Month: April 2020

When the Lord is my Shepherd I shall have no want for comfort

“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4b

About six hundred times, the Scriptures refer to sheep, lambs, ewes, sheepfolds, and shepherds. God seems to be saying to us, “If you want to learn something about the Christian life, watch the sheep. And if you want to know something about Me, watch a faithful shepherd.”

In the first half of verse 4, we saw that one of the paths our Good Shepherd leads us down goes through “the valley of the shadow of death.” David writes that he was comforted by his Shepherd as he led him through this dark time in his life. He says, “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

The “rod” refers to a great oak club about two feet long with a round head in which the shepherd pounded sharp bits of metal. He used the rod to defend his flock against wild beasts. A skillful shepherd not only swung the club to smash the head of a predator, but he would also throw the club like a missile over the heads of his sheep to strike a wolf or mountain lion lurking in the distance.

The “staff” was a long walking stick that was bent or hooked at one end. The shepherd used his staff to restrain sheep from wandering or hooked their legs to pull them out of holes into which they had fallen. He also used it to pull branches aside when a sheep got tangled in a thicket or to beat back the high grass to drive out snakes coiled on the path.

The sheep take comfort from the shepherd’s power.The word “comfort” means to give strength. To comfort is to give strength by supplying power. God offers us more than a handkerchief to dry our tears – He offers us His power and His might. But if we are honest with ourselves, we may be somewhat afraid of God’s power perhaps because we think He is like us – unpredictable. One day we are up and another day we are down. One day we are all smiles and another day we are all frowns. We suspect God is that way. One day He uses His power on our behalf and another day He wants to flex His muscles some and hurl a thunderbolt into our lives.

We need to remember that our Good Shepherd is as gracious as He is powerful. God cannot use His power outside of His love. His grace limits His power just as His holiness limits His love. God will not move in might except to carry out the desires of His heart.

For example, let’s say you have a daughter who becomes very ill with the coronavirus. When the doctor examines her, he then rushes her to the hospital. He tells you that he is not sure she will live through the night. You are standing there, watching helplessly as your little girl struggles for her life. In those moments, some great truths in Scripture come to your mind. First of all, you know that God loves you and He loves your little girl (John 3:16). After all, He loved you enough to die for you both (Romans 5:8). You know that nothing and no one can separate you both from His love (Romans 8:35-39).

Yet you loved your little girl, too, and you are helpless to do what your love desires. Then you realize that the God who loves you both is also the God of power (cf. Jeremiah 32:17). And you know that He has the strength to do what His love desires. If God chose that your daughter stay with you, He had the power to keep her alive. And if God chose to take your daughter home, this, too, would be His loving choice. He has the power to do anything that His heart knows best.

The comfort of God can calm our fears because we can rest our lives in His strength. Would it really comfort us if all our “whys” were answered? Why the child had to meet that deadly virus? Why all of this social distancing? Why did the train have to be there the moment those teenagers crossed the railroad tracks? Why all the flooding and property damage from the typhoon?

If God simply gave scientific or philosophical explanations to our bruising questions, could they really comfort us? A child is not comforted by being told why she has contracted the coronavirus. Nor is a child comforted by being told why her finger hurts when it is bruised in a car door, or why her tummy aches. She is comforted by knowing that her mother loves her, and that she can do something about her hurt.

We can obtain much comfort from the defending rod and staff of our Good Shepherd, not only for ourselves but for others. We may not be able to visit people face to face right now, but we can pray to the One who can be there with them to comfort them with His powerful love and presence.

Prayer: Good Shepherd, there is so much in life that I do not understand. Many people are going through dark times right now. There is much chaos and confusion in our world today. But this chaos and confusion begin to fade away when I turn the eyes of my heart towards You. I really do not need answers to my questions right now. I need You O Lord. Knowing that You love me without condition and that You have the power to take care of me always, is the greatest source of comfort and security for me at this moment. Thank You so much for Your rod which You hurl at the enemy when he whispers lies that provoke fear in my heart. Thank You for Your staff which You use to guide me or rescue me when I get into trouble. I need You Jesus. Nothing more and nothing less. Thank You for being a faithful, loving, and all powerful Shepherd. My trust is in You. In Your name. Amen.

