The Lord Is My Shepherd

Through out the Bible we find several of the people who were shepherds.

David in the Old Testament was a shepherd and tended his father's sheep.

Moses was a shepherd and watched over his father-in-law's sheep.

Moses and David could be considered shepherds of the people of  Israel.

David was the King over Israel and led the people and took care of them like a shepherd takes care of the sheep.

Moses led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt where they were held as slaves for 400 years and he watched over them like a shepherd.

There are many other types of shepherds  in our world today.

The leader of a country can be a type of shepherd.  A Pastor of a Church can be a kind of shepherd.

There are many other types we could probably think of as well.

Jesus said that He was the Good Shepherd.

When I think about shepherds I can't help to think about the 23rd Psalm.  This is probably the favorite Psalm of many Christians today and perhaps the most well known.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want,

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.

He guides 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 rod and Your staff,

they comfort me.

Your prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

This is a Psalm written by David.  He starts out this Psalm with a focus on the Lord as His shepherd.

He saw himself as a sheep of sorts and the Lord was his shepherd.  David knew a lot about sheep since he watched over his father's flock in his younger days,

Sheep can get themselves into all kinds of trouble,  they are easily upset, and they need to be watched over and protected.

The Lord as our Good Shepherd leads us into His presence and He gives us rest.

The Lord is the one that restores our souls.

He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  We are clothed with His righteousness because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. 

Even though we walk through a dark, dangerous, valley with the shadow of death staring us down we need not be afraid because the Lord is with us each step of the way protecting us as we go.

The Lord has prepared a table, a wonderful supper for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.

This feast will be the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Those who are trusting Christ as their Savior will take part in this in the future when Jesus comes again.  What a Glorious Day that will be for those who are trusting in Jesus.

Goodness and love will follow us all the days of our lives and one day we will dwell in the house  of the Lord forever.

He is always looking out for our good and He loves us more than we can understand.

One day we will be in heaven with Him and will be with Him forever.

Those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ have that promise. 

What a great promise that is!

Jesus died for our sins on the cross.  We can't save ourselves.

We need to accept His sacrifice for our sins and receive Him as our Lord and Savior.

We are saved by His Grace and we accept it by faith.

Is the Lord your shepherd?

I hope He is and that you are trusting Him each and everyday.

The days ahead may get tough.  There may be times when fear will attack us.

There will be times that we will have to walk through the dark lonesome valley in the shadow of death.

In those moments we must remember who our Shepherd is.

The Lord is our shepherd and He laid down His life for His sheep.

We can trust Him to lead us by the still waters.

We can trust Him to protect us and care for us even when our lives seem to spin out of control.

I would encourage you to call out to the Lord in your time of need and trust Him to answer.

He loves you.  He cares for you.  He will lead you.  He will protect you.  He will provide a way for you.

Trust Him.

Lord,

Thank You for being a Good and Gentle Shepherd.

We praise Your name O Lord.

Lead us and guide us.

Protect us from the enemies attacks.

Lead us by those quiet and peaceful waters.

Give us a fresh faith in You.

In Jesus name,

Amen.