"The Lord's my shepherd, I shall not want."

King David, Psalms 23:1 

 

So begins one of the most powerful passages in all of Scripture: The Lord is my Shepherd! What could be more powerful? A shepherd leads and a shepherd protects - Who could be a better leader or protector? A great part of David's success was his realization of this important fact.

 

It allowed him to face a bear and kill it. It allowed him to face a lion and kill it. It allowed him to face Goliath, a giant of a man, and kill him. In fact, this understanding that God was David's shepherd allowed him to stand against every enemy and come out the victor every single time.

 

That would be enough power in one statement, but David didn't stop there. He went to talk about the peace that comes from God being your shepherd:

"He leads me beside still waters."

 

If you have ever sat beside quiet waters, you know the peace that can permeate your entire existence just by being there. Have you ever sat by a quiet stream as it chuckles gently by? Or a pond that is so still that you could not tell if the reflection that it made was the surrounding landscape or the water itself? Have you ever stood beside a river so clear that you could see turtles taking a leisurely stroll on its bed? If so then you know the peace of still waters, and they are available only with God as your shepherd.

 

And David continues:

"He restores my soul."

 

Did you ever think about how beautiful it is to have your soul "restored". "Restored to what?", you ask - why to its original state of absolute purity and salvation? It's like the pure soul of a young child, sinless and without guile. A soul that is one with the LORD and therefore one that is fully content, perfectly flawless, and completely safe in the arms of Jesus. 

 

You and I could benefit from David's inspired Psalm. We could be pure and safe and content, if we so chose. All it takes is making the LORD your shepherd. 

 

Who is your Shepherd?

 

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."

Psalms 23:6, RSV 

 

Today is day 12 of the 30 day challenge to read through the Old Testament books of wisdom, with Psalms 21-30 being the reading for today. May God richly bless your life as you seek to do those things that will truly make Him the Shepherd of your life!