Our All Sufficient Shepherd -- All We could ever want & All We will ever need

The Preeminent Shepherd — (Vs. 1a)

David begins this Psalm with a phrase we could spend our entire time on this morning should we desire.

He says, “The LORD is my shepherd.”

The name David uses when he says “LORD” here is “YHWH or JEHOVAH”.

Now for those who remember our Bible study over the names of God might remember that the name “YHWH” is the personal name for God.

It’s the name God used when He met with Moses on the backside of the desert in the burning bush.

God commissioned Moses to go to Egypt and deliver His people from the bondage of Pharoah and Moses asked God… “who do I tell them sent me when I am asked?”

God replied, “you tell them “I AM WHO I AM” has sent you! You tell them “YHWH” or “JEHOVAH” has sent you!

The name YHWH speaks to the very character of the who is doing the sending!

YHWH means the self existing one! One with no beginning and no ending.

You see we all have start dates and expiration dates. My start date was March 8, 1986 and only God knows when my expiration date will be but ever single person sitting here this morning has a start date and an expiration date but this is not the case with the Shepherd David is speaking of here!

He says, “The LORD is my shepherd!”

The one who has no start date, no expiration date. The one who has no beginning and no ending. The first, the last and everything in between! The one who was and is and is to come!

The one who depends on no one and nothing; self existing only within himself! The one who changes not!

The one who spoke everything into existence, the one who flung the stars into the sky and calls them all by name! The one who created the heavens and the earth and all that in them is!

The one who molded man out of a ball of clay and breathed life into his very lungs and then took one of his ribs and fashioned him a bride for a helpmate!

He is the God of all creation and by Him and through Him all things consist and are held together!

His name is YHWH!

And He is not just any Shepherd but He is the Preeminent Shepherd David is speaking of here in the Psalm!

He is the Good Shepherd who giveth His life for the sheep in John 10:11.

In the Old Testament, it was the sheep that were sacrificed for the Shepherd but in the New Testament, it was the Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep.

Isaiah 53:6 — All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He is the Good Shepherd but not only is a Good Shepherd, He is the Great Shepherd in Hebrews 13:20.

Hebrews 13:20–21 — 20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep.

He is the Great Shepherd whose blood created an everlasting covenant for His people!

And He is also the “Greatest” Shepherd who shall crown us with a crown of glory that fadeth not away when He returns!

1 Peter 5:4 — And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

He is the Good Shepherd. He is the Great Shepherd. He is Greatest Shepherd. He is the Preeminent Shepherd!

But most importantly, David said, “The LORD is “MY” shepherd!”

The reason David was able to call Him by His personal name, is because David had a personal relationship with Him.

The LORD is “MY” shepherd.

Can you say the same today friend?

Is YHWH your shepherd?

Do you have a personal relationship with Him?

If not, you have no idea what you’re missing out on!

The greatest relationship any man, woman, boy or girl could ever have on this side of eternity is with the one and only true God, YHWH!

He is the Preeminent Shepherd and I’m thankful this morning that I can say He’s my shepherd and I hope you can say the same thing!

And not only is He is the Preeminent Shepherd, but He is also the Provisional Shepherd.

The Provisional Shepherd — (Vs. 1b-2)

David finishes out Verse 1 with “I shall not want.”

When the God of all creation is your shepherd, there is nothing creation can offer that He cannot provide!

When we come to know God personally, He not only reveals Himself to us as YHWH or Jehovah but we also enter into the blessings that come from having a personal relationship with Him.

He is known not only as Jehovah but here before us in the second half of Verse 1, He is seen as Jehovah Jireh…which means “the Lord will provide!”

What does He provide? Look at Verse 2.

He Provides Plenty — (Vs. 2a)

David doesn’t say, “He maketh me to lie down in dry pastures” or “He maketh me to lie down in dead pastures.”

No, David said, “He maketh me to lie down in “green” pastures!”

When I think of green pastures I think of plenty! If I were a sheep green pastures is where I would want to be!

Reminds me of that little song from the old TV show some of you may have grew up watching.... Green Acres.

“Green Acres is the place to be!”

No one wants to rest in dirt now do they?

David said my shepherd makes me to lie down in green pastures.

It is said that when sheep get their bellies full they like to lay down and take a nap.

The more I learn about sheep the more I realize David’s talking about me!

I like to lay down when I get my belly full too! How about you?

