HE LEADS ME
Beside Still Waters-Part II
Wilma and I love walking in the
woods for most of the year. Wilma has been my guide whenever we hiked, knowing
where and how to go through it. In one way, I was being led by Wilma. As a
directionally challenged person, I realized I needed to walk closely with
Wilma, trusting her navigation skills. Thank God, so far, we have never been
lost in the woods.
One hot summer day, we went on a
trail at the Museum of American Bird Art in Canton! The trails wind through
meadows, pine-oak upland, vernal pools, and a stream. We passed bird’s nests,
tall green oak trees, deers, and turkeys that stopped by and gazed at us. It
was so refreshing when we came by this gentle brook. Passing or sitting by a
peaceful brook in the woods can be relaxing and reviving for someone who grew
up in a hot and tropical country like India.
When I read Psalm 23:2b, “He leads
me beside still waters,” I thought about that gentle brook in the woods. For
modern men and women who grew up in cities, Haddon Robinson says, “Understanding
the Twenty-third Psalm can be difficult because of its imagery. In saying, The
Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” the psalmist compares God to a
weather-driven shepherd. To appreciate this metaphor, we have to leave our
air-conditioned houses and live for a while under the blazing hot Middle
Eastern sun.
It might be clearer if we
paraphrased the Psalm, “The Lord is my mechanic and keeps me in repair.” That,
of course, would ruin it. To an Israelite shepherd, sheep were not machines.”
We value the 23rd Psalm because it is personal. God demonstrates the
same patient, tireless Care of His people that a good shepherd shows for his
flock.”[1] We have been learning
about the Five Ways The Good Shepherd Cares. Last week, we learned how the Good
Shepherd feeds and gives rest to his sheep. We will explore how he cares for
his sheep by leading them Beside Still Waters.
David wrote Psalm 23 while fleeing
Saul. He had been wandering from place to place, in exile from his own people, living
among strangers and even enemies. David tenderly cared for the sheep entrusted
to him as a shepherd boy. Now, he sees himself as a helpless sheep who needs a
loving Good Shepherd who tenderly cares for and protects him.
I.
He Leads Me Beside Still Waters.
Psalm 23:2b, “He leads me beside
still waters.” David began this Psalm confidently, saying, “The Lord is my
Shepherd. I lack nothing.” If you make the Lord Jehovah, the Lord God almighty,
your Good Shepherd, you too will lack nothing. When you trust your Good
Shepherd, He cares for you by feeding and giving you rest—another way he cares
for his sheep is by leading them beside still waters to refresh and quench
their thirst.
The word for “still waters” may also
be translated “stilled waters.” One thing we learn about sheep is that they
have a deathly fear of moving water. Even after a long day in stifling heat,
the sheep will not drink the cool, clear water when they come to a rushing
brook. They will stand beside the stream and look but will not drink. Fear
keeps them from refreshment.
They know instinctively that if they
should fall into the water, their coats will become water-logged, and they will
drown. The Shepherd moves a few large stones and dams up a quiet place where
his sheep may drink. Beside a rushing stream, he provides refreshment for the
flock with the water he has stilled.”[2] How does this apply to
people, God’s flock, in this life’s Journey?
II.
The Good Shepherd Leads His People
The acting verb in Vs. 2b,” He
leads me beside still waters,” is leading. God has been leading
His people back to Himself since banishing them from the Garden of Eden due to
their sins. We saw how the Good Shepherd led Israel from Egypt to the promised
land in the OT.
After being made to wander in the
wilderness of Sinai for forty years by God, the Israelites now camped at Mount
Horeb before possessing Canan. Moses reminded them, saying, “Remember how the
Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty
years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether
or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and
then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to
teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes
from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:2-3
God leading his people as a shepherd
has been a continuous theme in the OT. Jacob blessed Joseph, saying in Genesis
48:15, “May
the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who
has been my Shepherd all my life to this day.” Ps 78, 80. After proclaiming himself as the Good
Shepherd, Jesus shared what a shepherd does. “He calls his own sheep by name
and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of
them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”John 10:3-5. God
led His people in the OT, Jesus led his disciples in the NT, and who leads us
now? The Holy Spirit.
One of the roles of the Holy Spirit
is to lead individual believers and the Church into all Truth. John 16:13 and
Romans 8:14-16, “All those who the Holy Spirit leads are called the children of
God. The significant difference between the devil and the Good Shepherd is that
the devil pushes, frightens, and tempts you, but the Good Shepherd gently leads
you.
One day, we were walking in the
hills in Hyderabad. I held Joanna and Jemimah’s hands, and Wilma carried Tara
in a sling close to her heart. God brought this scripture to my mind. “He tends
his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them
close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:11 made
me realize that God wanted me to be a shepherd to my family first, eventually
leading me to be a shepherd of God’s flock.
III.
The Good Shepherd Leads His Sheep by Rushing Stream
Our Good Shepherd not only leads us
to the waters that He has stilled, but He also leads us beside the rushing
stream. On most occasions, the life of a child of God goes smoothly and
peacefully. They are refreshed by drinking from the stilled waters. They
sometimes face rushing waters, either by their choice, the devil’s temptation,
or, more often, being led by the Good Shepherd himself. He will do that
deliberately to test what is in our hearts.
When facing rushing streams, where
will the Good Shepherd be? Will he abandon us when we need him the most? We get
a picture of where the Good Shepherd is during such challenging times in Isaiah
43:1-3, “But now,
this is what the Lord says—he who
created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: Do not fear, for I
have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you
are mine. When
you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you
ablaze. For I am
the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;” Isaiah 43:1-3
This passage refers to God helping His people literally
through rivers and fiery flames. Metaphorically speaking, rivers and fire
represent situations that are uncontrollable to us, such as a cancer diagnosis,
a marital crisis, working through a divorce, children turning away from their
Christian faith, or financial challenges. The Good Shepherd will be with you
right in the midst of them, walking with you and providing you with the
strength to overcome problems.
As I prepared this
sermon, I was aware of the challenges faced by several of my friends and
members of Hope Church. Some of you are tired and weary and want to quit. Our
Good Shepherd, Jesus, knows your situation. He will come to save, heal, and
provide for all your needs. He will lead you beside still waters to refresh
your body, mind, and soul.
