and frustration. Many of those, like , were about specific incidences in David’s life, even continued consequences for the sins he committed, but God is always recognized and praised even in pain.

Tension

But this morning we are going to look at the Psalm of David that is probably the most well know Psalm in the entire Bible. I feel pretty confident in saying this this not only because many of you have it memorized in part or the whole, or because it is a staple at many funerals, but because we even find it showing up in all kinds of secular references.

I was reading an article from the “Society of Biblical Literature” this week were they mention many secular movies and songs where the Psalm is used in some form - often in ways that completely alters the original meaning. Apparently this Psalm is very popular in heavy metal and ganster rap music... where it is not uncommon to see Parental Advisory labels attached to the albums. So there is something in this Psalm that seems to connect with a broad spectrum of people for a broad spectrum of reasons.

But for one group of people, it contains such a beautiful message of hope and encouragement.

You might have already figured out which am talking about, so let me encourage you to turn in your Bibles to , it is page 458 in the Bibles in the chairs so if you didn’t bring a Bible this morning would you please pull out one of those and turn to page 458 because I would like to do something a little different this morning.

Because the Psalm is so familiar and it is only 6 short verses I would like us stand together and read the Psalm out loud together. I know this is not the most comfortable thing for some of us, but my hope is that this new experience will give you a new perspective on the words that are so familiar to us. This is the goal of a lot of art, to grow in our understanding of something by looking at it or experiencing it from a new perspective.

I would like to do something a little different this morning, because the Psalm is only 6 short verses I would like us to read the Psalm out loud together. There is just something powerful in engaging with God’s Word in different ways so I would like to challenge us to that end this morning.

After we read this passage together, feel free to sit back down and then there will be a short video with a different version of the Psalm playing on the screen, let me invite you to sit back during that time and contemplate the depth of the meaning of what you read and are seeing on the screen and then I will move us into a time of prayer right after that.

Let’s read out loud together, ”

Psalm 23 ESV

Wonderful! You all did a great job, let’s pray together.

While there were several Psalm writers, David was wrote more than anyone else and the prominent genre of his Psalms was lament. Just as many artist, poets and songwriters David was not afraid of being honest in his music and the consequences of his sinful decisions gave him much to lament over.

You probably know by now that I am a picture

There were many authors of the 150 Psalms we find in the book of Psalms with several different genres. The most prominent genre of Psalm is the Lament, entries in the book of Psalms, but David wrote more than anyone else. We know him to be a skilled musician as that is how he first met his predecessor King Saul.

So David was always a skilled poet and songwriter, but not all of this songs would be called “encouraging”. . In fact, more than any other genre, David wrote

[ video]

Let’s pray together.

Truth

As one of my favorite theologians, Uncle Ben once told his nephew Peter: “With great power comes great responsibility”. God gave King David a level of power unmatched in the world and last week we read about the horrible ways in which he used it, and the penalties that he

Read the text together??

This is a familiar Psalm

Many musical groups have used parts of this psalm in their music: Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Tupac, Coolio,

Luke 20:42 ESV

42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,

Acts 1:20 ESV

20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office.’

Go ahead and have a seat again an we will take a look at the powerful imagery in this Psalm and how it might speak to us this morning. In the first two verses we read about how...

Truth

Let’s take a look at these verses a couple at a time, and as we do I would like to encourage you to consider these things personally. Owning them for yourself…if in fact they do apply to you. In the first two verses we read about how

The Good Shepherd Provides ()

The Good Shepherd Provides for his sheep()

Psalm 23:1 ESV

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

One of the smallest words in that verse is probably the most powerful. It is the word “my”. The LORD is “my” shepherd. This is a very personal statement. David is not declaring that the LORD is simply operating as “a” shepherd, or that he is a shepherd to some other group of people. These may also be true, but the weight of this statement falls on the possessiveness of the word “my”. The point of view is from one person, specifically the great King David, as he declares the LORD to be his shepherd.

