57. THE GOOD SHEPHERD. Psalm 23.

Having lived on a “Hobby Farm” in a farming area for over thirty years, I have come to the conclusion that sheep are the dumbest creatures under Heaven. They haven’t a clue about anything, even their senses don’t seem to work the way they ought to. That’s why farmers have sheep-dogs to lead, push, prod and hustle them along. Yet these silly animals which have the cutest loveable little lambs supply us with meat, wool and in some cases with milk and cheese. Though easily led and given to occasionally wandering down the wrong track they are reasonably compliant most of the time, but one has to be prepared for the odd rebel that will brake all the rules and cause untold damage. . In Old Testament times farmers didn’t have sheep-dogs, they cared for their much smaller flocks themselves, often giving the job to one of their children (David was one such boy) or, if they could afford it they would employ a shepherd. Now, there were “Good shepherds and bad shepherds. The good ones would take it in shifts to stay awake all night and keep the wild animals away from the flock, while the bad ones were just there for the money and often slept on the job. So now you know why Jesus called Himself the “Good Shepherd.” He is always awake, The Old Testament tells us God doesn’t sleep. But in saying that, Jesus was referring to us as sheep. Now if you go back and read the first paragraph again, You will see why!!! Don’t let this worry you, Just follow me with Psalm 23 and see how much the Lord loves you, paying attention to the personal pronouns which I have put in capital letters to show how personal a relationship Jesus wants to have with us. ...Psalm 23. 1.” The Lord is MY Shepherd I shall not want;” Understand exactly what this means,-- Because The Lord is your Shepherd, All your needs will be met and taken care of. 2. “He makes ME lie down in green pastures He leads ME beside quiet waters” The Good shepherd will take His sheep to the most tranquil of places, Why? 3 reasons, a. To refresh our Souls. b. So that we will learn to recognise the sound of His voice and know it can be trusted and c. to guide us along the right path.. “In pastures green He Leads ME” Not just anywhere and for no reason, but in healthy safe places, where we can be fed with the Word of God and drink the living waters of eternal life. because it’s His name that is at stake. The idea of “The quiet waters by” is peaceful tranquillity where man can be still and commune in peace with his God.. 3. “MY Soul He doth restore again” to show us the depth of His love as He gives to each one of us a time of personal Reflection, Repentance and Restoration for our mind Soul and Body. “And ME to walk doth make” and He will enable you once again, to walk in His righteousness with confidence. Surrounded by His redemptive everlasting Love 4. “E’en though I walk through deaths dark vale, yet will I fear no ills,” We all have times of heartache, pain, illness and sorrow. But, we must learn to trust our God in these times, because He knows what is best for us, even though sometimes it will hurt, we need to remember, gain only comes after pain, (read Job). For,;--“Your rod and your staff will comfort ME” Even though I can’t always see or understand what you are doing, I am guided by Your rod and your staff (Your Word) I will trust you. 5. “You prepare a table before ME in the presence of MY enemies” The Lord will show the world what we have done to make His name known, He will put on show our faith, our loyalty and our unashamed profession of who we are in Jesus Christ. He will anoint us with the oil of His Salvation and have us marked and sealed as His alone. 1. 6. Surely Your Goodness and mercy will follow ME all the days of MY life” When we live daily with honest open lives before God, we can live with the expectation of His Goodness and Mercy each day. “And in God’s house forever more MY dwelling place shall be.” And that expectation will translate with us into Eternity when we leave this world. What more can we ask. Thank you for reading my take on Psalm 23. I believe it is very much a psalm for the living rather than the dead. I hope you experience the enjoyment of living it. God Bless us all. Phaline. -------------------------------