When the Lord is my Shepherd I have no want for courage

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me.” Psalm 23:4a

As we have seen the last few days, the greatest king the nation of Israel ever knew, David, pictured his relationship with God as that of a sheep to a shepherd. David placed himself in the position of a dependent, defenseless, and dumb sheep when he wrote in verse 1, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” When David trusted the Lord as his Shepherd, he had no want for:

– Rest because his Shepherd made him lie down in green pastures.

– Refreshment because his Shepherd led him beside still waters.

– Restoration because his Shepherd restored his soul when he wandered away from Him.ui

– Righteous living because his Shepherd guided him in the right paths.

Probably the most familiar verse in this Psalm is verse 4. When David wrote the words of this verse, he was probably thinking of an actual place in Palestine called the valley of the shadows or “the valley of the deep darkness.” This was a deep and dark ravine with steep sides and a narrow floor.

Notice how the beginning of verse 4 is related to the end of verse 3. David wrote in verse 3b, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” But then he goes on to say in verse 4a that one of the paths of righteousness that the Lord leads him in is “the valley of the shadow of death.” Early in the year in Palestine, the flocks graze in the lowlands. But as the summer comes and the hot sun melts the snows on the mountainsides, the shepherd leads his flock to better grazing on the mountains high above. To take the flock to this better land on which to graze, he must lead them through some dangerous and dark ravines.

On one side of the ravine, huge trees reach up to block out the sun, making noontime as dark as twilight. On the other side, a deep precipice leads down to a riverbed where the water foams and roars, torn by jagged rocks. Hidden in the shadows of the dark pathway are dangers such as poisonous snakes coiled to strikeand wolves or mountain lions ready to pounce upon a sheep to destroy it.

Yet the sheep go through this dangerous ravine of darkness because the shepherd has led them there. It took courage for a sheep to follow the shepherd through this dangerous ravine and the sheep gained courage by relying upon their shepherd. The sheep’s only safety lay in keeping close to the shepherd’s side and in obeying his commands.

What David is saying is that he had courage to go through the fearful experiences of life because he had a Good Shepherd Who led him into those experiences and Who would defend him from their dangers. Most of us may be afraid of tomorrow because of the coronavirus. Afraid that we may lose our jobs or keep them. We may be fearful of losing our health or loved ones. Afraid that government officials may make poor decisions. Afraid that our children may turn out wrong or if they grow up, that they may be blown up in a war. Afraid of disapproval or rejection. Afraid to live and afraid to die.

Where do you get your courage? Where do you get the stamina to stand up to life? For David, courage does not come from whistling in the dark or from believing that we can defend ourselves. As sheep, we are helpless to fight our enemies. The most courageous sheep in the world would be an easy meal for the smallest wolf or mountain lion.

As sheep, we need courage to trust our Good Shepherd. When a mountain lion comes to attack the flock or a wolf lurks close by, the sheep needs only to look up to be sure that the shepherd is near. Then it can go back to grazing. And that takes courage! We must learn that we cannot fight our spiritual battles by ourselves. We are just helpless sheep, and unless the Shepherd defeats our enemies, we will be found some place out in the desert of life, torn and bleeding. When we encounter the frightening events of life, we must learn to trust our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must turn the struggle over to Him and go back to feeding again. That takes courage; but it also gives courage.

As I read through this Psalm, I noticed the change of pronouns in the middle of these verses. In verses 1-3, David has been talking ABOUT the Shepherd. But suddenly in verse 4, David begins to talk TO the Shepherd. The Psalmist has changed his song from praise to prayer. When David felt the clammy hand of terror squeezing his heart, he wrote, “I will fear no evil; For You are with me.” When David thought about the rest, refreshment, and sunny green pastures, he talked ABOUT his Shepherd. But when he thought about the dark ravines in his life through which he had passed and through which he was sure to go, he spoke directly TO the Lord.

Are we any different? It is nice to talk about the Lord as long as things are in the sunshine. But when the darkness comes we no longer talk ABOUT the Lord, we talk TO Him. What are you going through today? What shadows seem to lie across your tomorrows? The Shepherd knows them all, and you can have courage as He leads you through the dark valley – if you trust Him. Talk to Him about your fears so that His presence can give you courage.

Death is the darkest valley that lies before us. We are fearful when our loved one goes through it and more fearful when we face it ourselves. Of all our enemies, death is not only the last, but the worst. We show fear by not facing up to death. We spend a lot of time thinking we won’t go through death. As our age climbs, we fight to push it back by going to hairdressers and health clubs, and by applying lotions and dyes. We try to disguise death at funerals with flowers and soft music.

