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WEEKLY
Volume 1 Number 34
21 January 2007
The LORD Is My Shepherd
(Message delivered by Pr Hien Nguyen at the
Sunday Worship Service, 2 pm, Jan 14, 2007)
Text:
Psalm 23
Psalm 23 is very popular as it is a great comfort to
Bible-believing Christians, God’s children. It has been set to music
with various versions. I believe that most of us here can recite this
Psalm by heart. Psalm 23 was composed by King David, who used to be a
good shepherd, caring for his sheep, leading them, feeding them and
protecting them (1 Sam 16:19; 17:15, 34-37). Therefore, when thinking of
the tender care, leading and protection of the LORD in his life, with
faith and gratitude David acknowledged and professed his trust in the
LORD as his Shepherd.
How about you and me? Is the Lord our personal
Shepherd? What does it mean when I say, “The LORD is my Shepherd”? May
the Lord help us understand this truth and then trust in and submit to
His loving care, guidance and protection.
The LORD Is My Shepherd
To profess, “The LORD Is My
Shepherd,” you and I need to know who “the LORD” is and
then to accept Him now as Lord and Saviour
with trust, thanks and submission. Is the LORD your and my Shepherd now?
Are you able to say that the LORD “is” always “my
Shepherd”?
The Name “LORD” or “I AM THAT I AM” or “JEHOVAH” is
the covenant Name of God to His own people (Exod 3:14), denoting the
self-existing, eternal, faithful, unchangeable, living and true God,
mighty to keep and fulfil His word, promises and covenants to His chosen
people. It is the same covenant Name of our Lord Jesus Christ from His
seven “I AM” statements in the Gospel of John. In John chapter 10, our
Lord Jesus says, “I AM the Door,” and “I AM the Good
Shepherd.”
The Bible also confirms that the Lord Jesus is “that
great shepherd of the sheep” (Heb 13:20), and “the
Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25), and “the
chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). Then it is wise and secure for
you and me to receive and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ not only as
our Lord and Saviour but also as our Shepherd. What do the sheep need or
want? They need the guidance, the loving care and the protection from a
good shepherd.
The Shepherd’s Guidance
Thank God for His
Salvation: The
sheep are naive, harmless, patient, submissive and simple. Without the
shepherd’s guidance, the sheep easily go astray and are scattered here
and there (Matt 9:36). If the shepherd does
not seek and bring back the lost sheep, they will perish as they do not
know how to seek the shepherd or go back to the fold. The LORD says,
“For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I even I, will
both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd
seeketh out his flock…, so will I seek out my sheep” (Eze 34:11).
The Lord Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd: the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep… And other sheep I have,
which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they
shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd”
(John 10:11, 16). We must humbly thank God and praise Him for His grace
and mercy in seeking us and bringing us back to His fold, “For ye
were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and
Bishop of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). Truly, Jesus says, “Ye
have not chosen me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16).
Follow the Shepherd and His Voice:
Our Lord Jesus says, “the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his
own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his
own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they
know (intuitively) his voice” (John
10:3-4). Our Lord now guides us through the Holy Spirit and His Word.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God” (Rom 8:14), and “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and
a light unto my path” (Ps 119:105). The Holy Spirit helps us
understand and know God’s Word as well as follow God’s Word. In order to
know intuitively our Shepherd’s voice, we need to read, study,
understand and follow God’s Word day by day. Once we are familiar with
our Shepherd’s voice, we can recognise and discern His voice from the
strangers’ voice, Satan’s voice, worldly voice, false teachers’ voice,
even our own voice. Sadly, many “Christians” are deceived and misled by
many strangers’ voice due to their lack of faith in and submission to
God’s Word. Then if you and I sincerely and submissively say, “The
LORD is my shepherd,” you and I are to hear our Lord’s voice alone
and walk after Him alone step by step. If we trust in ourselves and
proudly run before the Lord with our own will and plans without His
guidance, we are not His sheep.
Thank God for His Guidance:
David experienced the leading of the Lord, saying, “He leadeth me
in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (v. 3).
Surely our holy and righteous Lord always leads you and me in His way
(Pr 10:29), the way of righteousness (Pr 8:20), “the way of wisdom” (Pr
4:11), “the way of life” (Pr 6:23), “the right way” (Ps 107:7; 2 Peter
2:15), in His perfect way (Ps 18:30), the way of His Word (Ps
119:32-33), “in the way everlasting” (Ps 139:24), the narrow way that
“leadeth unto life” (Matt 7:14), “into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79),
“the way of truth” (2 Peter 2:2). Then it is wise to trust and follow
God’s guidance. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct
thy paths” (Pr 3:6), and “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust
also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Ps 37:5). The LORD
leads us in the paths of righteousness, not because of our goodness or
good works, but only because of “his name’s sake.” The
Lord says, “And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought
with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked
ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel,
saith the Lord GOD…Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel,
but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the
heathen, whither ye went” (Eze 20:44; 36:22). My dear friends, we
are to humbly give thanks to the Lord for His Name’s sake alone that we
are saved, guided, kept in His way and blessed, “Help us, O God of
our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and
purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake” (Ps 79:9).
The Shepherd’s Loving Care
Watch out for Poisonous
Grass: The
sheep cannot live by themselves independently from the shepherd’s care.
