THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD... AND I AM NOT AFRAID

      “I am the Shepherd who brings well being and abundant prosperity; my rule is just so that the strong might not oppress the weak, and that even the orphan and the widow might be treated with justice.” (Hammarabi, c. 1800BC ) Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! You clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you don’t take care of the flock. You don’t strengthen the weak or bind up the injured. You don’t bring back the strays or search for the lost. Therefore, I will rescue my flock from their mouths. I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. I will tend them in a good pasture…. (Ezekiel 34)                    

      I don't know much about shepherds or sheep, but the people in Israel did. They knew that shepherds were accountable for the well-being of their flocks. They knew that shepherds carried a rod and a staff so that they could protect, lead, and rescue their sheep.They knew that sheep were prone to wander, that they were very vulnerable, easily frightened, and not particularly bright. They knew that sheep could not be "trained" with a "carrot or a stick" because the shepherd and the sheep were in a relationship of trust. Often,shepherds knew their sheep by name and they shepherded them for years, They cared for them and the sheep knew their voice. People knew that the success of any shepherd depended on trust... because following a shepherd required believing that the Shepherd would meet your needs, no matter the weather, no matter the circumstance, and in the face of any threat or danger.

      According to Ezekiel, Israel’s kings failed as shepherds and God himself took over the task of leading, protecting, and comforting His people. God was their Shepherd! David believed this. He believed that God was His shepherd and while he was fleeing from danger, he wrote the 23^rd Psalm, which is a psalm of trust for the living! It is also a promise that God is present and powerful in our darkest hours. Let’s review it one more time.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT

      I could have other shepherds. I could trust in other things, including myself, my strength, my wealth, my family, my friends, my work, even drugs and alcohol. I could follow any one of the little gods who cry out to me. They could be my shepherd. Many people trust in things and people who cannot save them, but the Lord is MY shepherd. In him I trust and believe and get all that I need.

HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES. HE LEADS ME TO STILL WATER.

      My shepherd knows that I need food for the journey. He knows that I need rest. He knows that I’m afraid of turbulent water and my own shadow half the time... and he watches over me. There are times when I didn’t get what I thought I wanted, but my shepherd has always given me what I need.

HE RESTORES MY SOUL

      Oh, my weary and troubled soul, which has broken under the weight of my sin and been starved by my lack of care. In the past, I undermined and neglected my soul, but even as a Christian, my soul grows weary unless it is restored. My soul needs to be fed and my shepherd feeds my soul. He speaks to me in his Word, in prayer, and in the midst of sacred silence when I quit moving and talking. He puts people who love me in my life and he surrounds me with community. When I ponder the blessings and wonders that are everywhere around me, my soul sings. 

HE LEADS MY IN PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS... FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE.

      I’ve learned the hard way that I wander off when I don’t listen to the Lord. When I tried to walk alone, I invariably found myself stumbling down the broad highway and getting further and further lost. There are a lot of paths that we can take in life and most of them are more alluring than the paths of righteousness. They are wide and tempting, but my shepherd cares enough to lead my down the narrow, but rewarding, path of righteousness so that I might do the right thing for my God, my family, my country, my friends, my employer, and myself.

EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH AND DEEP DARKNESS, I FEAR NO EVIL.

      Lord knows, I’m no stranger to the valleys. Like you, I’ve seen the bodies and the storms forming overhead. Like you, I’ve been in water up to my neck and I’ve had my back to the wall. I’ve heard the voices as they cry out, I’ve seen tears form in their eyes, and I’ve done some crying myself. I’ve walked through the dark valleys many times, and I've walked through the valley of the shadow of death several times...after I became a Christian, because valleys are part of life. What is more- I know that there are more valleys around the corner. But ever since Christ has been MY SHEPHERD, I’ve never walked through the valley alone… and it becomes less and less frightening as I trust the Lord more and more. 

THY ROD AND THY STAFF COMFORT ME

      Where the word “comfort” means “with strength,” rather than a pity party, an excuse session, or a fairy tale. Shepherds used their rods and staffs to protect and rescue their sheep. They are strong and able, and I am entirely convinced that I am safely tucked in the palm of God’s hand.

THOU PREPAREST A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES. THOU ANOINTEST MY HEAD WITH OIL. MY CUP OVERFLOWS. 
      
      Glory to God, my cup overflows! It's not half empty and even half full- it overflows. God is my shepherd and he feeds me in the midst of my enemies, He gives me drink in the midst of my troubles because He is willing and able to overcome all troubles and any circumstance. No matter what happens today or whether I see tomorrow or not, my cup overflows! O Lord, when I consider all that you’ve given me- like people to love and be loved by, something to do that’s worth doing, and the joy of knowing you, not to mention things like the breath I draw, the colors I see and the taste of homemade ice cream… I feel ashamed that I sometimes want, or think I ought to have, more. Indeed, whether I’m sailing along or walking through a narrow valley, whether I’m being applauded or attacked, I feel your affirming, anointing presence and I see that my cup is overflowing! Amazing grace- I am blessed beyond reason and anything I’ve ever earned or done!

SURELY, GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE!

      O Lord, I’ve seen the darkness and I’ve known a hundred more people who’ve been in the valley too. Many of them, like my wife, Sherry, and a number of our friends- Dave, Sue, Jon- and my cousin, Richard, are walking with cancer. Others, like our granddaughter, are walking through divorce. Some are in a dark place in their work or personal lives. Some are burdened with stress. Some of them have buried their spouses and their children, some can’t pay their bills, some can’t cope with their own or a loved one’s sexuality. Darkness, Lord, it’s all around, and then there’s the valley of death that each one of us must walk through. It’s enough to make a grown man cry… but when we know you as our Shepherd, all of our fears melt away because we know that we are in your hands and that no power on earth or in heaven can separate us from your love! YOU are my shepherd. You ARE my shepherd. You are MY shepherd. You are my SHEPHERD and I fear no evil! Amen.