"The Lord is My Shepherd"

Currently, thanks to my neighbors, I'm reading a neat book that goes into amazing detail about the 23rd Psalm (from an actual shepherd's view). The author writes with deep knowledge about sheep and how the 23rd Psalm talks about the simple life and circumstances of a shepherd with his flock. He then shows the similarities of actual sheep/shepherds to the relationship we hold with our Father in Heaven (our Good Shepherd). 

I'm keeping a journal of passages in his book that really strike me in a whole new light and thought it would be fun to share them with you and allow you to have a whole new outlook on the frequently-read 23rd Psalm.

Breaking it down, day-by-day, the first line in the Psalm: "The Lord is our Shepherd" is so often overlooked and pushed past as one hurries through the rest of the passage. The line though, the author went into detail about and some of the things that stood out to me:


point 1: "There's a profound yet practical working relationship between a human being and his make--his owner--his manager." When we think of God being our "owner" many people gasp and shake their heads, hating the fact that God would claim "ownership" over our lives when in fact He made us with a "free will."  The author states boldly: "He has the RIGHT to be our owner...He made us...died for us...and continually lays down His life for us." (Just as a shepherd to his flock)


point 2: "We (humans) are like sheep--we have a mass mind (mob instinct), fears and timidities, and stubborn, stupid, perverse habits." Our biggest fears come from the unknown, the future, the circumstances that we cannot control. 


point 3: "Not only is God gentle and tender and true, but also righteous, stern as steel, and terribly tough on phony people... He comes to set men free from their OWN sins, their OWN selves, and their OWN fears." Think about it: actual shepherds, when discovering certain ewes (female sheep) wandering and causing discontentment among the other sheep in the flock, will have to take those sheep out of the flock. Also, if certain sheep continually wander off and get lost, the shepherd goes after them, breaks their legs, and as the lamp/sheep heals, they learn to stay by the shepherd and never wander again. Sound familiar to how God treats those of us who wander? He brings us to our knees and we find ourselves helpless without our Good Shepherd.


point 4: "There is a distinct 'mark' (just as new sheep to a flock are branded with the seal of the shepherd) upon the man/woman that differentiates him/herself from the rest of the crowd... A person exchanges the fickle fortunes of living life by sheer whimpsy for the more productive and satisfying adventure or being guided by God." We need to realize that there is a price to following Christ: we need to forfeit our own fickle and foolish ways of life! We can't have it both ways! Either we belong to the Good Shepherd or we don't!


Questions that the author closed out the chapter with included:
~Do I really belong to Him?
~Do I really recognize His right to me?
~Do I respond to His authority and acknowledge His ownership?
~Do I find freedom and complete fulfillment in this arrangement?
~Do I sense a purpose and deep contentment because I'm under His direction?
~Do I know rest and repose, besides a definite sense of exciting adventure, in belonging to Him?


If so, then exclaim proudly:

"The LORD IS my Shepherd!"