In the first of this two-part blogpost, we’ll begin walking through a beautiful psalm, written from the perspective of a sheep by a shepherd named David. The Psalm recounts various events that take place throughout a year in a sheep’s life. We start at “home” with the shepherd, go “out into the green pastures, along still waters, up through the mountain valleys to the high tablelands of summer.” (Phillip Keller, A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23)
As we go through each section of the poem, notice how the Shepherd painstakingly cares for the sheep in each of the seasons throughout the year.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
David begins by establishing a relationship whereby the LORD is the caretaker, the one in charge of the well-being of the sheep. Since He is the Shepherd, the sheep want nothing. The word ‘want’ as used here, goes beyond not lacking, it is “…also the idea of being utterly contented in the Good Shepherd’s care and consequently not craving or desiring anything more.” (Phillip Keller, A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23)
That kind of contentment is such a drastic contrast from the marketing in our culture of “you need more, want more, have more, be more”. Is there an area of your life where you aren’t feeling contented? Where do you think you “lack” but you don’t really?
The Good Shepherd “…is the owner who delights in His flock. For Him there is no greater reward, no deeper satisfaction, than that of seeing His sheep contented, well fed, safe and flourishing under His care. This is indeed His very ‘life.’ He gives all He has to it. He literally lays Himself out for those who are His.” (Phillip Keller, A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23)
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters…
Sheep have to be free of 4 things in order to lie down:
- Fear
- Friction with others of their kind
- Pests (flies, parasites)
- Hunger
I would venture to say, it’s similar for us. When we lay down at night, what is it that keeps us awake? Fears we have, friction or conflict with others, the occasional fly or mosquito, hunger – maybe not physical hunger – maybe we’re hungering for something and we don’t know how to satiate it.
When it comes to the four things the sheep need to be free of in order to lay down, there is only one who can free them of their anxieties: the Shepherd.
It is His presence that provides reassurance. “In the Christian’s life there is no substitute for the keen awareness that my Shepherd is nearby. There is nothing like Christ’s presence to dispel the fear, the panic, the terror of the unknown…” (Phillip Keller, A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23)
When free of fear, friction, pests and hunger, the sheep could peacefully lie down in green pastures.
Green pastures did not happen by chance, but rather by tremendous labor. Shepherds would have to clear rough, rocky land, prepare soil, plant special grains, and make sure it was watered. What incredible care on the part of the Shepherd.
Quiet Waters – When sheep are thirsty, they get restless and go searching for any water they can find, even if it’s in a polluted pothole, where they end up getting parasites or other germs.
Sheep had various sources of water, including deep wells, springs and streams, but one of their sources of water surprised me a bit. Close your eyes for a moment and picture being outside very early in the morning, so early, the sun has not yet risen above the horizon. You’re in the middle of a lush, grassy meadow. You look down and what do you see on the blades of grass?
Droplets of dew! How would you describe those droplets of dew?
- Small but plentiful
- Clean
- Pure
How often is dew “delivered”? It’s delivered each morning, kind of like mana was “delivered” for the Israelites in the desert.
Sheep will arise very early in the morning and start to feed, and they can “keep fit” from the water droplets of dew found on the grass.
Think about how you “keep fit” spiritually. You likely do so by daily feeding on God’s Word, maybe in those early, quiet hours of the morning.
He refreshes/restores my soul
A sheep can end up on it’s back and when that happens, it cannot get up. It’s a “cast” sheep. Its feet are in the air, it’s struggling, it’s frantic. It becomes susceptible to predators.
When the shepherd finds the sheep, he carefully turns it on its side, massages its legs for circulation and finally the sheep is able to stand up – RESTORED.
Think about a time when you were in a state like that – where you were really struggling and you were down – not able to get upright, but God gently and carefully restored you.
If you’re struggling right now, I pray that our Good Shepherd would restore your soul.
We’ll continue walking through this Psalm in my next post. In the meantime, can I challenge and encourage you to read through the whole Psalm each day this week and allow the Holy Spirit to bring to remembrance how the Shepherd cares for the sheep?
As we reflect on the Shepherd’s painstaking care for His sheep, let us go be radiant this week.
Go Be Radiant 