1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have what I need.

2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He renews my life;
he leads me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.

4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the
Lord
as long as I live.

-Psalm 23 (CSB)

The Lord is my Shepherd. I have what I need.

He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

For his name’s sake.

Sweet friend, as we meditate on what it means for the Lord to be our Shepherd, something that comes to mind is that a shepherd is far more than a traffic control operator.

A shepherd is a farmer and a tradesman. He has a product to not only feed and clothe his family with, but to take to market to enrich the lives of others.

To make a livelihood from shepherding, the quality of his sheep must be top-notch.

Why does the Lord lead us to green pastures and quiet waters?

For his name’s sake.

How do we know the Lord will always give us renewal of life and lead us on right paths?

Because the quality of our lives represents the quality of His care.

Our Lord will ALWAYS do what is best for us because He receives honor and glory from a well-lived Christian life.

Now, if we’re going to talk about the Shepherd, then we also have to talk about His sheep.

I spent some time around sheep as a young person in 4-H, and I can tell you that lambs are super cute, but sheep, sheep are smelly and stubborn, easily spooked and prone to wander.

And oh dear heart, are we not at times the same?

Sin stinks and when we sin, we are spiritually smelly.

God gave us free will and at times we are very stubborn, clinging to our way instead of surrendering to God’s way.

God tells us over 300 times in His Word not to be afraid because He knows that our emotions and our eyeballs get the best of us sometimes; we put far more stock in what we feel and what we can see at times than we do in His promises to us.

And wandering, oh goodness, how easily we are distracted by greener looking grass…

The Lord is a good, good Shepherd because He loves His sheep and because His sheep represent His name. There is no fault or failing in His care for us (Isaiah 46:10; 2 Samuel 22:33).

Which means we must consider… if we are not experiencing the full blessing of green pastures and quiet waters, if we’re on a path that shows evidence of being the wrong path, then we are not following our Shepherd as we should.

Beloved, take some time today to meditate on Psalm 23:1-3. As you do, earnestly consider these questions:

• Is there known or unknown sin in my life? Something God told me to do that I’m not doing? Something He says not to do that I am doing? Someone I need to forgive? Someone I need to ask to forgive me?
• Is there an area of my life where I am clinging to my own will, my own way of doing things instead of surrendering to God’s shepherding?
• Has something drawn my attention away from God? Even something good, like my children’s activities or activities that I lead? Do I need to ask God to reveal distraction and help me prioritize my time and my fellowship with Him?

Join me again tomorrow as we continue to look at Psalm 23 and remember, our Shepherd will ALWAYS do what is best for us!