In Revelation 1:17b-18, the risen and exalted Lord Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am He Who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” The exalted Lord Jesus “laid His right hand on” the apostle John and commanded him, “Do not be afraid” because He is the eternal God (“the First and the Last”), the resurrected One (“I am He who lives, and was dead, and … I am alive forevermore”), and the One with authority over death and the dwelling of the dead (“I have the keys of Hades and of Death”). This same Jesus wants to give us courage to live triumphantly through His presence in our lives, both here and in the hereafter. Will you let Him?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, it gives me great confidence to know that as my Good Shepherd, one of the paths of righteousness that You lead me in goes through dark and dangerous ravines. I realize now that You do not abandon me in those dark places of life. You are there with me to give me courage and strength. My greatest safety and security is staying close to Your side. Right now I invite You into the places of my soul where fear has frozen my feelings and hardened my heart. Your loving presence casts out my fear. Thank You gentle and loving Shepherd for not leaving me or rejecting me when I am afraid. Please help me focus on Your powerful and loving presence today. You are in control of all that happens. My trust is in You my loving Shepherd to lead me triumphantly through the valley of the shadow of death. The battles I face today belong to You. My hope is in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  

When the Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want for righteous living

“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3b

In Palestine, there were any paths sprawled across the terrain. Some have been worn by travelers going from city to city. Others by robbers who want to lead a flock aside to attack the shepherd and steal his sheep. Other paths have been made by the winds that have blown across the sand. To the untrained eye, they all look like real paths. But when you follow them, they lead nowhere.

David asserts that when he trusts the Lord as his Shepherd, he shall not want for righteous living because God leads him in the right paths. God not only leads us to the right places, He also guides us to the right kind of life. When we make decisions, we often only want to know where God wants us to be, whether it is in California, Iowa, the Philippines, Nigeria, or India.

But God’s leading is not so much to a place as it is to a position and character. Maybe you are at a crossroad in your life. You may be facing a career change, a move to another place, a new school, or a new season in your life. Where does God want you to be? The emphasis in the Bible is not on where God wants us to be geographically, but on who He wants us to be. Not where I am but who I am.

There are not any verses in the Bible that tell you a specific college to attend, state to live in, job to apply for, mutual fund to invest in, or a specific name of a person to marry. Do you know what God’s will is for you today? First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We need to realize, that if we are what God wants us to be, then He will place us where He wants us to be.

The word “He” is key here. “He leads me…” This guidance grows out of a personal relationship with our Good Shepherd. God does not give us a set of directions and tell us to follow them. Instead, He Himself goes before us to take us to the place of His choosing.

In Palestine, shepherds used fruit to get sheep to follow them. He led them as He fed them. For us as Christians, I believe the “fruit” is God’s Word. God works through His Word to show us His will for our lives (cf. Psalm 119:105). He can also work through circumstances, people, personal guidance from the Holy Spirit, and even His peace in our hearts to confirm His leading. But the primary way God leads us is through the Bible (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Why is the Lord so concerned about leading us “in the paths of righteousness?” How can we be certain we can trust His guidance? Because our Good Shepherd has a reputation (“for His name’s sake”) to maintain. If a shepherd were to lead his sheep down the wrong path or lose them to wolves or thieves, he would be disgraced and no one would trust other sheep into His care. God will not lead us astray for the sake of His reputation and His name. God safely leads all His sheep that put their trust in Him. He leads them down the paths of righteous so that His reputation is upheld.

Before we can trust the Lord as our Shepherd to meet our daily needs, we must first trust Him as our Savior to meet our eternal need. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus Christ died in our place to pay the penalty for all of our sins. Whether we have sinned once or a million times, we need a Savior to save us from the penalty of our sins which is “death” or separation from God for eternity (Romans 3:23; 6:23a; Revelation 20:15). After Jesus died in our place, He rose from the dead three days later just as He promised to prove that He is God and had conquered sin, death, and the devil (I Corinthians 15:3-6; cf. Matthew 16:21).

Christ is alive today and He says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). Jesus does not say, “I am a door,” leaving open the possibility of other ways into the fold. He is “the door.” He is the only way into God’s fold. The phrase “by Me,” is in an emphatic position (at the beginning of the sentence). Literally it says, “Through Me, if anyone enters, he will be saved.” Only Jesus can provide access or entrance into God’s sheepfold through faith in Him. There is no other way for people to be saved from their sins and enter God’s family except through Jesus Christ (cf. John 1:12; 3:16; 14:6; Acts 4:12; I Timothy 2:5-6). Notice what Jesus promises the person who enters through Him – “he will be saved.” He does not say, “he might be saved,” or “he could be saved.” “He will be saved.” His salvation is absolutely certain and complete.

