Parkwood Baptist Church

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

The first few phrases of this Psalm have reminded us that the Lord is our Good Shepherd.  We can trust Him to meet our needs and to give us security and rest.  He knows us and He knows what we need…He restores our soul.  He has proven this great love for us on the cross.  Walking further into these verses, David tells us that the Good Shepherd also guides us.  He knows where you have been.  He knows where you are and where you need to go and can give you the direction that you need to get there.  We are on a journey that God has designed us to travel.  Another Psalm of David says, “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16).  Paul said, “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared for us in advance to do” (Eph. 2:10).

This is exciting but, in order to experience the things that God has planned for us, we need a good guide.  Sometimes we can get distracted.  Sometimes we think that we know the best way because we know the situation better than Him.  The writer of Hebrews says,

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, as we are – yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15)

Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith.  He knows the way.  The Good Shepherd is our guide through the complexities of this life.  He can help us maneuver through difficult circumstances and avoid things that will distract us from our purpose.  Our Guide, Jesus,  knows where the good paths are.  He also knows which paths are dangerous.

Today, in your meditation on this Psalm, ask God to give you guidance in the paths of righteousness that He has for you.  He will give you the directions and walk with you.  In fact, that’s another characteristic about a great guide…He goes with you.

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)

How can one be “still” in a society like ours?  Our life is so full and there are things that compete with every minute.  We are made to feel guilty when being still. You are seen as lazy when taking time to be still.  You should be doing something!

The Scriptures teach us to be good workers.  They even teach us to be hard workers. God does not appreciate the lazy, but this is not to be done at the expense of rest and being “still” before God.  From the garden of Eden God has instituted the Sabbath principle.  It is a regular rhythm of rest before God.

God knows that we need this.  He also knows that it cannot truly take place unless we “know” Him.  You cannot really experience the “still” of this verse without the “know”.  We can never totally rest…relax…be still unless we know that God is God.  This is the knowledge that life, ours included, depends on Him.  He will take care of us and no amount of “busy-ness” on our part can change that.  The very discipline of being “still” (and it is a discipline by the way) is being able to step back and let God be God.  It is acknowledging that “Lord, you got this”.

So, today on the second Sabbath of our Lenten journey, “be still and know” that He is God.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.”

This marks 10 days of our Lenten journey and we have been focusing on the beginning verses of this beloved Psalm.  One of the comforting aspects of this Psalm is that it begins by settling our soul with a intimate view of our heavenly Father.  He is our Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd.  He provides our needs so that we are not wanting.  He puts us in good places where we can be nourished.  He then leads us by the still waters and refreshes us.  All of this brings peace beyond understanding into our hearts and minds.  It gets us in the right frame of mind for the rest of the Psalm…for the rest of our lives for that matter.

But it all begins with a relationship to the Shepherd.  This peace that is available, this comfort that the Psalm brings, is only available if the Lord is your Shepherd.  If we trust Him to meet our needs… If we are willing to lay down in the pastures where He puts us…  If we follow His lead to the quiet waters… If we can trust Him to restore our soul.

To receive the care of the Good Shepherd and before we dive deeper into this wonderful Psalm, we must ask ourselves…Are we willingly placing our lives into the care of this Shepherd?  A stubborn and resistant sheep does not experience the peace afforded by this Good Shepherd if they continually rebel against His leading.  If the sheep does not trust the Shepherd than every provision is questioned and all direction is second guessed.  Not only does this sheep miss the peace that is available but it experiences anxiety, anger and frustration.

So, how do we let it go and place our lives in the Shepherd’s hands?  Paul said:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6,7)

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, said:

“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matt. 6:33,34)

Today, take a moment to re-commit yourself to trusting the Shepherd that will bring you peace.  Stop resisting.  You can trust Him.  He will take care of you.  That’s a promise.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.”

Oh to be refreshed!  To be restored!  The Good Shepherd feeds us, nourishes us, puts us in a wonderful safe place and, therefore, “restores our soul”.  Do you need God to restore your soul today?  The word that David uses here is one that means to “go back to the way things should be…to start fresh”.  It is to wash away the mistakes and to get back on the right path.  It is a Hebrew word that refers to repentance.  It is a recognition of ones error and turning around and getting it right.

The Scriptures are clear that we, as God’s sheep have wandered off the path, “we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6).  We can return but not without bringing bags of failure with us.  In fact, if we are honest, coming into the presence of God in our sinful condition is quite daunting.  My shortcomings are insurmountable!  To stand before a Holy God is to be condemned not to be restored.

