MY SHEPHERD AND ME

"My Shepherd and Me"

Psalm 23

Life is difficult.  It is filled with valleys, and storms, and scary dark places. We WILL walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It's not a matter of "if" but "when," and besides, we all need still waters and green pastures. Life, even at its best, is a bit of a chore, but we never have to walk alone. No matter how many have ignored or even forsaken us, we are never entirely alone... because the Good Shepherd is our shepherd, and He is always with us. Claiming this promise for ourselves is transforming. If you've been following along, you know that this is yet another reflection in a series that I have written for our local congregation. If it provides even one person with comfort, it will have been more than worth my time.

Scripture (Read this great Psalm... as if it is your first time)

Reflection

As a minister, I’ve read Psalm 23 at scores and scores of funeral services. It brings considerable comfort to many people who are grieving. This, of course, is a good thing, but the Psalm was written to give comfort to the living! It speaks of eternity, no doubt, but it focuses on the journey we call life. In the end, we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, but the promise is this: when we walk with God, He will lead us to green pastures and quiet waters. He will provide for us, and when we grow weary, He will refresh our souls. No matter the threat against us- even in the fiercest storms- even when the shadow of death nearly darkens our path altogether- we will not fear any evil, nor be frightened by any foe. No, we will never be afraid because God is OUR SHEPHERD!

We will never walk alone if we walk with God, and what is more, we need never fear nor worry… because He is our shepherd. In our mind’s eye today, we tend to see shepherds as contented pastoral types, who peacefully watch over unthreatened flocks as they graze. But this image does a great injustice to the Biblical shepherd, who often faced harm and even death for his sheep. In David’s time, shepherds were expected to find pastures, help with birthing, provide medical treatment when necessary, keep the flock together, retrieve those who strayed, carry the ones who couldn’t keep up, and protect the sheep at any cost. Jesus noted that, while a hired hand may abandon the sheep to save himself, the shepherd would put his sheep ahead of himself. Indeed, a “good shepherd” would lay his own life down for his sheep, and God is a good shepherd!

We can count on it! God will protect us. He will provide for us. He will bring us home safely, and what is more, he will bless us with “goodness and love all the days” of our lives. With this in mind, we don’t hesitate to take the road less traveled, and we never let our fears get the best of us. Knowing that God is “in command” frees us to serve Him boldly, and it motivates us to keep on going… when the going gets tough! Life is not easy, and a life lived for Christ may be filled with challenges… but we can do it. We can walk any mile and climb any hill; we can overcome any challenge and conquer any evil … because Christ is our shepherd! Amen.

Questions to Ponder

Who is your shepherd? Do you even have one?

A real shepherd gets his or her hands dirty, even bloody, for the sheep. Protecting, bandaging, carrying, feeding, finding- all of these are trying duties. Are you a shepherd to anyone today?

What, if anything, do the sheep owe to the shepherd?