And of course we know that David would know something about being a Shepherd wouldn’t he.

That is where he was found when Samuel was looking for him, to anoint him as King.

That is where he was found again when his father was looking for him, to send him to check on his brothers and he ended up defeating Goliath.

That is the experience that he leaned on to convince King Saul to let him, a shepherd boy, go up against a skilled warrior like Goliath.

In fact, David would go back and forth from Saul’s presence and watching the sheep

The great King David was even affectionately known as “The Shepherd King”.

so much so that he was affectionately known as “The Shepherd King”.

So when David likens the LORD to a “Shepherd”, he knew exactly what he was saying about the LORD - but if the LORD is David’s shepherd then that would make David... a sheep. BAAAA... And he knew exactly what that meant as well. These sheep were not wild animals that were hunted down like the deer so many of us have been after this past week. They were livestock that were purchased, often at a great price, and needed to be properly cared for maybe more than any other type of livestock. You see, sheep were daily dependent on their Shepherd for all of their needs.

is not giving him near the honor that He deserves, but remember that this is coming from David when far beneath Him, but understand that this is beithat would put David’s claim that he is a Sheep even greater a humbling of God’s Position in lifSheep were not wild animals that were hunted like the deer so many of us have been after this past week. They were possessed by a Shepherd, often at a great price, and they were dependant on that Shepherd for all of their needs.

There is a sense in which likening the LORD to a “Shepherd” is not giving him near the honor that He deserves, but remember that this is coming from David when far beneath Him, but understand that this is beithat would put David’s claim that he is a Sheep even greater a humbling of God’s Position in lifSheep were not wild animals that were hunted like the deer so many of us have been after this past week. They were possessed by a Shepherd, often at a great price, and they were dependant on that Shepherd for all of their needs.

This is what David means by “I shall not want”. That is why many of the Bible translations use the word “need” instead of “want” here because in our lives we typically make a clear distinction between wants and a needs. Well, at least we try to, especially with Christmas coming up, right? A need is something that you can truly not live without and a want is something that you could live without but life would be easier, faster or just more fun with it.

When we fill our Operation Christmas Child boxes each year we try to talk to our kids about having both things that the boy or girl might want and things they might need in the box. So it is great to include toys, balls or dolls but also to include grooming and hygiene items. Things that we would probably not wrap up for our kids at Christmas time, but this little boy or girl might be so excited about it because it meets a need they wouldn’t have met without it.

it is good to include things like toothbrushes. Things that our I think out kids naturally that we need to have a balance between things that the child might need and things that they might want. e actively teach our children that

But when applied to an animal like sheep, they are not looking for latest iphone, game system or superhero figurine. They are looking for tasty grass, clean water, and a safe place to lie down. What else could a sheep want? and that is exactly what David’s song says that God delivers:

When it comes to sheep, they really don’t have a distinction between needs and wants. They are not looking for latest iphone, game system or superhero figurine this Christmas. They have only three wants, which are really their three needs, and they live their lives in search of these three things:

tasty grass,

clean water, and

a safe place to lie down.

Unless you are “Shawn the Sheep”, there is nothing else you want, and that is exactly what David’s song says that God provides:

Psalm 23:2 ESV

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

In doing some research for this message I learned that there are actually two ways to make a sheep lie down in green pastures. One way is to quickly grab it by the hind leg and flip it up on it’s tail and hold her hooves in the air so that she cannot make any contact with the ground. This is something that the Shepherd will do in order to do a health check on a sick or limping sheep, and technically this is making a sheep lie down, but it doesn’t really fit with the feel of this Psalm.

The second way that a Shepherd can “make a sheep lie down “ is to lead them to a field of delicious grass, let them fill their stomachs, and show them that they are safe and protected from harm. In that kind of situation a sheep will be purely contented to just chill out, lie down, and chew their cud…that is, until they get thirsty.