Without the shepherd’s guidance and care, the sheep may eat poisonous
grass, plants or weeds and then get sick and die. There are several
types of poisonous grass and plants like ryegrass, bear grass, blown
grass, arrow-grass, Sudan grass, milkweed, nightshade, horsebrush, snake
weed, rubberweed, etc. have made many sheep
sick and die in Africa, Canada, America and Australia with these
symptoms: weakened limbs, convulsions, trembling, vomiting, loss of
appetite, difficult breathing, constipation or diarrhoea,
unconsciousness and death. No wonder, nowadays, many “Christians” are
fed with “poisonous food” of unbiblical doctrines, human psychology,
worldly values and entertainment, etc., and consequently, they have lost
their appetite for God’s Word, their desire to pray and walk closely
with God, their consciousness of what is right or wrong, the strength to
do God’s Word, and so forth. Then how cautious and discerning we should
be to follow our good Shepherd and eat “his pasture” of
good grass which is from God’s Word only (Ps 100:3).
Trust in God’s Loving Care:
Our Lord Jesus says, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he
shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture…I am
come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly” (John 10:9-10). David experienced the LORD’S
loving care, saying, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul…Thou
preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou
anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Truly,
following our Divine Shepherd, we shall find rest unto our souls (Matt
11:29), and our souls shall be nourished, restored and refreshed by the
green pastures of God’s Word beside the gentle waters of His grace and
mercies and the presence of the Holy Spirit, “quicken thou me
according to thy word, according to thy lovingkindness” (Ps 119:25,
107, 149, 159), and “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and
uphold me with thy free spirit” (Ps 51:12).
Oil is used for healing as
medicament on the wounds (Isa 1:6), a token of happiness, blessing and
privilege (Ps 133:2; 141: 5; Eccl 9:8), and for anointing king, priest
or sacred things (1 Sam 10:1; Lev 8:2-12). David’s heart was soothed
from the wounds caused by his enemies, was filled with God’s joy and was
anointed to be king. Now, it is a great comfort to enjoy God’s tender
care and healing and His anointing to know
God’s truth (1 John 2:20, 27). Shall you and I not trust in such the
loving care of our Divine Shepherd?
The Shepherd’s Protection
The sheep are helpless and defenceless. They cannot
protect themselves and become easy prey for the wild beasts. If the
shepherd does not protect them, they are helpless. The sheep is just
quiet before the shearers or the slaughter (Isa 53:7) while other
animals resist and scream. The Lord Jesus says, “Behold, I send you
forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matt 10:16). My dear friends, are
you scared of the enemies of your souls, Satan and his followers? God
leads His children not only on smooth and bright paths but also through
the “valley of the shadow of death,” through dangers,
trials, opposition, persecutions, and even death. But be of good cheer,
our Divine Shepherd will not leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5) while
the hireling does not care for the sheep and will run away when facing
dangers and wild beasts (John 10:12-13). David did protect his sheep
well and believe that his mighty God would protect him much better.
David said to King Saul, “Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and
there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I
went out after him, and smote him, and deliver it out of his mouth: and
when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and
slew him” (1 Sam 17:35). Therefore, David said with full confidence,
“I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” Yes, the Lord
is with us at this moment and always, and that is all we need. Our
mighty God is able to make all things work together for good to His
obedient children (Rom 8:28). The Bible tells about Joseph, “And the
patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with
him, And deliver him out of all his afflictions, and gave him
favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made
him governor over Egypt and all his house” (Acts 7:9-10).
Joseph testified this truth and said to his brethren, “But as for
you, ye thought evil against me; but
God meant it
unto good,
to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive”
(Gen 50:20). “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
A rod is used for punishment (Pro 10:13), correction (Pro 22:15),
fighting (as a weapon, 2 Sam 23:21), ruling (as a sceptre, Isa 14:5; Eze
19:11), counting sheep (Lev 27:32). A staff is used as a walking stick (Exod
21:19). David was comforted by the Lord’s chastisement, guidance,
protection, and control, and so shall we. Moreover, our Lord Jesus says,
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I
give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand…out of my
Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29). What a comfort to know that we
shall never perish, and once saved our souls will forever be saved by
God’s grace and mercy although we may suffer death for His name’s sake!
Finally, David proclaimed his
trust in the Lord, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
Many are pursuing happiness, material blessings, and even the Lord’s
blessings but not the Lord Himself, the Source and the Giver of all
blessings. No wonder they cannot be really satisfied under the loving
care and comfort of the Lord! How about you and I?
Conclusion
Many are living without God’s
guidance, loving care and protection! How miserable they are as they do
not know where their souls will be and how they may be truly happy and
satisfied! They are so scared of the evils even death that may happen to
them! We thank God so much for His grace and mercy and because of His
Name’s sake, we have been brought back to His fold to enjoy His loving
care, guidance and protection. It is vital to receive the LORD as our
Shepherd personally. To say that “The LORD is my shepherd,” we are to
submit to Him and His guidance by hearing His voice alone, following Him
step by step alone, feeding on His Word alone, and trusting in His
loving care and protection. Then, we can confidently say, “I shall
not want” or lack what I need (not what I like) and “I
will fear no evil for Thou art with me.” While pursuing the Lord
Himself, we shall experience His goodness and mercy following us all the
days of our lives on earth until we will dwell with Him for ever in
Heaven. Praise the Lord! Amen.
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