Memory – Psalm 23.1-6 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rad and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever
Meditation – Psalm 23 is the second Psalm of a literary triptych (Psalms 22, 23 and 24). Psalm 22 foreshadows the sacrificial suffering of Jesus to rescue those who trust in him for the forgiveness of their sins; Psalm 23 depicts God as the shepherd of our souls and foreshadows Jesus as the good shepherd who gives his life for his sheep (John 10.1-19); Psalm 24 foreshadows the glory of the Lord Jesus in the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21). We will take the next three weeks to memorize and meditate on Psalm 23. There will be times in your life where I suspect you may find great comfort and assurance that Jesus is the true shepherd of your life.
It not without reason that God’s children are often referred to as sheep. Domestic sheep cannot survive in the wild; they need the protection of the shepherd. Someone who provides and protects them. In John 10 Jesus says that the sheep know his voice and they take comfort in that. The shepherd Jesus does not drive the sheep; rather, he leads them. He speaks to them, they know his voice, and they follow him. When Jesus says: I am the good shepherd he points beyond the metaphor to himself. Although a hired shepherd might take great risks for his sheep he would not willingly lay down his life for them; indeed, that would leave the remaining sheep defenseless. Note carefully that Jesus does not imply that he will risk his life for the sheep; rather he declares that he will sacrifice his life for his sheep. No one takes his life from him; he lays it down. That is to say he has come for this very purpose – to give his life as a ransom for the sheep. This is what makes him the good Shepherd. It is the reason the Father loves him (John 10.17; cf. Isaiah 53.10). The sheep are in such peril that they cannot survive without the sacrifice of the shepherd. He is the shepherd of Isaiah 40.11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young.
Sometimes as I'm lying in bed after a particularly hard day or even a succession of challenging months I will recite the 23rd Psalm, often aloud, and remember how the Lord has been faithful in seeing me through past difficulties. I know that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13.8). When David (the author of Psalm 23) says: I shall not want he does not mean there never be hardship or privation in his life, but that God will protect the inward part of his life. God strengthens your resolve to do what is right and will calm your fears because he will reassure you that he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4.4). Jesus is our shepherd, he loves us and his last words in Matthew’s gospel are I am with you always, to the end of the age. There are green pastures and still waters to refresh our hearts and minds. Sometimes, we experience that refreshment in advance to prepare us for what lies ahead. Sometimes it comes after or in the midst of our struggles to revive us. Regardless, we can be confident that he who has called us by name will meet us and carry us through to the end of the age.
It not without reason that God’s children are often referred to as sheep. Domestic sheep cannot survive in the wild; they need the protection of the shepherd. Someone who provides and protects them. In John 10 Jesus says that the sheep know his voice and they take comfort in that. The shepherd Jesus does not drive the sheep; rather, he leads them. He speaks to them, they know his voice, and they follow him. When Jesus says: I am the good shepherd he points beyond the metaphor to himself. Although a hired shepherd might take great risks for his sheep he would not willingly lay down his life for them; indeed, that would leave the remaining sheep defenseless. Note carefully that Jesus does not imply that he will risk his life for the sheep; rather he declares that he will sacrifice his life for his sheep. No one takes his life from him; he lays it down. That is to say he has come for this very purpose – to give his life as a ransom for the sheep. This is what makes him the good Shepherd. It is the reason the Father loves him (John 10.17; cf. Isaiah 53.10). The sheep are in such peril that they cannot survive without the sacrifice of the shepherd. He is the shepherd of Isaiah 40.11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young.
Sometimes as I'm lying in bed after a particularly hard day or even a succession of challenging months I will recite the 23rd Psalm, often aloud, and remember how the Lord has been faithful in seeing me through past difficulties. I know that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13.8). When David (the author of Psalm 23) says: I shall not want he does not mean there never be hardship or privation in his life, but that God will protect the inward part of his life. God strengthens your resolve to do what is right and will calm your fears because he will reassure you that he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4.4). Jesus is our shepherd, he loves us and his last words in Matthew’s gospel are I am with you always, to the end of the age. There are green pastures and still waters to refresh our hearts and minds. Sometimes, we experience that refreshment in advance to prepare us for what lies ahead. Sometimes it comes after or in the midst of our struggles to revive us. Regardless, we can be confident that he who has called us by name will meet us and carry us through to the end of the age.
RSS Feed