Welcome back to my third in a series of blogs about Psalm 23.  I think this a beautiful set of verses, written by King David in which he draws upon his experience as a shepherd and his relationship with God.  David clearly understood the role of the shepherd and his importance to the flock.  He also understood and embraced his dependence on God in a spiritual and practical way.  Our word today is the fifth word in the verse and is the underpinning of the entire Psalm.

Shepherd

The word shepherd is a contraction of the two words sheepherder.  Even the word pastor means shepherd and is related to the word pasture.  Pastors are the ones who lead their flock into the nourishment of God’s word.  In Biblical times, one of the most important duties of the shepherd was to love his flock.  The shepherd bonded with the sheep and they bonded with him.  I hope you see where I am going with this:  We are God’s sheep and He is our shepherd.  Read Ezekiel 34:31, “You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture.  You are my people and I am your God”.  We all know the story of the shepherd who left his flock of 99 to search for and recover one lost sheep.  What a beautiful story and testament to the love of God – all of us are loved and cared for.  In writing Psalm 23, David never forgot haw attached he was to his wooly friends as he had migrated for weeks and months in the remote regions of Palestine,

We are like the sheep, utterly dependent on our shepherd.  Sometimes we like to think we can get along just fine without our good and gracious God.  However, in the end, we are really nothing more than sheep without a shepherd.  We are defenseless against the prowling lion that wants to devour us.  We need God to lead, guide and direct us to the green pastures and quiet waters.

I remember my Mom playing this song on the piano in our living room: Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us.

Savior, like a shepherd lead us
Much we need Thy tender care
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us
For our use Thy folds prepare
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

The words and imagery are powerful and speak to us today, as we are apart and yet together.  Have a great week and come back next time for more about Psalm 23.

Phil Anderson