Over the last few weeks, we’ve been exploring who the Lord our shepherd is in Psalm 23. And I’ve said this for several weeks, but I want to say it one more time. King David, in a great expression of thought, imagery and creative writing, craft a description of God’s desire for a relationship with us. And here’s a few things we found and we’re exploring as we go through this psalm. The Lord is my shepherd who provides.
The Lord is my shepherd who protects. The Lord is my shepherd, who prepares. The Lord is my shepherd, who pursues me. We started by studying verse one, which begins with the phrase the Lord my shepherd. The Hebrew word for Lord in this verse is Jehovah. And as we saw over the last five weeks, we’ve studied the five characteristics which define Jehovah. Let me share those with you one more time. The Lord is the self existent one, the eternal One.
He is the God of all favor, the one bringing into being the life giver, the giver of existence, the Creator, he who brings to pass. He is a performer of his promises. And then the fifth thing that we talked about last week was he is the one ever coming into manifestation as the God of redemption. Hallelujah. He has redeemed us all. Today we’re going to move on to how the Lord is our shepherd. Let’s read these verses again. We’re looking at the first three verses here in Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. So what we’re looking at today, as I said, the Lord, my shepherd, my shepherd, that word shepherd there has several meanings that we’re going to drill down into today. And the first one is this. A shepherd is a keeper.
And a keeper is one who possesses and has the care, the custody and the authority to direct anything or anyone. And so Psalm 121, verse 5 through 8, looks at it this way. It says, the Lord is your keeper. The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil. He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve you going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forever more.
Hallelujah. And just to remind you, there it says, the Lord shall preserve you from all evil. He shall preserve your soul. That word soul is our mind, our emotions, our feelings and our will, our choosing. So not only is the Lord preserving us spiritually, he’s preserving us mentally, emotionally and physically. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. He possesses me. So we’re going to break down this definition. The first thing it said he possesses me. And to possess someone or something means to have power over something of value. You are valuable and the Lord sees you as valuable. If you remember, 1st Peter 2, 9 and this is from the Amplified classic version says this but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, God’s own purchased special people that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, his own purchase Special people.
You are valuable to the Lord. You are valuable and he possesses you. He cares for you. Number two it says, he cares for us. To care for someone is the charge or oversight of one’s safety and prosperity. First Peter 5:7 in the amplified says this casting the whole of your care, all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns once and for all on him. For he cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. He is watching over you.
He’s always looking out for your safety and your prosperity. That word prosperity there means he’s always looking out for your good, your best. He’s looking for a way for you to advance, to do good, to succeed, to profit. God cares about you. Next it says, he has custody of us. So a keeper has custody. It means to guard or shield someone. It means preservation or security.
It means defense from a foe. Psalm 91, verses 1 and 2 in the Amplified says this, he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty, whose power no foe can withstand. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, my God, on him I lean and rely, and in him I confidently trust. You can trust in the Lord. He’s got your back. Hallelujah. I don’t care what you’re facing, he is already overcome. Praise God.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, for being there for us. And then it says, he’s one who guides and directs your Keeper is one who guides and directs you. It means one with authority to lead or show the way. Psalm 32:8 the Lord says this through the Psalms. This is from the Amplified also. I the Lord will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.
I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Again, he’s watching over us. He’s got us in view all the time. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory to God. He is always available to teach us, to instruct us, to show us the way, to counsel us.
That’s why he said in the Book of James, if you lack wisdom, come and ask me. I’m not gonna not tell you or not give you wisdom. I’m not gonna get on you and go. What do you mean, you asking me for wisdom? I am here to watch over you, to show you the way, to counsel you. Hallelujah. He is the Lord, our keeper. Not only is he that the Lord is my provider, I shall not want. So this verse says, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Well, that word shepherd there can be Provider. He is our provider. We see this throughout Psalm 23. The provider is one who furnishes or supplies what’s needed one who procures what is wanted, not just what needed, but what is wanted. He’s one who makes ready for future use. He prepares things ahead of time so you’re provided for. It’s one who takes measures to counteract or escape from evil. A means of defense God provides defense for us, security for us, protection for us.
We see this truth throughout these first three verses. King David enumerates several ways God God is providing for us. We will see this as we look into each of these verses today. Jesus highly highlighted this truth in Matthew 6. Let’s look at what he shared there, speaking of being our provider. Matthew 6:25 33 and this is from the new King James Version. Matthew 6:25 33 Listen to this as I read it, therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his statue? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Hallelujah. Now, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek for, your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. There’s the answer. Seek first God.
Bring it all to God and. And seek his righteousness, which is another way to seek his way, the right way of walking. And he’ll bring all this to you. He’ll add it to you. Jesus is simply saying, trust your shepherd. He will provide. Our Father God, Jehovah is our provider. Hallelujah.
