Psalm 23

June 15, 2008

Pastor Vera Johnson

We live in a "more" world today. The more we have, the more we want! Our never-ending desire to have more leaves us in discontent and dissatisfied. As we continue our series on the Psalms this summer, running with the theme of "being real," and focus on Psalm 23 today, our discontented attitude is confronted so to speak by its opening words . . . "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." The Psalmist's contentment stands in sharp contrast to the mindset of today's world - a world that's in constant want.

The twenty-third Psalm is familiar to many - its comforting words. . . its peaceful tone Perhaps you've heard it at funeral services or have it memorized. However brothers and sisters, while this Psalm is a great source of comfort in our times of distress, there's a lot more to the words.

To give you a little background . . . Psalm 23 was written by David at a time when he was on the run for his life, from his son Absalom who rebelled against him for the throne. While David himself had spent much of his early life as a shepherd, tending his father's sheep, interestingly, this Psalm is written not from the perspective of David as the shepherd but from the perspective of a sheep and its relationship with the shepherd.

My guess is, most of us, probably don't have a clue about what or who a shepherd is . . . other than someone who looks after sheep. The only way for us to find out is to "venture" if you will, into a shepherd's world. I'm going to have our projectionist take us there! Shall we?? (SHOW VIDEO CLIP)

Brothers and sisters, as we saw in the video, the role of a shepherd is a whole lot more than simply tending sheep. Caring for sheep is a full-time job. Sheep need a shepherd 24-7. They depend on him for everything.

Let me give you some basic facts about sheep. First, sheep are stubborn. They tend to go their own way and can get lost easily. Second, sheep are smelly. They do nothing to cleanse themselves. Sheep do not bathe, roll or lick themselves to keep clean. They remain filthy until their shepherd finds a way to clean them.

Third, sheep aren't the brightest animals. Sheep will eat anything. They need the guidance of their shepherd to protect them from eating harmful, poisonous weeds. Fourth, sheep are docile animals. They don't have a loud scary growl or sharp claws to defend themselves from wild animals. All they can do is run . . . even that doesn't get them far enough. Needless to say, without a shepherd the sheep have no chance of survival at all.

Through his experiences as a shepherd boy David learned about the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep. The shepherd loves his sheep and regardless of how many he has he knows each one by name and makes himself responsible to care for their needs. Many shepherds have even lost their lives caring for their sheep. The shepherd is at the very center of the life of his sheep. He provides for their every need, satisfying them completely. The sheep have no worry. Their trust is in their shepherd.

As a shepherd, David also learned many things about sheep and their need of a shepherd's care. He knew, that without a shepherd they couldn't defend themselves against anything and soon became scattered. So as David reflected on his relationship with God, he saw himself like a sheep in need of a shepherd . . . "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."

Notice brothers and sisters, that David uses the personal pronoun "my" when referring to God as his Shepherd, He didn't say the Lord is "a" shepherd or "the" shepherd, but my Shepherd, indicating an intimate relationship between the Lord and himself. The words "I shall not be in want," not only indicate a deep confidence in the One who provides for him, but also a profound trust that the provision will never run out.

Of course, not having first-hand experience ourselves, like David did, it's often hard for us to relate to the word shepherd. However, while shepherd might seem like an "archaic" word in our world today, since sheep were the most important domestic animals in Biblical times, there are many references to sheep and shepherd, throughout the Bible.

In the Old Testament the title shepherd was applied to kings and princes in a negative way, since they often fell short of God's standards of caring for His people. Of course, King David was an exception. In the New Testament as well, the Gospel accounts record incidents of Jesus confronting the religious leaders, accusing them of being "thieves" rather than shepherds. In John 10, verse 11 Jesus says, "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." From a Biblical perspective then, the only true Shepherd is God.

Trusting in God as his Shepherd then, as the Psalm continues, in essence David says, "Because the Lord is my shepherd . . . I shall have rest in green pastures beside still waters." As the shepherd pointed out in the video, when sheep are afraid they become restless. However, as soon as their shepherd, appears and moves in their midst, they become quiet and settle down.

Often times, when life's challenges and struggles overwhelm us, like sheep we too, become restless and afraid. It is in those times that Jesus our Good Shepherd comforts us with His presence. He calms our anxious hearts so we can rest.

Sheep will not lie down if they are hungry. The shepherd always tries to find the greenest pastures for his sheep. Just as with sheep, our Shepherd often has to make us lie down too. With our busy lives, we are constantly on the go! So, He often uses an illness or a crisis to "make us lie down," to have us rest and be nourished in Him.