You see while sheep thrive primarily in dry, semi-arid regions, they still need water. In fact, on average a sheep is made up of almost 70% water. When their water tank starts to diminish, they get thirsty. When they get thirsty they get antsy. They get up and head out toward wherever they think they will find water that they can drink - and they are not known to have a great sense of direction.

This is the idea portrayed in the second part of this verse. The Shepherd doesn’t leave the sheep to try and find water on it’s own. He recognizes this need that the sheep has and provides for the sheep “Still Water”. In the original Hebrew, the wording is translated “waters of rest”. This means that the water is so easily accessible to the Sheep that they don’t have to look anywhere else. They can just get up and grab a refreshing drink and get right back to chilaxing in the green fields.

Most people are not aware that sheep can go for months on end, especially if the weather is not too hot, without actually drinking It is calm waters that the sheep can drink from peaceably, without fear of

Are you getting a sense of the feeling that David is trying to portray with his artistic language? He is trying to paint a picture of his relationship with the LORD using the well known, in that day anyway, image of the Shepherd and Sheep. The LORD is His Shepherd and the LORD is a Good Shepherd. The kind of Shepherd who provides for sheep and brings him to a place of contentment, satisfaction and rest that he would never find on it’s own. This is how David is feeling toward his God. He is satisfied in the LORD, because the LORD is his provider.

Secondly...

The Good Shepherd Guides his sheep ()

Psalm 23:3 ESV

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

The Sheep herder is constantly on the look out for Sheep that need restoring. Of course I know very little about sheep when it comes to personal experience, but the landmark book on this subject was written by a man named Phillip Keller and is titled: A Shepherd looks at believe we a have a copy in the library if anyone is interested, but Keller does a great job making connections for city kids like me on this idea of Shepherding. It is a great thing to study because the Bible is full of references to Shepherding and Sheep because it was such a common and rich part of Israel’s history, but to us today it is something we have to study to understand.

There are two ways in which a Shepherd works to “restore” something for his Sheep. One has to do with the sheep itself and one has to do with the land the shepherd leads his sheep to.

For the sheep itself, they have to be restored when they fall over and cannnot get back up. What happens is that a Sheep will lie down and then lean onto one side to stretch their legs out and then either because the ground is uneven or their wool is too heavy they just keep going on over till they get stuck on their back. It ‘s something called “casting” and although it looks funny when I am down there doing it, it is actually serious business. There are gases in the sheeps digestion system that build up if they are left on their back to long so depending on the heat of the day and time frame in which this happens the sheep could die in a relatively short period of time.

Phllip Keller said that he would always get this horrible sick feeling in his stomach when he saw the black winged buzzards circling overheard. He would run out to his flock and quickly count them and if one was missing then he would run out to the wild pastures to try and find it. More often then not he would find them cast on the ground and he would have to

Listen to this description by Phillip Keller of his experience in this:

As soon as I reached the cast ewe, my first impulse was to pick it up. Tenderly I would roll the sheep over on it’s side. This would relieve the pressure of the gasses in the rumen. If she had been down for long, I would have to lift her onto her feet. Then, straddling the sheep with my legs, I would hold her erect, rubbing her limbs to restore the circulation to her legs. This often took quite a little time. When the sheep started to walk again she often just stumbled, staggered and collapsed in a heap once more...

This is part of the pageantry and drama depicted for us in the magnificent story of the ninety and nine sheep with one astray. There is the shepherd’s deep concern, his agonizing search, his longing to find the missing one, and his delight in restoring it not only to its feet but also to the flock as well as to himself.

Again and again I would spend hours searching for a single sheep that was missing. Then more often than not I would see it at a distance, down on it’s back, lying helpless. At once I would start to run toward it - hurrying as fast as I could - for every minute was critical.

...

