FIVE WAYS THE GOOD SHEPHERD CARES
PART I:
Psalm 23:1-2a
This past week, we have come through one of the most
historic elections in years. The party whose candidate won celebrates with joy
whenever elections are over, and the party that loses is upset, worried, and
even angered. After the elections, I attended two clergy groups, and the mood
in those groups was vastly different. One group was proud and joyful, and the
other was fearful and uncertain. If you are joyful over the victory, don't be overconfident.
If you are afraid and uncertain about the future, don't lose heart.
No matter the outcome of the elections, no one person
or group can bring about the change you are looking for and offer a better
future and trouble-free life. Where can we find hope and rest during
challenging times? In moments of uncertainty, our faith becomes our anchor,
providing us with the strength and reassurance we need to navigate through
life's storms.
During my doctoral studies, I learned a few things
about shepherding and the beautiful relationship between the Shepherd and his
sheep. When a sheep learns to trust the Shepherd, stays closer to him, and
follows his lead, it will remain safe and secure. When it rebels against the Shepherd
and wanders away seeking freedom, it can be attacked and even get killed. In Psalm
23, we find five ways The Good Shepherd Cares, and we will look at one of them.
From
the Sheep Pen To The King's Palace
What do we know about David, the author of Psalm 23?
David was the youngest of seven sons of Jesse. He was glowing with health, had
a fine appearance, and was handsome when the prophet Samuel spotted him (I Sam
16:12). As the youngest of the family; he was assigned to take care of the
family sheep while his brothers fought in Saul's army. As a shepherd boy, he
was faithful in tending to the sheep. He fought against a lion and a bear with
bare hands and rescued his sheep. He learned to rely on his simple yet
effective tools to care for his sheep.
Despite his older brother Eliab's angry rebuke, David
volunteers to join Saul's army in God's providence. After killing Goliath with
a sling and stone, Saul keeps David with him in the palace. David was
successful on whatever mission he was sent, so Saul gave him a high rank in the
army, and eventually, his daughter Michal in marriage, who was in love with
David.
David wrote Psalm 23 while he was fleeing from Saul.
He had been wandering from place to place, in exile from his own people, and
constantly living among strangers, even enemies. His life was continually being
threatened. This Psalm is a testimony of David's confidence in the Lord's care
for him in every moment of his life, even unto his death.
The rich imagery in this Psalm shows how David secured
himself by thinking of his younger days as a shepherd who totally cared for his
sheep and in whom his sheep had complete trust. What a comforting thought for
him to see the Lord as his Shepherd. David saw himself not as a shepherd but as
a fearful, hungry, and vulnerable sheep who needed the care of a Good Shepherd.
Let us also see ourselves as sheep desperately needing the Good Shepherd's
care. Here is one way in which the God Shepherd cares for his flock.
I. The Good
Shepherd Feeds His Sheep (Vs. 1-2a)
Vs. 1-2a: "The Lord is my Shepherd,
I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures." This Psalm begins
with "The LORD." Who is this, Lord? What is His character? David was
referring to Jehovah, the Lord God of Israel. His statement was confirmed by
Jesus Christ when he declared emphatically, "I am the good Shepherd."
By calling the Lord my Shepherd,
David saw God as His Lord and a Shepherd with abundant resources to care for
him in times of trouble. Similarly, when we make Jesus the Lord of our lives,
He will care for us. David uses this vivid imagery of a sheep lying down in
green pastures. When does a sheep lie down in green pastures?
Philip Keller, a shepherd himself,
notes in his book The Shepherd Trilogy, "The strange thing about sheep is
that because of their very make-up, it is almost impossible for them to be made
to lie down unless four requirements are met. Owing to their timidity, they
refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear, free from friction from
other sheep, free from parasites, and must be free from hunger."[1]
Only a good shepherd can provide such
a safe and peaceful environment for his sheep to rest. It is no accident that
God has chosen to call us sheep. "We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us
has turned to our own way. Isaiah 53:6. Jesus used the same sheep analogy in Matthew
9:36, "When he saw the
crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and
helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
The
behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways. Our mass mind (or mob instincts), fears,
timidity, stubbornness, stupidity, and rebellion are all similar to sheep's
nature. For instance, what are the two biggest fears that drove millions of
Americans to choose the kind of leader they chose in recent elections? Fear of
the crumbling economy and lack of safety from the enemies within and without.
These two fears keep people awake at night.
The
elected leaders may address these fears temporarily, but ultimately, we must
look to our Good Shepherd to care for us. If you fear how to put food on the
table, fear not. Jehovah God cared for over 600,000 people with food and
clothing daily for forty years in the wilderness. Jesus, our Good Shepherd,
turned small portions of bread and fish several times and fed thousands of
people. If God could do that then, he can do that now. An early 20th-century
researcher found that Bedouin tribes in the Sinai knew the attributes of over
one hundred plants.[2]
A
good shepherd who cares for his sheep knows which plants are helpful and which
are harmful. For that reason, he takes them to green pastures. Besides
providing food for our physical bodies, Jesus the Good Shepherd is also
concerned about nourishing our souls. In the wilderness, God humbled Isreal for
40 years, feeding them when they were hungry and providing Manna from heaven to
teach them that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes
from the mouth of the Lord. Deut 8:3.
When
Jesus called Peter to feed my sheep, he called Peter to express his love for
him by providing spiritual food. The connection between caring for people as
sheep and nourishing them with God's word is visible in the story of the
feeding of the five thousand. Before he fed them physically, he taught them
many things. Mark 6:34.
Our
divine Shepherd, Jesus, fed people physically and spiritually. He referred to
himself as bread from heaven in John 6:33-35. "For
the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life
to the world." "Sir,"
they said, "always give us this bread." Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will
never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
What does this mean to us today?
In
this world, we may face many uncertainties and troubles. We may be genuinely
afraid of a depleting economy and a lack of security and protection. Who do we
turn to during such situations? We turn not to our elected officials but to our
divine leader, the Good Shepherd.
You
may have heard this teaching about Jesus being our Good Shepherd, but have you
made him your Lord? This means surrendering your whole life to the Lord; trust
Him with your life so that he will take care of your life no matter what
happens. Making Jesus Lord of your life means giving up your rebellious ways
and following him closely. Then we can say, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and
I shall not want him. He makes me lie down in green pastures."
