THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
By Donnie Swaggart
Psalms 23:1-3 — “The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of Righteousness for His Name’s sake.”
Without a doubt, this is one of the most well known Chapters in the Bible. David writes from the perspective of the sheep, rather than the shepherd.
“MY SHEPHERD"
The opening statement says it all; the Lord is “My Shepherd.” I want you to see that in spite of all the untold millions who are Born-Again in the world today, still the Lord is my personal shepherd. Yes, He has many other sheep in the flock, still He knows me, He watches over me, He cares for me. You are not an afterthought or a burden. With all that is going on in the world, still, the Great Shepherd cares for me and for you. You should take comfort in the fact that everything the Lord has done, and is doing, is for us, the sheep.
The Hebrew meaning for the title “LORD” in this first Verse is “Jehovah-Ro-i” and it means, “The LORD is my Shepherd,” but the title “LORD” also means “Jehovah-Jireh,” which means, “The Lord will provide.” This tells us that the Lord is the only One Who can provide that which the flock needs to make it through life. This is born out by the next part of the Verse.
“I SHALL NOT WANT”
This one statement covers it all regarding all that we need to live, spiritually, physically, materially, and emotionally. We the sheep need not lack in any area of life. Satan tries to get us to look to other shepherds, hear other voices, and seek other counsel. All of it looks very religious, sounds very spiritual; yet only Christ, and Christ alone, can meet the need of the flock. The Believer’s greatest battle will be the battle following Christ, and Christ alone.
“HE MAKES ME TO LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES”
The pronoun “He” actually says “Jehovah-Shalom,” meaning “The Lord our Peace.” Green pastures proclaim to us that only our Shepherd can supply us with a bountiful supply. Following any other voice will only lead to barren pastures.
“HE LEADS ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS”
This term actually means “waters of refreshment.” This world is a desert, but in the midst of this desert there is continual refreshing for the sheep following the True Shepherd. Jesus referred to this in John 4:13-14. He alone is the provider of Everlasting Life.
“HE RESTORES MY SOUL”
“He” in the first part of this Verse refers to “Jehovah-Rapha,” that is “The Lord our Healer.” This statement refers to the soul being revived and reinvigorated. This world with all its problems wears us down, but the Lord our Shepherd is constantly restoring and healing. This is done through the Work of the Holy Spirit.
“HE LEADS ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE”
“He” refers to “Jehovah-Tsidkenu,” which means, “The Lord our Righteousness.” The paths of Righteousness mean paths of pleasantness and peace. Only the Lord knows the right path, implying that Satan will try to deceive us into following paths that look peaceful and pleasant, yet they only lead to hurt. He leads us to the right path “for His Name’s sake,” meaning God blesses us for “Jesus’ sake” because He is the One Who has paid the price for all of the benefits. The Shepherd provides for the sheep.
These three Verses can be summed up in the two words uttered by Christ to Peter and Andrew in Matthew 4:19; they are, “Follow Me.” True sheep only follow the True Shepherd and true sheep only hear His Voice (Jn. 10:3-5).
May you follow the True Shepherd and live in His bountiful supply.
Next month will be Part 2, Verses 4-6.