David’s Shepherd not only provides plenty to eat but this verse speaks of plenty of rest.

How many of you want to go out here and take a nap in the dirt?

But if you give us a nice shady spot with thick lush green grass, I’d dare say we could all take a little snooze!

Something that stands out to me in this verse is the fact that David says, “He maketh” me to lie down in green pastures.

We sheep are stubborn individuals and we think we always have to be on the go, go, go don’t we?

Sometimes, God has to say, "child that’s enough going for a bit! You need to lay down and rest!”

David said, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures!”

It speaks of plenty and a place of rest but look what else it speaks of Him providing in the second half of Verse 2.

He Provides Peace — (Vs. 2b)

“He leadeth me beside still waters.”

It speaks of His provision of peace!

Can I tell you there’s no better place to find peace and rest than in the bosom of the Father!

And to add to that, there’s no better place to find peace and rest than in the bosom of the Father in the Father’s house!

He leadeth me beside still waters.

Oh the sovereignty of God.

We sheep like to go astray. We like to leave the protection of the shepherd and get out into those choppy waters but when you’re following the shepherd, He will lead beside the still waters where there’s peace and rest!

Can I just say to you this morning friend, if your life is full of chaos right now, if it feels like you are barely keeping your head above those choppy waters, then there’s a very great possibility that you’ve left the leading of the Shepherd and gone you own way!

Get back into the will of the Shepherd and you’ll find the provision of plenty and peace for that’s what the Preeminent Shepherd wants for His sheep!

He is the Preeminent Shepherd, He’s the Provisional Shepherd, and next we see that He’s the Preserving Shepherd in Verse 3.

The Preserving Shepherd — (Vs. 3)

“He restoreth my soul.” Some versions read, “He reneweth my strength.”

I believe He does both!

When we’re following the Shepherd, He renews our strength and when we slip, falter and fall, He restores our soul!

Notice what the second half of the verse says...

“He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

When we make mistakes, when we sin, when we grieve the Holy Spirit of God, Our All Sufficient Savior does two things…first He convicts us of our wrong doings and reminds us of the price He paid on Calvary for our sins and secondly, once we repent of our wrongdoings, He puts us back in communion with the Holy Spirit through the blood of His everlasting covenant.

He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Philippians 1:6 — Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

God the Father starts the work in us.

The work of the Holy Spirit seals us unto that day of promise.

And the precious blood of the Lord Jesus saves & sustains forevermore!

He is the Preeminent Shepherd, He is a Provisional Shepherd. He is a Preserving Shepherd. And next, He is a Protective Shepherd.

Look down in Verse 4 with me.

The Protective Shepherd — (Vs. 4)

Reminds me of the old song…God on the mountain.

“For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley.

When things go wrong, He makes them right.

And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times.

The God of the day, is still God of the night.”

Aren’t you glad this morning, that we serve a God who doesn’t mind walking through the valley with His sheep!

I want to show you something right here that just really stood out to me while studying and meditating this week.

David says, “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.”

I believe David was trying to tell us something here that so many times we overlook and don’t fully understand.

The valley he’s speaking of is the valley of “the shadow of death”.

You see friend, when you come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, the power of death no longer has any power over you!

That’s why David referred to it as simply a shadow of death!

1 Corinthians 15:55–57 — 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

You see friend, a shadow is but a shadow. A shadow cannot harm you. Just as the shadow of a vicious lion, tiger or bear has no power, the shadow of death has no power over the believer for the believer has trusted in the light of the world!

John 8:12 — Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 12:46 — I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

Listen friend, when that time comes the Bible speaks about and we get ready to go the way of all the earth, remember, that shadow of death may look mean, it may seem awful, but it’s just a shadow if you have put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and it has no power at all!

And the best part is this…you aren’t in that valley alone!

David said, “For thou art with me!”

“The rod and thy staff they comfort me!”

The shepherds of this day and time would carry a rod or club to fend off any enemies that may and try to attack their sheep and then the staff was used to gently nudge their sheep and keep them from getting out of the way.

Our Protective Shepherd does the same for us!

He walks beside us through the deep dark valleys of this life, He protects us from our enemies with the rod of correction and steers us in the right direction with His staff of love!

He is our Protective Shepherd!

Do you know Him?

He is the Preeminent Shepherd, He is a Provisional Shepherd. He is a Preserving Shepherd. He is a Protective Shepherd.

Next, let us look at how He is the Prospering Shepherd in Verse 5.