But wait…The Good Shepherd leads you to quiet water and restores your soul.  He, Himself has made this possible through the sacrifice on the cross!

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”        (Romans 8:1)

David described this restoration even clearer in another Psalm:

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity…and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:1-5)

Thanks be to God who makes it possible for us to be restored.  Today, come into to presence of God and allow Him to forgive you, cleanse you and restore you to what you were created to be.  Thank Him for the great sacrifice of the cross that makes this possible!

“He leads me beside quiet waters”

A Good Shepherd does not lead you into danger.  He leads you to where you can find peace and rest.  If green pastures represent God’s provision for us the “quiet waters” represent His peace that calms our soul.  David is not just talking about giving the sheep a drink of water.  He is talking about leading the sheep to where they can experience security and serenity.  A rushing river can provide water to drink but not without potential peril.  Sheep can become agitated easily.  The sight and sound of the moving water raises causes anxiety in sheep.  The Good Shepherd is also concerned about the safety of His sheep.  If a sheep were to slip into the current it could quickly be swept away.  Therefore, He leads you to “quiet” or “still” water.

For us in our metropolitan area it is the difference between walking on the shoulder of a busy highway with the cars zooming by or walking on a trail through a quiet park.  It changes how you feel.  It changes how you think.  Just talking about it begins to relax you.  We say things like, “Yes, that’s what I need.  Just 5 minutes peace”.  We close the door and take a deep breath.  We close our eyes and, like Brer Rabbit, we go to our “happy place”.

At the cross Jesus not only proved that He was the Good Shepherd but He won the victory that can bring you peace.  To follow Him is to lay down in green pastures even in a dry and weary land.  When we follow Him He leads us by quiet waters in the midst of a noisy, and sometimes dangerous, world.  He is the Good Shepherd.  That’s what He has always done.  He was always calming the raging seas.  He brought peace wherever it was needed.  Isaiah said:

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5)

Today let Jesus lead you to the quiet waters.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters”

A Good Shepherd leads.  He knows the way and calls us to follow.  It’s important to have a good leader on any trip.  We do not have to worry about going the right way or if we have missed a turn.  We can have a confidence that allows us to enjoy the journey.  A good leader brings comfort and success in any endeavor.  In our reading of Psalm 23 today, David tells us that the Lord, His Shepherd, “leads beside quiet waters”.  The Good Shepherd doesn’t just watch the sheep…He leads them.  We, as sheep, do not always know the right way to go.  Sheep do not know where the watering holes are.  We do not know what is ahead and where the dangers may lie.  But, the Good Shepherd knows and He calls us to follow. When Jesus talked about Himself as the Good Shepherd He said:

 “He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.  When He has brought out all His own, He goes ahead of them, and His sheep follow because they know His voice.” (John 10:3,4)

A good leader/shepherd knows his sheep by name and calls for them to come.  Also, he “goes ahead of them”.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd that calls us by name and He goes first.  He is the pioneer of our faith.  He can say, “I have been there, done that”.  We can be assured that He knows the way and would not steer us wrong.  There is a relationship between the sheep and the Shepherd.  He not only “knows” us, but we know Him.  When you know the Shepherd and trust Him following comes natural.  No wonder the disciples left their nets to join Jesus.  No wonder they stuck with Him all the way to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Will you let Jesus lead you to the cross today?  Hear the words of this hymn:

“King of my life, I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be;                                                    Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, Lead me to Calvary.                                                     Lest I forget Gethsemane; Lest I forget Thine agony;                                                                  Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary”

Today, let The Good Shepherd lead you and don’t be afraid…He knows where He is going.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures”

The Good Shepherd puts us in a very good place.  Do you believe that?  Are you experiencing it?  As you look around your life do you see “green pastures”?  There is a certain amount of faith and trust that is required for us to see these green pastures that God has put us in.  For many of us, we look around at our circumstances and see a dry and weary land.  Where are the green pastures?

The Scripture declares that, if the Lord is our Shepherd than He puts us into “green pastures”.  Why do we have a hard time seeing them?  For some it may be the proverbial “greener” grass of others.  We look over the fence at what we do not have and what others do and we cannot appreciate the blessings we have been given.  For some it is the “half empty” syndrome.  “Yes, the grass is green but it’s really not my color”.  Whatever the reason, according to the Bible, it is a matter of perspective.

