1.The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
~God is the best example we have of a good shepherd who cares for His sheep. Because God is our Shepherd we are assured we will never be in want. He meets our needs.
2.He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
~Sheep need a Shepherd to lead them to good things. Sheep will not go out looking for clean fresh water or for green fresh grass, they will stay in one place until they die if not guided by someone.
3.He restores my soul.
~Our Shepherd gives us rest when we need it.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
~I can't imagine being lead in paths of righteousness as being pleasant for sheep who are not righteous. We are not familiar with the path God leads us down, but He is there every step of the way, guiding us sometimes firmly, but always lovingly.
~Sheep need a Shepherd to lead them to good things. Sheep will not go out looking for clean fresh water or for green fresh grass, they will stay in one place until they die if not guided by someone.
3.He restores my soul.
~Our Shepherd gives us rest when we need it.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
~I can't imagine being lead in paths of righteousness as being pleasant for sheep who are not righteous. We are not familiar with the path God leads us down, but He is there every step of the way, guiding us sometimes firmly, but always lovingly.
4. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
~Shepherds never really rest when with their sheep, they must always look out for their safety. Our Shepherd protects us so we have nothing to fear. The next phrase "your rod and staff they comfort me" is a little strange. A shepherd's rod and staff are not just for protection from predators, but also to correct the sheep when they start going astray. Sheep need to be prodded and pushed to make sure they go the right way. That is not comfortable for the sheep, but how comforting to know that our Shepherd does this for our good and to keep us close to Him.
Sheep are usually thought of in a flock, hundreds of them together as one unit. As Christians, we are one Body, THE Bride of Christ. Perhaps sometimes we feel alienated by this, we are part of something bigger than ourselves which is good, but we must not forget that we are still individuals who have personal relationships with our Shepherd. Jesus tells a story of a shepherd with a hundred sheep (Matthew 18). One sheep gets separated from the flock. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes after that one sheep. Jesus uses that parable to show that we are collectively one Body, but we are also individually, God's child. He cares for us as a Church and as individuals. Never think for one moment that your personal life does not matter to God.
they comfort me.
~Shepherds never really rest when with their sheep, they must always look out for their safety. Our Shepherd protects us so we have nothing to fear. The next phrase "your rod and staff they comfort me" is a little strange. A shepherd's rod and staff are not just for protection from predators, but also to correct the sheep when they start going astray. Sheep need to be prodded and pushed to make sure they go the right way. That is not comfortable for the sheep, but how comforting to know that our Shepherd does this for our good and to keep us close to Him.
Sheep are usually thought of in a flock, hundreds of them together as one unit. As Christians, we are one Body, THE Bride of Christ. Perhaps sometimes we feel alienated by this, we are part of something bigger than ourselves which is good, but we must not forget that we are still individuals who have personal relationships with our Shepherd. Jesus tells a story of a shepherd with a hundred sheep (Matthew 18). One sheep gets separated from the flock. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes after that one sheep. Jesus uses that parable to show that we are collectively one Body, but we are also individually, God's child. He cares for us as a Church and as individuals. Never think for one moment that your personal life does not matter to God.
Thanks for posting this Jess. This was encouraging to me. And AMEN! about being one unit, but also having a personal relationship with our Shepherd
ReplyDeleteThank you Twinkie! I get nervous anytime I post something like this because I am not a Biblical scholar and I do not want to be misunderstanding or reading into the Scriptures.
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