‘The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want!’ Wow, Psalm 23, what a psalm! We can understand why this psalm is the most popular and enduring because when we are going through difficulties in life or experience any kind of war – literally, as in the case of 25+ wars around the globe, including Europe; financially, as in the financial turmoil that some people are experiencing now; or politically, well I do not need to go there with our present government – we can meditate on this famous psalm and say, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd: I shall not want.’
I will go through each verse in this sermon to capture the essence of David’s confidence in the Lord. Verse 1 says, ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’ He is my shepherd, your shepherd. Can you imagine that the creator of the universe cares for you and is likened to a shepherd? He cares for each strand of your hair. The Old Testament portrays God as the shepherd of Israel (Psalm 77:20, Ezekiel 34:11-31) and Israel as his f lock (Psalms 74:1 and 78:52). Jacob spoke of the ‘God who shepherded me.’ This was the opposite of spiritually abusive or unfaithful religious leaders who destroyed his f lock (Jeremiah 23:1-2, Ezekiel 34). King David had been a shepherd so he knew from experience about the care and affection of a good shepherd toward his sheep. This is why David could focus on God’s care of his people like a shepherd. In John 10:11, Jesus said, ‘I am the good shepherd.’ The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. The shepherd knows each sheep. A sheep was not a wild animal and was bought at a great price. We should know that we are purchased at a great price. Just like the shepherd, he cares for us, watches over us and preserves us. Shepherds also provide shelter and medication for the sheep and aid in the birthing process. The sheep are literally helpless without the shepherd. I often wonder how people survive without the Lord.
Verse 1 continues with ‘I shall not want.’
