“The Lord is my Shepherd” (Psalm 23)

Psalm 23 NKJV

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.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD 
Forever.

Listen to and watch sermon 

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 30, 2023

The Lord is my Shepherd. Psalm 23 is written by David. God first chose David when he was out in the fields shepherding sheep. Caring for sheep and protecting sheep was his and his family’s specialty.  This poem is a masterpiece. It is quoted many times by the prophets. Jesus quotes Psalm 23 and expands on it. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. We are sheep in the Lord’s flock. It is not just a metaphor. It is a revelation of our true selves.

Sheep are domesticated animals. They are bred to be dependent on humans. As a result, they don’t see well. They can’t run fast from danger. Their big wooly coats are hardly camouflage. They don’t have claws or teeth to defend themselves. We sheep are the Lord’s creation. The Shepherd has made us to be dependent on him. We can’t see all that the Lord sees. We cannot run and hide away from evil. Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the powers of darkness—against which we have no power but like lambs among the wolves. Christ the Lord is our Shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd. He calls you by name. He has known you since before the foundation of the world. You are fearfully and wonderfully made with a God-shaped vacuum that only he can fill. Under his care we may not have all our sheepish wants. But we have all our needs. He leads us to feast on the Word of God which does not fade like grass or wither like flowers. He takes us to the quiet waters to refresh ourselves from the scorching heat and deafening noise of this world.

We go astray. He leaves the ninety-nine to pursue you and me even if we alone have strayed. We may have thought the grass was greener on the other side. We decided to go our own way, to pursue our own selfish desires and self-sufficiency. The Shepherd finds us in our true condition when we separate ourselves from the Good Shepherd—cast on our backs, caught in a thicket, unable to get our feet back under us, and just beginning to realize that apart from him we can do nothing. “I just want to be a sheep. Baa-baa-baa. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. I just want to be a sheep. Baa-baa-baa.” But do we truly want to be a sheep? Or is the song we sing to ourselves, “I just want to be independent…self-sufficient…trust my own understanding”…do things like Frank Sinatra sang, “I did it my way.”

He restores our souls. He lifts us out of the pit. He sets us on our own four feet. In our sheepish minds, he turns the world upside down. But we are just beginning to see life aright. We can only navigate this world when we follow and stay with the Good Shepherd—whom Peter in our Scripture calls “the guardian of our souls.” Salvation belongs to the Lord. He alone can keep us on the right path. So we fix our eyes upon Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Author and perfecter of our faith. For our benefit, yes, but also for the glory and praise of his holy Name.

Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Even though we know lions and wolves may ambush us in the darkness…even though we cannot see tripping stones, the steep cliff at our side, or the hedge of thorns ahead…we don’t let fear get the best of us. Greater is he who is within you and beside you than the evil in world. He can hurl his polished stones at the enemy with quick and deadly precision. His shepherd’s crook is there to guide you. His word is a lamp to our path and lamp to our feet. We have a peace that transcends our limited, sheepish understanding. We have a comfort that soothes our timid souls. We walk with someone willing to lay his life down for the sheep. He delivers us from our wandering ways, the evil that threatens us, and has destroyed death itself. We should not fear. We will not fear.

Then there is the great transformation. It is not enough that the Good Shepherd would treat us as his beloved sheep. In a world where sheep become the meal, the Good Shepherd gives himself for heavenly food. He does not treat us as sheep but as his beloved daughters and sons. He prepares a table—a banquet of rich food and of wine well-refined. He anoints our heads making us his royal children. He fills our cups until they overflow. He lavishly blesses us in body and soul—grace upon grace.

When we wander again, the Good Shepherd send his sheep-hounds. They are search-and-rescue dogs. Their names are Goodness and Mercy. God’s angels and Holy Spirit will pursue us all the days of our lives. We cannot outrun them. Like the prodigal son who comes to his senses when he remembers his loving Father, so goodness and mercy will continue to bring us back to the Good Shepherd—all the days of our lives. Every day we will find goodness and mercy—or rather—goodness and mercy will find us. Every day we live by grace through faith. Every day we live in the forgiveness of the Good Shepherd.  We have come his table and house—not as guests—not as sheep—but permanent residents and royal children. We make our home with him—he makes his home with us forever.

The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his.
And he is mine forever.

And so, through all the length of days,
Thy goodness faileth never.
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house forever.
          (“The King of Love, My Shepherd Is” LBW 456, vv. 1 & 6)

Alleluia! Christ is risen!