The Prospering Shepherd — (Vs. 5)

Have you ever had those people in life who just wanted to see you fail?

For whatever reason they just didn’t like you and always wanted something bad to happen to you?

I’ve had people like that in my life and more than likely still have some just to be honest.

David says here, I am surrounded on every side by those who wish to see me fail but LORD you preparest me a table in the presence of mine enemies!

It reminds me of beloved Paul’s writings in...

2 Corinthians 4:8–18

8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

*Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day!*

In the presence of mine enemies God, you still see fit to prosper me! Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over!

When David was a wee little lad, out in the fields protecting his sheep, the LORD came calling and anointed him King over all Israel.

In the presence of David’s enemies, God prospered him over and over and over for the Lord was with him!

The Lord prospered David for his obedience and if we will be obedient to the Lord’s calling and will for our life, He will prosper us as well!

He is the Prospering Shepherd.

Do you know Him?

We have now seen how our All Sufficient Savior is the Preeminent Shepherd and a Provisional Shepherd. We’ve seen how He is a Preserving Shepherd and a Protective Shepherd. We’ve seen how He is a Prospering Shepherd and lastly, we will see how He is The Promising Shepherd.

Look with me in Verse 6.

The Promising Shepherd — (Vs. 6)

Here in the final verse of this Psalm David gives us a glimpse into the future of born again believer.

He says surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

You see friend, when you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, goodness and mercy are sure to follow for the Bible says in...

Lamentations 3:22–23

22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Aren’t you glad our Preeminent Shepherd’s compassions fail not?

I love what the beloved John Phillips said of this final passage...

We are given two glimpses of what lies ahead. We are first given a glimpse of the king's highway. We are on a journey. Hard on our heels come God's two great ambassadors—goodness and mercy.

Goodness takes care of my steps; mercy takes care of my stumbles.

C. H. Spurgeon used to call "goodness and mercy" God's footmen. In his day, when a wealthy man traveled, two footmen took their place behind him on his coach. Their task was to smooth the way for him. Where he went, they went, always there. When his coach stopped they jumped down to open the door for him. They would hurry into the inn to make sure his room was ready and his supper served. God's two footmen are goodness and mercy and they follow us just like those footmen to smooth our journey home.

Then we have a glimpse of the King's home: "And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." There it is!—a happy eternity! — John Phillips

Pastor Rod Mattoon — Goodness and mercy will surely follow us because God does not fail us. We may fail Him, but He never fails to bless us. He finishes what He starts in our lives. Goodness and mercy are the sheep dogs in our lives to keep us moving forward for Christ. They "shall follow" us.

The word "follow" is from the Hebrew word radaph {raw-daf'} which means "to pursue, persecute, to run after, to put to flight or chase." This word is usually used in a hostile sense of an animal pursuing its prey, but here it is used in a benevolent way. These graces seek us out when we walk with the Lord and make Him the shepherd of our lives.

Goodness can also be rendered good things, prosperity, happiness, or bounty. Mercy can also be translated "loving kindness or faithfulness."

His goodness meets our needs and His mercy forgives all our faults.

His goodness leads to repentance and His mercy leads to regeneration.

Goodness caused the prodigal son to come back home and mercy ran to meet the son.

Goodness is God's hand and mercy is God's heart.

God has made it clear that His sheep will never be deserted. — Treasures From the Scriptures

Warren Wiersbe said — As the shepherd lay each night at the door of the sheepfold, he looked back over the day and gave thanks that the Lord had blessed them with goodness and mercy.

As an old man, David looked back over his long life and came to the same conclusion.

In spite of his sins and failures, he had been followed by goodness and mercy and as David looked ahead, he knew he would be in heaven—the Father's house—forever. — BEC

As we come to a close this morning, I want to ask you a very sobering question...

David knew the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Shepherd. He had a relationship that we see in the scripture over and over and over and David trusted Him with every aspect of his life.

Can you say with absolute certainty this morning that you are doing the same?

The LORD was David’s Shepherd and I can stand here this morning and tell you without a shadow of a doubt that David’s Shepherd is also my Shepherd.

The question I leave you with today as they come get us a song is this...

Is He your Shepherd?

Have you believed upon the one and only Son of God to cleanse you of your sins?

He is the All Sufficient Savior but is He your All Sufficient Savior?

If not, won’t you make Him so today?

If so, if you will make that move today, then you too will be able to say without a shadow of a doubt, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!”