“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. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1-3 NIV1984). This beloved psalm is David’s personal attribute to God as he calls Him “my” shepherd. It becomes personal to each of us as well when we recognize the truth of the words.
Any shepherd may have a flock to keep, but only a good shepherd takes his responsibility seriously. He leads them in the right direction, protects them from wild animals, cares for their sustenance, binds up their wounds, takes them beside calm waters, allowing them to rest and recuperate. He goes after even just one who might stray from the flock. While he might discipline his sheep, he would without hesitation sacrifice his life to keep them from harm. This kind of shepherd shows great love and compassion. He knows his sheep; they know his voice and will follow him wherever he leads. An evil shepherd might try to steal them, but they don’t know his voice and will not follow him (John 10:5).
Jesus fulfills the role of a shepherd spiritually. Isaiah describes Him like this: “He tends his flock like a shepherd: he gathers the little lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” (Isa. 40:11). He is a good Shepherd; He is a gentle shepherd.
In the book of Ezekiel, this prophet addresses the people of God who were living in exile in Babylon. The “shepherds” (leaders) of God’s flock were facing severe judgment because they only cared about themselves. They had none of the characteristics of a good shepherd. These next words from the Sovereign Lord say, “…I myself will search for my sheep and look after them… I will tend them in a good pasture… There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel… I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice” (Ezek. 34:11, 14-16).
How does this have any meaning for us? “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3).In another passage we read, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care…” (Psalm 95:6-7).
Sheep can be stubborn, prone to straying and quickly injured. We are the same way. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…” (Isa. 53:6). Our good Shepherd is right there with us, however. When Jesus was teaching in the synagogues, “and saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36).
When Jesus calls, His sheep know His voice and follow Him. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). He later said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).
As a sheep in God’s flock, I can say with David, He “is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”