As soon as I reached the cast ewe, my first impulse was to pick it up. Tenderly I would roll the sheep over on it’s side. This would relieve the pressure of the gasses in the rumen. If she had been down for long, I would have to lift her onto her feet. …This often took quite a little time. When the sheep started to walk agains she often just stumbled, staggered and collapsed in a heap once more.

All the time I worked on the cast sheep i would talk to it gently: “When are you going to learn to stand on your own feet?” “I am so glad I found you in time - you rascal!”

Little by little the sheep would regain it’s equilibrium. It would start to walk steadily and surely. By and by it would dash away to rejoin the others, set free from it’s fears and frustrations, given another chance to live a little longer.

All of this pageantry is conveyed to my heart and mind when I repeat the simple statement, “He restoreth my soul!”

Can you picture how David sees the LORD restoring his soul in this way. In David wrote:

Psalm 43:5 ESV

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

I know when my soul is down, that there have been times when the LORD has had to hold me up right and tenderly encourage me even as I stumbled forward. But the Good Shepherd restores and guides us back to the safety of His presence and protection.

The second area that a Shepherd must “restore” pertains to the land that the sheep graze on. Sheep are creatures of habit to a detrimental degree. Unless directed otherwise, they will continue on the same path day after day until it is worn down to a rut. They will eat in the same field day after day until they kill all the grass in that field. Some fields have been so poorly managed by their Shepherds that the flock have hooved down to eat the roots of the grass - which left the entire field in utter ruin. All the Shepherd needed to do is alternate his grazing patterns over several fields, allowing each field to be restored again. And if you asked in most Shepherding communities, they can give you the names of the Shepherds who over-graze fields like this.

David’s point is that his Good Shepherd leads his sheep in the right paths. He doesn’t allow his sheep to get stuck in the ruts of their own making or religiously return to the same old fields, only to feed on things that are not life-giving. The Good Shepherd guides his sheep. He restores them to a steady stance and leads them in stable way of life.

taken from them.

The next verse tells us that the Sheep knows this…and depends on it:

How

Psalm 23:3–4 ESV

3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 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.

Psalm 23:4 ESV

4 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.

There have been many sermons preached on this verse alone, and I fear I do not have time to do it justice this morning. What I do want to remind us of is that this entire Psalm is coming from the point of view of the Sheep. From the point of view of David. The function of the rod and the staff in the hand of the Shepherd was for both the correction of the Sheep and the protection of the Sheep. As we have studied through the life of David over the past several weeks we have seen both of these things active in his life. And David declares that the guidance that the has received from the LORD, through both correction and protection, is a comfort to him.

The Good Shepherd Provides For His Sheep

The Good Shepherd Guides His Sheep and...

The Good Shepherd Loves his sheep ()

Psalm 23:5–6 ESV

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

You might notice that the Psalm seems to take a new direction in these last two verses. David is not suggesting that the Sheep has pulled a chair up to the table, he is moving on to a different image with the same goal of giving us a picture of what his relationship with God looks like. What we have here is a vision of extravagance. We might think of an oily head and a overflowing cup as a reason to reach for a towel, but David is saying that life with God is so much better than he deserves. It is dripping with both the goodness and mercy of the LORD, and the best part of his relationship with the LORD is not that he gets all the stuff of God, but that he gets to be with God, dwelling in his presence forever. This is the extravagant love of God for his sheep, and the picture that David was trying to artistically relay to the readers of his Psalm.

Gospel Application

As we were reading through this passage in it’s entirety, you might have noticed that the Psalm seems to take a new direction in these last two verses. David is not suggesting that the Sheep has pulled a chair up to the table, but he is continuing to give us a picture of what his relationship with God looks like. Just like with the Sheep illustration, we need some explanation in these verses as well. While

You know David was not the only one who used the image of the Shepherd and the sheep to speak of the relationship between God and man. Jesus himself was prone to use the same imagery of the Sheep and the Shepherd. As he was walking through the cities and villages, Matthew says that....

