Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
David starts one of the most thought-provoking Psalms with this line. Out of all the 150 Psalms listed the 23rd Psalm is one of the most used. It’s posted on Instagram pictures. Listed on people’s tombstones. Used in almost any sermon. The Psalms range in emotions from desperate prayers to poetic meditations of peace. I personally have found that when I read a psalm once a day it greatly helps my prayer life. I don’t always do it but it’s amazing how impactful one book can be. In life, we deal with frustrations, trauma, let downs, setbacks, trials, and temptations. I have found that being simplistic with the realness of the Bible helps me to deal with my real-life issues in a greater light.
I can’t always understand David’s plea for God to deliver him from his enemies. Although I do have a need to get rid of my greatest enemy...taxes maybe? (I don’t make any money? How do I owe taxes? This is a dumb system.) I say I don’t understand David’s plea but what I mean by that is the break down of it. David switches from praise of God to sorrowful plea in an instant with almost no pause. It’s like David is two people having a conversation with a multifaceted God.
The odd thing is it’s hard to think anything positive about the start of this Psalm. You might not know this but a shepherd is not a great job in Jewish culture. Look at Genesis 46:33-34, Then he said, “When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, you must tell him, ‘We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.’ When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds.” Shepherds were often given to the youngest in the family as the work wasn’t hard. No one thought much of a Shepherds’ ability. He was usually the weakest one. Generally the one with no kids. Samuel the prophet came to Jessie because God told him a king would come from his family. Jessie brought all his sons but David. Why did he leave David out?
Because they didn’t think God could use shepherds. God could pick any person to be King and He chooses David, a shepherd boy. This shows us that our worldly occupation is nothing compared to our Godly calling. No one would pick David to lead because shepherds were the least dependable ones. David opens up the 23rd Psalm by saying The lord is my shepherd. Even when you feel like God isn’t there you should know He is still the shepherd. You might feel like the bible is not worthy of your time. You might feel like prayer is not worth your time. You might feel like the Church is not as comforting as staying in your bed. But with God using a shepherd, it’s like He is saying the thing you think that doesn’t matter is the main thing God will use to lead you. God might seem far out and not dependable but the bible repeatedly tells us He is faithful and trustworthy.
The problem with the phrase, “The Lord is my Shepherd”, is in order to have Jesus as your shepherd you must see yourself as sheep. To get the most out of the bible you need to see yourself as a sheep. To get the most out of prayer you need to see yourself as sheep. In order to see the church as useful, you need to see yourself as sheep. Sheep are not smart nor are they very adaptable. They are easy to move around. Even if they are being lead to be killed they won’t avoid being killed. They are actually one of the first animals to be domesticated because they are easily lead by the desire for food. Also, they tend to follow a leader and stick to a pack. Whenever they get away from the pack they become more erratic and their chance of survival goes down. I remember when I left the church for about 4 years. During that time my desire for God went way down. It wasn't that I didn’t believe in God. I just didn’t give any time to seeking Him.
I’m not saying you need a church in order to have God, I’m saying you need to seek God. That is how we thrive as Christians. Whatever helps you to thrive. Meaning having a vibrant, exclusive, relational, persistent, and caring involvement in your pursuit of the reason God created you is the center of the Christian existence. Often times when a sheep gets away from a pack it will hurt them but they can integrate into a new pack very easily. I am always wary of sheep who can’t allow other sheep to come into their fold easily. Christianity is not a social club where you have to have certain criteria to join. It’s a source of freedom where anyone can find a chance to follow the Shepherd. I need to admit that is the point of the pack as well. Sheep don’t follow just anyone, they follow the lead sheep. In any pack, there is at least one sheep that acts as the lead and leads everyone else to more feeding lands or away from danger.
I know you didn’t think you would read about sheep this much today. But here we are. It’s amazing that Jesus says He is the good shepherd. The funny thing is in Genesis the Egyptians despised shepherds. Skip forward to the birth of Jesus. Guess who is still not seen as important in culture? Shepherds. Guess who still loves the nobodies? God. Luke 2:8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
If you look back at the story of the Jewish people in the bible they begin to form a narrative at Egpyt when they became slaves and God saved them through Moses. Four hundred years before that Joseph takes his family and his father Isreal (which is the name of the Jewish people; the Israelites) to Egpyt. In the town of sheepherders, they began to form their culture. Then Jesus steps on the scene and says the relationship He has with anyone who believes in Him is like a shepherd. In order to be a follower of Jesus you don’t just believe in Him, you need to believe in what He teaches. You are not just a Christian, we are sheep and we have a shepherd who guides us. We have lead sheep (teachers/preachers) who guide us to the shepherd but they are not the shepherd. Preachers and denominations are not the objects of our faith. Jesus is.
Some people love to decide the vitality of their faith based on a church or preacher. However, in order to be good sheep, we must understand that we are following the Shepherd. This shepherd is not baptist, pentecostal, holiness, a preacher, a president, American, or anything else this world has to offer. Our Shepherd is Jesus. He is our Lord. We follow Him or we are not His sheep. John 10:26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.
David starts the 23rd Psalm off by saying the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. The reason is that no sheep have wants when they follow the right shepherd. He takes care of them. The reason why some Christians are not satisfied with Jesus being enough is that they still have 50 different voices that they listen to in order to understand their needs. Our need for God is the greatest need in our souls. However, we will listen to our bodies, our friends, our pleasures, our feelings, our enemies and anything else to figure out what we need. When instead, if we would allow the voice of our savior to reverberate in our souls we would find a peace that passes our understanding.
I am not saying it’s easy. I have had Jesus all my life and it has taken years to get to the point that i can admit Jesus is my shepherd and He alone is good enough for me. I have just as many wants as everybody else. However, with listening to my Shepherd I have begun to see that the point of my life is greater than wants and desires. I am not my desires. I am a sheep who belongs to my Shepherd. If my Shepherd leads me to a patch of grass that isn’t as green that's ok. My Shepherd is my daily bread. If my Shepherd leads me through a dark valley, that's ok. My Shepherd is my light and salvation. If my Shepherd leads me to a place where I am not the center of attention, that's ok. My Shepherd is my Lord and my Lord gave His life for me. We have a good Shepherd. I hope you can connect with Him and see the Shepherd who helps us not to want.
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