|
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
~Psalm 23~
In-person service at
Second Baptist Church
2412 Griffith Ave.
Los Angeles
William S. Epps, Senior Pastor
| |
|
1“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. 3He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anoints my head with oil; my cup runs over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
Psalm 23 KJV
Introduction
The scripture for today is one of the most popular passages in all of sacred writ,
Psalm 23. The Psalms are an anthology of literature collected in a remote land many, many centuries ago. They are sung and chanted by countless millions of people around the world. They comprise the corporate and individual history of people as they deal with the fundamental issues of life.
The Psalms are often referred to as a hymnbook. Fitting that this hymnbook of prayers or this hymnbook of songs is in the center of the Bible, the heartbeat of life capturing historical memory with narratives with songs, prayers, and laments.
The image of shepherd and sheep is found throughout the Bible. Old Testament kings and prophets were sometimes referred to as shepherds. Paul uses this image when admonishing leaders of the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:28). The title "pastor" literally means 'shepherd'.
Psalm 23 is probably one of the most familiar of all of the psalms which shares the Lord as a shepherd. No other psalm has been memorized, recited or sung more than Psalm 23. This psalm never grows old or boring, but rather remains relevant in speaking to the quintessential qualities of life in all of its complexity, diversity and intrigue with a timeless clarity that is insightful, inspirational and interesting.
Consider what it means that Psalm 23 is the most memorized,
recited and sung of all the psalms.
| |
|
Throughout scripture the image of shepherd is used to convey truths about the relationship of the Lord with people. The shepherd symbol is one of caring, directing, guiding, protecting and providing for those for whom one cares. The Lord is the example of a model of a shepherd characterizing the nature of what a shepherd should be. Psalm 23 has a reflection depicting a person’s experience of the Lord as a shepherd which encompasses with picturesque detail what a shepherd is and does.
Given the state of affairs in the world today with questionable leadership, imagine
whose leadership you are following, or put another way, who are you permitting to shepherd you? The sweet lyricist of Israel reminds us of his experience of the Lord as
a shepherd which is all encompassing, enlightening and exciting to say the least. Just maybe, the description we have here in Psalm 23 should become the measure of what determines what we want in one we trust to shepherd us through the maze of chaos, conflict and confusion that is so prevalent given the options available to us from which to choose. Just maybe the example of the Lord as shepherd provides us with what we need to make a choice that is consistent with the kind of shepherd the Lord is as described in Psalm 23.
Remember that the center passage of the Bible says in Psalm 118:8, “It is better to
trust in God than to put confidence in man.”
Consider what it means to be shepherded or follow a leader
who shepherds like the Lord.
| |
|
Psalm 23 has the sweet lyricist of Israel making an affirmation of faith, a declaration of confidence and a proclamation of certainty with a definitive statement without any hesitation or reservation that “the Lord is my shepherd.” There are no ifs, ands, buts or maybes, or so I hope.
The psalmist is speaking out of the abundance of experiences in his life where he encountered the reality of the Lord’s presence providing what was necessary to face what he was going through. It is like saying, I know what I know based on what has happened to me and the conclusion that I reached as a result of what I discovered.
I discovered that the Lord is my shepherd. The Lord leads, guides, directs, orchestrates and mitigates what is happening in the world and the life of persons in such a way as to make available all that is necessary to navigate your way through whatever it is you are facing. The Lord is my shepherd. You are not left on your own to make your way by yourself. The Lord is leading us through life. One composer put it in these words:
“In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along;
Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,
God leads His dear children along.
Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.
Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,
God leads His dear children along;
Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night,
God leads His dear children along.
Though sorrows befall us and Satan oppose,
God leads His dear children along;
Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,
God leads His dear children along.”
Consider what it means that the Lord leads His people
through all of life’s changing scenes.
| |
|
The psalmist goes on to share what life is like to have the Lord as your shepherd. I hope I can ignite your imagination about life with the Lord as your shepherd.
Firstly, the lyricist of Israel says something about the sufficiency of the shepherd. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
God is the real necessity for life and living. If you have the Lord in your life you have everything you need to manage what you face in life. When the Lord is your shepherd you do not lack anything that can help you navigate your way through whatever happens.
Look at what you have when the Lord is your shepherd. You have assurance for your adversity, belief for your bewilderment, courage for your circumstance, confidence for your crises, comfort for your calamity, deliverance for your distress, direction for your difficulty, energy for your exasperation, faith for your frustration, grace for your guilt, healing for your hurts, insight for your insufficiency, liberation for your liabilities, mercy for your mistakes, pardon for your poor performance, redemption for your ruin, reconciliation for your ruptured relationships, solace in your sorrow, salvation for your sin, triumph through your troubles.
God knows exactly what we need in life to manage all of the uncertainty that comes with living. What the Lord provides is more than enough to carry us through whatever happens in our lives.
Consider what it means that you have all you need
in life with the Lord as your shepherd.
| |
|
Secondly, the lyricist says something about the satisfaction of what the shepherd supplies.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
The Lord makes you rest. Broken rest can impair a person on every level (emotionally, psychologically, physically, and spiritually). Lacking enough rest can have major impacts including poor concentration, reduced reaction times, and altered mood. Rest can improve attitude, behavior and conduct.
