The Lord Is My Shepherd

Do you enjoy reading the Psalms? If you were to pick a favorite, which one would it be? Of all the beautiful psalms in scripture, the 23rd Psalm seems to be a perennial favorite among the masses. Even those who know next to nothing about the Bible have likely heard of it or read it somewhere. It has been affectionately referred to as “The Shepherd’s Psalm,” and that description well embraces David’s six-verse discourse. And while each verse is powerful and meaningful I find that the first verse is a timeless sermon unto itself:

“The Lord is my SHEPHERD.” A shepherd is one who herds, guards and tends sheep. Spiritually speaking he is one who cares for and guides. A biblical example of this is seen in the elders of a local congregation of the Lord’s one true church (Eph. 4:11; cf. Acts 14:23; 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-3).

“The LORD is my shepherd.” Above all others, Christ is “the Good Shepherd” (Jn. 10:11-15), “the Great Shepherd” (Heb. 13:20), “the Chief Shepherd” (1 Pet. 5:4). He not only cares for me, He guides me by His word (Jn. 10:27; 6:68; Mt. 7:24-27). Yet it is impossible to be guided by the Shepherd if one will not heed His voice. “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). Think about it.

“The Lord is MY shepherd.” This is a possessive idea. It implies a sense of ownership, whether owning or being owned (cf. Jn. 20:13, 28; Phil. 3:8). The Lord is mine and I am His - but ONLY if I am in Him and He is in me (cf. Gal. 2:20; Rom. 8:1). “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). Have you done this?

Friends, the Lord wants to be your Shepherd. If you will dedicate your life to Him, He will be yours and you will be His. Only then can we truly say, “I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1).

Aaron Veyon