Matthew 9:36 ESV

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Psalm 23:5 ESV

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

John 10:14–15 ESV

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Psalm 23 ESV

You see the truth is that all of these great things about the Good Shepherd only apply to His sheep. It is only those who have trusted in Jesus as their LORD and Savior and are following him like Sheep that can claim the things in to be true about their lives. It is the power found in that little word that David used, the word “my”. The LORD is “my” Shepherd.

In Jesus was speaking about his return, when he will come back to gather together his flock. He said:

In Jesus introduced another animal into the Shepherd illustration. He was speaking about when he will return to hearth to gather together his flock, and he said that at that time he will seperate the sheep from the goats on his right and on his left.

Psalm 23:6 ESV

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

Matthew 25: He said:

Matthew 25:34 ESV

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Matthew 25:31–34 ESV

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

This falls in perfect line with what David was telling us in . This will be a glorious day…for the sheep, but what about the goats. Following down to verse 41 we read:

Matthew 25:41 ESV

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 25:

Of course it is more fun to soak in the picture of the loving care of the Good Shepherd, but there is the other side. The side of wandering through out your life without a Shepherd. As I said in the beginning, there is something in the this 23rd Psalm that seems to connect with a broad spectrum of people for a broad spectrum of reasons, but it is only a message of hope and encouragement for one group of people. The sheep who follow the Good Shepherd.

Those sheep of the Good Shepherd.

Is that you?

John 10:1–18 ESV

1 “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. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 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. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 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. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 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.”

John 10:

Luke 20:42 ESV

42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,

Acts 1:20 ESV

20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office.’

Gospel Application

Antipsalm 23

I’m on my own. No one looks out for me or protects me. I experience a continual sense of need. Nothing’s quite right. I’m always restless. I’m easily frustrated and often disappointed. It’s a jungle—I feel overwhelmed. It’s a desert—I’m thirsty. My soul feels broken, twisted, and stuck. I can’t fix myself. I stumble down some dark paths. Still, I insist: I want to do what I want, when I want, how I want. But life’s confusing. Why don’t things ever really work out? I’m

Still, I insist: I want to do what I want, when I want, how I want. But life’s confusing. Why don’t things ever really work out? I’m haunted by emptiness and futility—shadows of death. I fear the big hurt and final loss. Death is waiting for me at the end of every road, but I’d rather not think about that. I spend my life protecting myself. Bad things can happen. I find no lasting comfort. I’m alone . . . facing everything that could hurt me. Are my friends really friends? Other people use me for their own ends. I can’t really trust anyone. No one has my back. No one is really for me—except me. And I’m so much all about ME, sometimes it’s sickening. I belong to no one except myself. My cup is never quite full enough. I’m left empty. Disappointment follows me all the days of my life. Will I just be obliterated into nothingness? Will I be alone forever, homeless, free-falling into void? Sartre said, “Hell is other people.” I have to add, “Hell is also myself.” It’s a living death,

and then I die

Landing

But understand that while Jesus is speaking plainly here on what will happen, right now he is calling out to us to enter into the sheep fold. He is calling out to us to enter into a relationship with the Good Shepherd that will lead us to eternal life with him. And the way to become one of the beloved sheep of the good Shepherd is through Jesus. Back to he says

So how do you become one of the Sheep of the Good Shepherd? Jesus said that he is the way. Back to he says

John 10:

John 10:9–11 ESV

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:1–18 ESV

This is the Gospel Message in , that Jesus laid down his life on the cross in order to rescue his sheep from the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. If you have not yet trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then today is a great day. This life is not as long as it sometimes seems, and then the decisions that we make here and now will echo into eternity. Where we will either “dwell in the house of the LORD” or be disconnected from Him in a dark and horrible place.

The Good Shepherd is calling, can you hear him? He doesn’t want to live without His provision, guidance and extravagant love.

Matthew 9:36 ESV

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.