He leads me beside the still waters.
The Lord relaxes you. Relaxation keeps your heart healthier, cuts stress, reduces tension, improves brain function and memory, helps you avoid depression, anxiety and habits that are detrimental.
He restores my soul.
The Lord restores and refreshes you. Restoration and refreshment are a part of maintaining good health. You have a refresh button on your electronic gadgets, you reboot them so they can function at an optimum level.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
The Lord redirects /reroutes you. You were rest broken, losing the ability to relax, in need of restoration and refreshment, in need of redirecting the pattern of your activity, behavior and conduct (a b c’s of life. (Rest / Relax / Restore and Redirect is a mantra for redesigning your life.
Consider what the Lord provides as your shepherd - rest, relaxation, refreshment, and redirection, which are necessary components
of managing life and living.
| |
|
Thirdly, the lyricist says something about the security of being shepherded.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. The Lord is with you as you face your fears, all that frightens you. Life's bullies and burdens, life's calamities and confusion, life's disappointments and distresses, life's hurts and harms, life's inequities and injustices, life's sinister situations, you name it. The Lord is with you. There is an abiding and constant Presence that gives us courage for our circumstances, direction for difficulty and strength for every situation. Sense that ineffable Presence in whom you live and move and have your being whose abiding presence is with you always to see you through. (Acts 17:28)
5Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Whatever is done to burden you will be used to your advantage to bless you. Imagine the Lord preparing a table before you in the presence of your enemies and there isn't anything they can do about it. "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:19). Look at what the Lord has done is the history of the world and individuals freeing people from captivity and oppression, liberating people from the confines of cultural deprivation, providing a path to fulfilling their potential positively.
You anoint my head with oil. The origin of anointing was from a practice of shepherds. Lice and other insects would often get into the wool of sheep, and when they got near the sheep's head, they could burrow into the sheep's ears and kill the sheep. So, ancient shepherds poured oil on the sheep's head. “Sheep can get their head caught in briers and die trying to get untangled. There are horrid little flies that like to torment sheep by laying eggs in their nostrils which turn into worms and drive the sheep to beat their head against a rock, sometimes to death. Their ears and eyes are also susceptible to tormenting insects. So the shepherd anoints their whole head with oil. Then there is peace. That oil forms a barrier of protection against the evil that tries to destroy the sheep. Imagine the Lord anointing your head so as to protect you from the venomous vitriolic verbiage with disinformation that misdirects and misconstrues truth promoting falsehood and that which is fake and made up as oppose to that which is true and real.
My cup runs over. The Lord is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn’t want
his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn’t notice her. Mrs. Goodnest
said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.
The next school day, Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl, Marcy, set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor boy he knew. She did this for the whole week. As the boys walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy’s little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Finally he said to Timmy, “Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?” Timmy nonchalantly replied, “Yeah, I know who she is.” The friend said, “Well, who is she?” “That’s just Shirley Goodnest,” Timmy replied,” and her daughter Marcy” “Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us?” “Well,” Timmy explained, “every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, ‘cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, ‘Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life’, so I guess I’ll just have to get used to it!”
David realized that goodness flanked him on one side and mercy on the other side.
Finally, the Psalmist concludes by resolving to dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.
Consider what it means that the Lord is present with you to see you through
the worst that you face, prepares a table for you before your enemies,
protects you against the infection of what’s sinister which will cause you to
be discombobulated, provides abundantly more than you imagine, assures
you that He flanks you on the right with goodness and the left with mercy
to protect throughout your life.
| |
|
Who is this shepherd. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11). Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me." (John 10:14)
“With every fiber in my body, with all of my heart, soul and mind,
I worship you heavenly Father at this appointed time.
I'll let nothing get in the way of what I have to say,
you are worthy of all the praise that I bring.”
“You thought I was worth saving so you came and changed my life
You thought I was worth keeping so you cleaned my up inside
You thought I was to die for so you sacrificed your life
so I could be free, I could be whole
and I could tell everyone I know
you thought I was worth it.” (Anthony Brown)
I Give You Jesus / Brenda Lowe
If the ship of your life Is tossing on the sea of strife
You need someone
And if you feel so all alone and your house is not a home
You need someone
If it seems life isn't fair, and there's no one left to share
All your lonely days and nights
It seems that nothing turns out right
And you need someone to care
Someone to just be there
You need someone
If the pressures all around Keeps your spirit to the ground
You need someone
If your body is wrapped with pain And your health you can't regain
You need someone
If there are times that you have tried with all the strength you have inside
And it seems like you have failed
Remember Jesus was nailed For all your bitterness and grief
He is here to give you sweet relief
You know Jesus, is that someone you need
So I give you, Jesus
He's the peace that passes all understanding
I give you, Jesus
He's the perfect love that cast away all fear
I give you Jesus
He's that water that you drink and never thirst again
I give you, Jesus My friend... I give you, Jesus.
Consider what it means to have a shepherd that will give his life to preserve, protect and provide for you to manage your life.
| | | | |