And that means this. Where it says, I shall not want, there it means this, I will not be in lack, I will not be destitute. I will not fail, I will not decrease, I will not become less, I will not be weak. I will not have needs or be in a state that requires supply or relief. Because the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. The Lord is my provider, I shall not want. Let me remind you of Philippians 4:19. This is from the amplified classic, and it says, and my God.
That’s who we’re talking about. The Lord Jehovah, our shepherd, our provider. And my God will liberally supply and fill to the full your every need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. We simply have to look to him and trust him, knowing that he will be there to make a way for us. God is a waymaker. He’s a keeper. He’s the provider, and he’s looking to make a way for you today if you just simply trust him and bring it before him. The next thing that says, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He leads me in green pastures. One of the definitions of the word shepherd there is, is to pastor, to tend, to hold and take care of as a child, to be attentive to. That’s one of the things the shepherd did with their sheep. They would hold the sheep, they would rub their heads, they would make sure there wasn’t any bugs or things there that shouldn’t be. They would anoint their head with oil. They would be attentive. God wants to tend you, to hold you, to take care of you as his child, to be attended to you. It means to feed, to supply and furnish with to nourish, to feed with hope or expectation.
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. It means to graze, to supply pasture, a place of sustenance and a place of peace and rest. Oh, Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The Lord our keeper, the Lord our provider, provides us with a place where we are sustained and where we find peace and rest. The phrase he makes me to lie down in green pastures from Psalm 23:2 is a metaphor that conveys God’s.
That way you can take out that little thing. The phrase he makes me lie down in green pastures from Psalm 23:2 is a metaphor that conveys God’s provision, rest and peace. In biblical times, green pastures symbolized abundant nourishment and security, and the shepherd provided this for sheep. In fact, a good shepherd was known to have the best pastures. Here’s something. I don’t know if you know this, but sheep only lie down when they feel safe, well fed and free from fear or distress.
So our Lord, our keeper, our provider, our shepherd brings us into those places of peace and rest where we’re free from fear or distress. God cares about us. By using this imagery, David the psalmist expresses how God provides for his people, giving them spiritual and physical sustenance while leading them into a place of rest and peace. In a broader sense, this phrase reminds us that that God is our shepherd who meets our needs and leads us to places of refreshment, both physically and spiritually. It signifies trust in God’s care, allowing him to guide and sustain us through life’s challenges. Wow. Look at what this means, guys. Look at how much God loves you.
John 10, verse 7 through 10. The Amplified says this. So Jesus said again, I assure you most solemnly I tell you that I myself am the door for the sheep. All others who came as such before me are thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to and obey them. I am the door. Anyone who enters in through me will be saved, will live. He will come in and he will go out freely and will find pasture.
For the thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows. Wow. The Lord our God, our shepherd, our keeper, our provider, has come to give us life, life to the full, life that we can enjoy life and abundance. Life that overflows. Hallelujah. He is the Lord, our provider. Not only is he the Lord our provider, this word shepherd also is defined as one who teaches or one who is a teacher.
And it means this one who shows the way, or one who exercises supreme power over another or is their ruler. The Lord is the one who shows us the way. He is the one who rules over us. Hallelujah. The phrase there and Also in Psalm 23:2, he leads me beside still waters. That phrase there symbolizes peace, refreshment, and spiritual restoration. And in the context of a shepherd, it means caring for his sheep. Still waters refers to calm, safe waters where the sheep can drink without fear.
Unlike rushing streams, which might be dangerous for sheep, still waters provide a place of rest and nourishment, a place of refreshment. Spiritually, this reflects God’s guidance and provision leading his people to a place of peace and renewal. It suggests that God provides the soul, our mind, our will, our emotions with rest and refreshment, just as still waters restore and sustain a weary traveler. It also highlights the idea that true peace comes from following God’s direction. Rather than striving on our own, we simply look to him and trust in Him. Jesus in Matthew 11:28 29 said it this way. This is from the amplified classic, come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. I will ease you and relieve and refresh your souls.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle, I am meek, and I am humble, lowly in heart. And you will find rest, relief and ease, and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet for your souls. So let me show you a couple things here. In verse 28, the word translated rest there means to cause or permit one to cease from movement or labor or toil or struggle in order to recover and collect their strength. Wow. God comes to relieve us, to relieve us, to help us recover strength. In verse 29, he says, you’ll come and find rest in me. That word rest is a totally different word in the Greek, and it means this.
It means in me. Come take an intermission. Come find refreshment. Come find recreation. Hallelujah. God wants you to take some time off. He wants you to be refreshed, and he wants you to have some fun while you’re doing it. That’s what that word recreation means.
God is okay with us having some recreation in our life. That’s a part of rest and renewal. God says, come to me. Come rest in me. I will show you the way. God, like I said before, is a waymaker, and that’s a part of his teaching is, let me show you the way. Let me lead you, Let me guide you. Now, the fifth definition of the word shepherd there means pastor.