God knows your circumstances and has gone to great lengths to make sure that we have all we need to experience the blessings that come in green pastures.  Yet many would say they are not experiencing that.  In Psalm 23 David is trying to give us that divine perspective.  That is one of the reasons that this Psalm has given so much comfort for thousands of years to believers.  The Lord is our Shepherd.  He meets our needs.  We can rest (lie down) in His arms (green pastures).

My friend, if the Lord is your Shepherd, He has put you in a very good place.  Ask God to open your eyes today that you may see and rejoice and rest in this truth.  The Good Shepherd has laid down His life so that you might lay down in the green pastures.

Blessings.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures”

The Good Shepherd puts you in a really good place.  He lays you down in green pastures.  That is nice.  The picture David paints for us is one of comfort and rest.  But, please notice that it is not just about laying down.  He lays us down in “green pastures”.

Question.  Have you ever laid down to rest but you couldn’t relax?  You were tired but restless.  There was so much on your mind that you could not settle down.  Things you had to do.  Worries about this or that.  The Good Shepherd lays us down in “green pastures” where our needs can be met.  David’s phrase is not about God providing us rest but, about God providing our needs so that we can rest.  Our Shepherd puts us in green pastures to rest.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd was always doing the same with the sheep around Him.  So, often the people around Jesus were stressed and worried about the things of this life and Jesus would lead them into a “green pasture” and invite them to rest.  The words from our Sabbath devotion come to mind again.  Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”.  When Jesus saw the crowds in Mark 6 He had compassion on them because they were like “sheep without a shepherd” (vs. 34).  Then Jesus directed the crowd to “sit down in groups on the green grass” (vs. 39) and He proceeded to feed the crowd (provide their need).  He is the Good Shepherd.

The trust that we have in Him as the Good Shepherd allows us to be able to rest.  So, what does this have to do with the cross?  It is the cross that brings us into green pastures again.  We were lost and wandering with no place to lie down.  And, even when we did lay down we did not rest.  Too many things to worry about.  But through the work of the cross Jesus puts us back into “green pastures” and we can have peace.

Today, thank the Lord for putting you into green pastures.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”           (Matthew 11:28)

Today is the first of six Sabbath days during the Lenten season.  These are sometimes known as feast days.  They are the Sundays within the  40 day observance.  They are not counted in the 40.  These are days to “rest” in the presence of our Lord.

Therefore, today consider the invitation of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, as you read Psalm 23.  How has your week been?

Are you feeling stressed?  Come to Jesus.

Are you feeling overwhelmed?  Come to Jesus.

Are you feeling afraid?  Come to Jesus.

Are you tired?  Come to Jesus.

In the presence of Jesus there is a rest that goes beyond words…beyond your circumstances…beyond your failures.  Will you come today and rest in Him?  Read the Psalm again.  Let it wash over you as you read it.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want”

Spend some extra time in His presence today.  Allow His peace to fill your heart.

Blessings!

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.” (Psalm 23:1)

A good shepherd provides for the sheep.  If the Lord is my Shepherd and…He is the Good Shepherd, then I have everything that I need.  What is it like to have all of your needs met? The second part of David’s opening phrase reveals to us what kind of shepherd the Lord is…One who provides.  Because the Lord is my Shepherd I will never lack anything that I need.  The Good Shepherd is able and willing to meet all my needs.

Sheep need to be taken care of.  We need to be taken care of.  Left to our own devices we would be lost and alone.  Our most critical and greatest need is forgiveness and restoration to our Creator God…our Shepherd.  The Scriptures tell us that “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6).  The Apostle Paul wrote, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

We needed a deliverer.  We had strayed like sheep from the flock of the Good Shepherd.  We felt that we could find our needs met elsewhere.  We chose to follow other shepherds.  Shepherds that would meet the temporary needs of this world.  These so called shepherds feed our pride and make us feel better for a moment but they never meet our deepest need.  We must beg these shepherds for attention and when they give it, we are made to feel indebted.  Like Israel in the land of Egypt we were in bondage to our own sinful rebellion.  But…

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:23).  The Good Shepherd met our greatest need when He went to the cross for us.  Why?  Because He loves us.  He provides our needs!

So, can we trust this Good Shepherd to meet our needs?  Paul put it this way, “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

“The Lord is my Shepherd…I shall not be in want”