If you have never understood this before, simply believe Jesus’ promise, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” Believe or trust in Christ alone, and you will be saved from eternal separation from Him and enter the sheepfold of His family forever.

Once you believe in Christ, you can begin to trust Him as your Shepherd to meet your daily needs, including the need for righteous living.

Prayer: Good Shepherd, thank You for saving me the moment I believed in You for everlasting life! I am trusting You now to lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Thank You for Your personal leading in my life that is molding me into Your image. I can trust Your guidance because You will never lead me in a way that would undermine Your reputation. Your leading is always consistent with Your righteous character. There are so many voices to listen to today and paths to take, but Your voice and Your leading is my heart’s desire. Thank You for not abandoning me, but for leading me to be the person You created me to be. I praise Your holy name for never giving up on me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

When the Lord is my Shepherd I have no want for refreshment

“He leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23:2b

When David says the Lord “leads me beside still waters,” he is probably thinking of an incident that takes place in the life of a shepherd in Palestine. Sheep are deeply afraid of running water. Instinctively they know that if water should get on their coats of wool, they would sink beneath the stream. As a result, they will only stand beside a stream of water without drinking even when they are extremely thirsty. Their fear of the running water keeps them from drinking.

When a wise shepherd sees this, he moves in with his rod and staff to pry loose some large rocks with which to dam up the raging stream so that his sheep can safely drink from the “stilled waters.” In the midst of a rushing stream, he provides refreshment for the flock with water he has stilled.

The wise shepherd leads his sheep “beside” the still waters, not “through” them or “into” them. He knows that his sheep are afraid of running water. So he first calms those raging waters and then leads his sheep “beside” them where they can safely drink and be refreshed.

Has your Good Shepherd ever done this for you? Have the raging streams of the coronavirus or other difficult circumstances of life seemed to be more than you could bear? Have you drawn back in fear recently when it seemed like life was like a rampaging stream about to suck you under and bury you beneath its flow? But then your Good Shepherd moves in with His rod and staff, and He works through those circumstances you fear most and makes them a source of spiritual refreshment?

God is a very gracious and understanding Shepherd. He knows His sheep better than we know ourselves. He knows our fears and our vulnerabilities. So He “leads us beside” a rushing stream to still its waters so we may be refreshed and soothed. It’s important to remember that God’s responsibility is to lead us and still the waters that overwhelm us. It is our responsibility to follow Him.

Martha Snell Nicholson had been bedridden for several years with a terminal illness. After a partial recovery came a series of difficult operations which seemed to do little good. In her last years she was in constant pain and increasing weakness. One day her physician told her that her condition was too far advanced to respond to treatment. In that hour she wrote this poem entitled, “When He Putteth Forth His Own Sheep.”

I could not walk this darkening path of pain alone;

The years have taken toll of me;

Sometimes my banners droop; my arms have grown too tired,

And laughter comes less easily.

And often these – my shrinking cowardly eyes refuse

To face the thing ahead of me,

The certainty of growing pain and helplessness…

But oh, my Lord is good, for He

Comes quickly to me as I lie there in the dust

Of my defeat and shame and fear;

He stoops and raises me and sets me on my feet,

And softly whispers in my ear

That He will never leave me – nay, that He will go

Before me all the way. And so,

My hand in His, along this brightening path of pain,

My Lord and I go together

The peace of God is not the absence of problems, but the presence of Christ in the midst of those problems. Jesus is aware of our difficulties. He is present with us in our problems. We fear not, because He is with us and He is in charge.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for leading me and not abandoning me. Only You can take what I fear the most and turn it into something that soothes and refreshes me. Please help me to follow You even when it does not make sense to me. In Your name. Amen.

When the Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want for restoration

“He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:3a

Sheep have a habit of wandering away from the flock. They become interested in one clump of grass, and then another and another – until they discover that they have strayed far away from the shepherd and the other sheep. When night comes, the lost sheep is in great danger. It could became a meal for wolves, a mountain lion, or even fall over a cliff.

When the shepherd comes back to the fold, he counts his sheep and discovers that one is missing. The shepherd then leaves his servant to guard the flock so he can go out and find his lost sheep and bring it back to the fold.