And a pastor is one who has the care of a flock to watch over. He is there to pastor the flock. And that phrase, he restores my Soul from Psalm 23:3 conveys the idea of spiritual renewal, healing and revival. He revives us in the context of a shepherd caring for his sheep. This suggests how God refreshes and strengthens his people when they are weary, lost or burdened. Hallelujah. That’s what a pastor. A part of what a pastor is called to is to care for the flock.
He’s been called to pastor so that they are refreshed and strengthened. They find their way. The Hebrew word for restore can mean to bring back, to refresh or repair. This implies that when a person’s soul is troubled, exhausted, or straying from the right path, God, like a loving shepherd, restores them to a place of peace, strength, and right relationship with Him. One of the reasons we come together each week as a body of believers in a church service, and we’re there to hear the word of the Lord from our pastor so we can be restored, so we can come to that place of peace, so we can have strength, so we can be in a right relationship with our Lord, ongoing every day. In a broader sense, this phrase he restores my soul speaks of God’s ability to renew and rejuvenate our heart, our mind, our spirit, offering hope and guidance in difficult times. It assures us as believers that no matter how broken or weary we may feel in a moment, God is always ready to restore and lift us up. He’s already there.
He’s already got a way. He’s already made a way. Rejoice and be glad, for he has made a way. Hallelujah. God is there for you. The sixth thing that this word shepherd is defined as and communicates is this. To be a friend of a shepherd comes to be a friend of. It means this associate.
To join in company, be a companion, a partner, a confederate to come into an intimate union, to unite in company, to keep company with it is congenial minds being like minded, which are disposed to associate with one another, to unite in action, joined in purpose. It also means that we’re companions. So we mentioned that a moment ago. A companion is one frequently in company with another, implying intimacy and equality. Its fellowship. Companionship is fellowship. And the third thing this means to be a friend of means a special friend, one who is attached to another by affection, one who is highly esteemed and respected, one who seeks your happiness and your prosperity, as we said before, John 15:13 15 and this is from the Passion Translation I love the way this says this and expresses this Scripture for the greatest love of all is love that sacrifices all. And this great love is demonstrated when a person sacrifices his life for his friends.
You show that you are my intimate friends when you obey all that I command you. I have never called you servants because a master doesn’t confide in his servants, and servants don’t always understand what the master is doing. But I call you my most intimate and cherished friend, friends, for I revealed to you everything that I have heard from my Father. Wow. This speaks to the phrase he leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake, and it signifies God’s guidance toward a righteous life and his commitment to honor his character and promises. Because he cherishes us and desires to give us all he has, he leads me in the paths of righteousness. Just as a shepherd carefully leads sheep along the right paths to ensure their safety and well being, God directs His people toward moral, just and holy living. This means that God not only restores us, as mentioned earlier in this psalm, but he also continues to guide us in the right way, his way, the way of blessing.
And it goes on to say, he does this for His Name’s sake. This means that God does this not only for our benefit, but also for his to uphold his reputation and faithfulness because he is faithful and true to his promises. What he says he will do, he has done. In biblical thought. God’s name represents all that he is. And what we saw the last few weeks as we studied the word Jehovah. It represents all who God is His character, his authority, his faithfulness. And by leading his people in righteousness or the right way, he is demonstrating his goodness, fulfilling his promises to us so we might be a friend of God.
You are a friend of God. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and you’re following after him, you are a friend of God. Overall, this verse reassures us that God’s guidance is both purposeful and trustworthy. He leads us on the right path, not because of our worthiness but because of his faithfulness to us. It is a reminder to trust in his direction, knowing that following his ways brings honor to his name and brings us into the fullness of his abundant life. Now listen to this one more time as I read Psalm 23:1 3 to you. Let me pull it up right here. Hallelujah.
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Psalm 23:1 3 King James the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in grief pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. The Lord, my shepherd, provides all that I need. Everything for me, he provides it. Spirit, soul, body. Hallelujah. The Lord, my shepherd, my keeper, my provider, my best friend. He is with me forever and always. Hallelujah.
Let’s bow our heads in prayer today. Father God, thank you for this revelation and this Insight from Psalm123:3. Thank you for showing us, Lord, all that you’ve done for us, all that you’re doing for us, and how much you care about us and love us and provide for us. You are the Lord, our provider, and we thank you for your provision. We thank you for being with us, for caring for us, Lord. We thank you for we thank you. We thank you. We thank you, thank you, Jesus, for all you’ve done and all you’re doing.
And we commit to stay surrendered to you, to look to you and to trust you in all things that we may represent you well here in the earth and see your kingdom come and your will be done here as it is in heaven. Heaven. Thank you, Lord, for being our shepherd. Amen. Pastor Kanye is coming with a closing word and a prayer, and I declare have a blessed week.