Sheep will not drink from a rushing stream. They instinctively know, that if their coat of wool becomes wet, they could drown. Sometimes the shepherd builds a little dam in a rushing stream to enable the flock to drink from "stilled" waters. At times, the swift moving streams of life almost engulf us, so our Good Shepherd has to dam up a quiet stream so to speak, where we can come and drink deeply from the water of Life.

As David continues he says, "Because the Lord is my shepherd, I shall be restored and walk in paths of righteousness." When it comes to sheep, they stray easily. It takes the shepherd's careful search to find them and restore them to the fold.

Brothers and sisters, like sheep, we, too go astray. At first we take one step away from our Shepherd, then another one. Before we realize it, we've strayed away and wandered off on a totally different path. We need the restoring touch of our Good Shepherd to bring us back.

Again David says, "Because the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be afraid as I walk through dark valleys." Sometimes the shepherd leads his sheep through dark, deep valleys where danger lurks, where robbers and wild animals hide. Yet the sheep have no fear, their shepherd protects and comforts them with the rod and staff he carries.

Brothers and sisters, as we walk through the dark valleys of life, we too feel scared and helpless. We know the pain and suffering each valley brings. While the valleys are painful to walk through, God always brings good things out of them and uses each experience to teach us many lessons along the way.

I know, many of you are in those valleys right now . . . grieving the loss of a loved one . . . dealing with health issues . . . stress at your workplace . . . strained relationships . . . the loss of a job . . . financial problems . . . struggling with an addiction . . . mental health issues. Jesus, our Good Shepherd doesn't want you to walk alone. Let Him lead you through it.

David says, "Because the Lord is my shepherd, I shall be completely nourished . . . ." David has a deep awareness of dependence upon his Shepherd. Through his life experiences he learned, there is no "want," to the one who trusts his life to the Good Shepherd and walks close to Him.

Brothers and sisters, God our Father has set a "banquet table" before us for our spiritual nourishment and refreshment. All we need is provided for us in His Son, Jesus, our Good Shepherd. As our Host then, Jesus, invites us to His table, amply providing for our every need.

" . . . my head is anointed with oil; my cup overflows."
In Eastern countries it was customary not only to wash the feet of guests as they arrived, but to pour fragrant oil on their heads, as a gesture of love and welcome. At certain times of year sheep are troubled by nose flies and parasites, so the shepherd uses an ointment containing oil to rub on their noses and heads as protection.

Often times in life, when we become annoyed or irritated with things, our Shepherd pours His Holy Spirit upon us and fills us with His peace. As David pondered on the blessings he had received from his good Shepherd, he says, "My cup overflows." Brothers and sisters, we have been promised an abundant life in Jesus, our Good Shepherd. In John 10:10 He says, "I came so (you) may have life and have it to the full."

In David's daily walk with God he learned that his good Shepherd was sufficient for every need. So, finally he says, "Because the Lord is my shepherd . . . goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

Brothers and sisters, as we go through life, not knowing the future, we often worry about what lies ahead for us. Notice David says "ALL" the days, each one of them; not just the bright days but the dark days too, not only the easy days but the difficult ones as well. Regardless of what comes then, the goodness and mercy of our Good Shepherd, will guide us through each day.

Yes, being a shepherd requires endurance and diligence. It's about loving one's sheep and being there for them whatever their need might be. Perhaps it might interest you to know that the title "pastor" that comes from the Latin root word for "pasture," means shepherd. Brothers and sisters, as your pastor, I love each one of you and care about you, as a shepherd cares about his sheep.

More than anything then, I want you to know the deep love your Father in heaven has for every one of you. He knows, like sheep you too, cannot survive without a shepherd especially, as you walk through the dark valleys. So he sent His Son Jesus, to be your Shepherd. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He fills our every need.

A famous actor was once the guest of honor at a social gathering where he received many requests to recite favorite excerpts from various literary works. An old preacher who happened to be there, asked the actor to recite the 23rd Psalm. The actor agreed on the condition that the preacher would also recite it. The actor's recitation was beautifully intoned with great dramatic emphasis for which he received lengthy applause.

The preacher's voice was rough and broken from many years of preaching and his diction as anything but polished. But when he finished there was not a dry eye in the room. When someone asked the actor what made the difference, he replied, "I know the psalm, but he knows the Shepherd."

Brothers and sisters, the only reason that David could say, "I shall not be in want" is because he could first say, "The Lord is my Shepherd." Yes, Psalm 23 is familiar to many. The question is, do you know the Psalm or the Shepherd? Amen.