A SHEPHERD’S PRAYER TO THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 (HCSB) - ¹ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. ² He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. ³ He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake. ⁴ Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff —they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in  the house of the Lord as long as I live.  

INTRO:  A tourist bus was driving through sheep country in Palestine and the guide was telling tourists how shepherds lead their sheep and they trustingly follow. Soon came upon a man behind a flock of sheep yelling, throwing stones, screaming, cursing at the sheep. The bus stopped and the guide confronted the man -- "What are you doing? I've been telling these tourists that shepherds lead their sheep, not driving them like you are!" The man looked at the guide with contempt and said, "Shepherd! I'm not a shepherd, I'm a BUTCHER!"

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that the Lord we serve is not a butcher, but a shepherd.  He loves the sheep of His flock, and He is a good shepherd.

This Psalm is one of the most famous Psalms and prayers we have in the entire Bible.  David, being a shepherd himself, understood how to take care of the sheep that belong to his earthly Father.  But David was also a member of God’s flock.  He himself needed a shepherd.  He declares here that the Lord is his shepherd, and because of that, there is nothing that he lacks.  God provides for His basic needs – food, clothing, and shelter.

It is like what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33.  In context, it states that God will take care of the same three things.  Let’s look.

Matthew 6:25-33 - ²⁵ “This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the sky: they don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? ²⁷ Can any of you add a single  cubit to his height by worrying? ²⁸ And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! ³⁰ If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? ³¹ So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Understand something this morning.  Our Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd.  This morning we are going to look at some specific needs that David had in this Psalm and how the Good Shepherd supplied those needs, and how we can apply this to our lives.

1.  When David needed spiritual refreshment – the Good Shepherd provided green pastures.

v. 2a - He lets me lie down in green pastures;

A.     These green pastures according to the Hebrew as well as scholars, was not just for eating.

1.      It was lush, thick grass that they could lie down in during the heat of the day that would keep them cool and provide refreshing rest.

B.     That is what our Good Shepherd does.  He provides spiritual refreshment from him.  Where is that spiritual refreshment found?  In His presence.

1.      Sometimes our prayer times can be just too hurried.  Why can’t we just sometimes approach Him, with no agenda, no prayer requests, just to rest in his presence?  To close our eyes and meditate on Him with some soft praise music playing in the background.

2.      There is one thing that I’m learning, if I do this and feel my mind with Him, then the other things that I feel my mind on and are consumed by tend to drift off.

3.      Sometimes we need to just do this, focus and meditate on Him with our eyes closed and then just drift off to sleep.  I challenge everyone here today to try it sometime – tonight would be a good time to practice this.  Just focus on the Lord while you are laying in bed.  Close your eyes and meditate on Him, let Him be your focus.  See what God will do.

2.  When David was tired, the Good Shepherd provided quiet waters.

Verses 2a-3a - He leads me beside quiet waters. ³ He renews my life;

A.     Literally in Hebrew this means, “waters of stillness.”  Waters that are quiet in there flow, inviting rest, as opposed to storm tossed waves, or stagnant non-flowing waters.

B.     David says that God will lead him beside quite waters that will renew his life.

C.     One thing I often have liked to do is go to a lake, the gulf, or a river and just set there in prayer while the waves are gently crashing against the beach or while the river is gently flowing.  I have spent time in prayer at the Guadalupe river, and at Rosenburg along the gulf, finding a place where know people were, just spending time in the Lord’s presence.

D.     Now we all may not be able to go to a literal quiet running water, I can’t always do that, but we can find a place to quiet and be still in our life.

1.      In our culture, we live in a fast past life – sometimes we just need to slow it down.

2.      What happens when we slow down our life and be still before the Lord – He renews us with Himself.

Psalm 46:10 (KJV) – Be still and know that I am God.

3.  When David needed guidance, the Good Shepherd guided Him along right paths.

Verse 3 - He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.

A.     Some translations say, “paths of righteousness.”

1.      You see, David good not walk this path of righteousness.  Why?  He was a sinner.  He needed guidance.  He needed the Good Shepherd to guide Him along these paths.  It was the Good Shepherd that led him along the path of righteousness.

B.     In the same way, we can’t be righteous before God.  Why?  We are sinners.  If we walk in the flesh, we will fulfill the lust of the flesh, but if we walk in the Spirit, we won’t.

Romans 8:5-9a - ⁵ For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. ⁸ Those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God. ⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you.

1.      I want you to understand something – God demands holiness.  Why?  Because He Himself is holy.

2.      Now here is another question – how are we made holy?  Through the Sacrifice of His Son – Jesus Christ.

3.      One more question – how do we live a life of holiness – Through the Holy Spirit of God that lives in each believer.

4.      Are you struggling with living the way you know the Lord says in His word – then ask the Holy Spirit to help you, then step out of the boat and walk in faith, believing He will help you.  You can’t do it, but you can do it through Him.

4.  When David faced death, the Good Shepherd was with Him and provided comfort.

Verse 4 - Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff —they comfort me.

A.     The Shepherd’s in David’s day had one or two things.

1.      Sometimes there staff would have a ball at the end of it to attack the enemy, and remind the sheep where to go.

2.      The crook would be the pull the sheep quickly to his side to protect it.

3.      Sometimes they would carry a rod, that would beat off the would be attackers against the flock.

B.     Understand, we all will walk through dark valleys.  It may feel like death itself has covered us like a canopy.

1.      In these dark valleys are enemies, pitfalls, and snares that we may not be able to see.

2.      But the Good Shepherd sees them.  He is not only watching out for them, but He is also watching out for us.  Beating away the enemy and taking His shepherd’s crook and drawing us close to His side so as to avoid the danger.

5.  When David encountered enemies, the Good Shepherd provided a table for nourishment and refreshment.

Verse 5 - You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

A.     This still happens today in that part of the world.

1.      Nomads living in tents in the wilderness will stop travelers and provide nourishment at their table, bath them, and let them rest and be refreshed.

B.     Our Good Shepherd does the same thing. 

1.      He provides food, comfort and refreshing, right in the middle of our desert, while the enemy is hot on our heels.

6.  When David needed friends, the Good Shepherd provided two of them: Goodness and faithful love (mercy).

Verse 6a - ⁶ Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life,

A.     David was evidently in a lonely place, without human companionship, but God provided the ultimate companionship, His goodness His faithful love or mercy.

B.     We also need the same companions when we are going through our dark valley.

1.      The Good Shepherd promises to provide them.

7.  Finally, When David was going through insecure times, the Good Shepherd provided His presence for security.

Verse 6b - I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.  

A.     What is so interesting about this verse is that there wasn’t a house of the Lord on earth yet – there was now temple.

1.      He is talking about dwelling in the presence or glory of the Lord as a house, most commentators feel.

B.     Understand this – As followers of Christ, we have a house of the Lord to dwell in. 

1.      It is not this church building, but we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

2.      Meaning that the Holy Spirit abides with us.

3.      And if He abides with us, then we have security during insecure times.

4.      He watches over us, corrects us, takes care of us, and comforts us.

CONCL:  We have such a Good Shepherd.  He is with us.  We are the sheep of His pasture, comforted and protected by His rod an staff.

Are you going through a dark valley, then like David pray a prayer to the Good Shepherd.  Be comforted by Him.