Some sheep will develop the habit of going astray. Night after night, the shepherd finds the same sheep missing. Eventually, the shepherd will break its leg. Back in the fold, the shepherd makes a splint for the shattered leg and during the days hat follow, he carries that crippled sheep close to his heart. As the leg mends, the shepherd sets the sheep down by his side. The sheep must still depend on the shepherd to cross streams and rocky knolls.

After the leg has healed, the sheep has learned a valuable lesson – stay close to the shepherd’s side. You may think this is cruel or hardhearted until you understand the heart of the shepherd. The shepherd knows the sheep must remain close to him if it is to be protected from danger. So he breaks his leg, not to hurt it, but to restore it.

Have you ever wandered away from God, forcing Him to move in and break your leg? I don’t mean He literally breaks your leg, although He could. Maybe you felt God’s discipline was too severe and harsh. But when you know God’s heart, you realize that these afflictions came in to your life because He wants His sheep to depend constantly on Him. He longs for us to stay close to His heart.

King David understood this when he wrote Psalm 23. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and tried to cover it up by murdering her husband, Uriah (2 Samuel 11). David lived with the guilty memory of his sin for nine months before God sent his prophet, Nathan, to restore his servant (2 Samuel 12:1-15). David’s unbearable anxiety and guilt were removed the moment he confessed his sin to God and experienced His forgiveness (Psalm 32:1-5; 51:1-4). He was restored back to fellowship with the Lord the moment he came clean with Him.

Please understand that our Good Shepherd is the One who “restores” us, just as the shepherd is the one who restores his wandering sheep. Sheep do not restore themselves. The shepherd does. Likewise, we cannot restore ourselves when we have wandered from God. Nor can our spouse, pastor, church, or close friends restore us. This is God’s responsibility.

Have you gone astray from the Lord and sunk deep into the darkness of sin and shame? Do you believe that your sin is greater than God’s grace? Are you convinced that God could never forgive you and restore you back to closeness with Him in light of what you have done?

Listen to the heart of our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus has the best interest of the sheep in mind. He laid down His life so that those who believe in Him may have eternal life (John 3:14-15). The word “for” in this verse refers to the substitutionary death of Christ. Christ died “for” us or “instead” of us. He died in our place.

God could have permitted us to take our own punishment. But instead, 2,000 years ago, God’s perfect Son took our place on the cross and died as our Substitute. The Bible tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

A California newspaper reported that a man fired a gun into a pedestrian-filled sidewalk. To shield a three-year-old boy from the hail of bullets, a twenty-nine-year-old apartment manager grabbed him and ran back into the building. Carrying the boy, he ran up a flight of stairs before collapsing from two bullet wounds in his chest. A policeman observed, “He brought the boy out of the line of fire and died because of it.”  

As our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ took what caused our death, our sin, and died for us before coming back to life three days later. By dying in our place, Jesus satisfied God’s holy demand to punish our sins. There is no need for us to punish ourselves. Christ took our punishment so we can enjoy fellowship with Him after we receive His gift of everlasting life (John 3:16; I John 1:3-4). No amount of our sin is greater than God’s love and grace (Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 2:8-9).

Jesus also said, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:14). It was important for a shepherd to know his sheep. He must know their needs, weaknesses, and their problems. Without this kind of knowledge, he would not be able to adequately provide for the needs of his sheep.

Christ is the Good Shepherd not only because He lays down His life for us,but because He has an intimate knowledge of us. He knows everything about us – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and He still loves us. It is also important that the sheep know their shepherd. They must know his voice so they can respond when he calls them. They must learn to trust their shepherd so he can provide for their needs.

The more we understand how intimately our Good Shepherd knows us and loves us, the more we will believe that no amount of our sin disqualifies us from approaching Him. He wants to restore His wayward sheep. He wants to hold us close to His heart. Will you permit Him to do this in your life? If you will, you can know as David did that when the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want for restoration.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, my gracious and good Shepherd, thank You for Your unlimited love and grace towards me. Thank You for laying down Your life for me so I may have Your life forever the moment I believe in You. Even though I am prone to wander from You, this does not diminish Your love for me. You still seek me out to restore me back to fellowship with You. Thank You for the pain I have felt when I have wandered far away from You. That pain teaches me to come back to You and to stay close to Your heart. Help me to show the same restoring grace to others who have wandered from You as You have shown to me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.