The Person of the Shepherd (Psalm 23:1) – PART 1

The Person of the Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)

Psalm 23:1, The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the true shepherd of mankind. He will never forget us, fail us, or forsakes us. Christians are His sheep. As sheep, we need a shepherd in our lives. Isaiah made this very clear. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). Sheep are prone to wander and cannot exist without men. Sheep follow one another and one can lead the others astray. To their own demise, men tend to follow men and not God. Those who make the Lord their Shepherd have so much to be thankful for. They are domestic animals dependent upon the care of men. We too, are dependent upon the Lord. We need Him to shepherd us!

David said with confidence and explicitness, “The Lord IS MY shepherd.” We do not look at Him as “a shepherd.” We look at Him as “our shepherd”. He does not say, “The Lord might be my shepherd, could be my shepherd, or is a shepherd”. No, David states, “He is my shepherd.” Christianity is a personal relationship with God through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 23, takes us from an impersonal religion to a personal relationship with God. For example, note the following pattern of references to the Shepherd:

• One reference to "the Lord" in Psalm 23:1.
• Two references to "He" in Psalm 23:2.
• Three references to "He, His" in Psalm 23:3.
• Three references to "Thou, thy" in Psalm 23:4.
• Two references to "Thou" in Psalm 23:5.
• One reference to "the Lord" in Psalm 23:6.

You won’t find sheep being used as a national symbol like eagles, lions, and bears. Why is this? Sheep are slow and stubborn. Sheep are unintelligent animals that do not learn well and are not easily trained. They do not see and hear well. Sheep are dependent and defenseless. They are awkward, not very fast, and have no defense. They are never candidates for king of the forest. They are prone to stray. Sheep may develop a habit of wandering off the Shepherd’s pastureland in search of “greener pastures”. A straying sheep is easy prey and the watchful protection of a caring shepherd is crucial to sheep that have a tendency to wander. Sheep also scare easily and are confused with little effort. Sheep are easily spooked and disturbed. We also tend to be like sheep and become consumed with worry and fear. In a panic, they have been known to plunge over the edge of a cliff. These traits reveal that sheep need a shepherd. As do we! Satan wants us to crash our lives as well (I Peter 5:8; John 10:10a). Men are spiritually blind and lost in sin and need the Great Shepherd (Lord Jesus Christ) to find them, save them, and show them the way through life.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to save and shepherd me. Thank You for always being there for me.
In Jesus Name AMEN!

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