As we have said in the past blog the 23rd Psalm’s theme is God as the shepherd of His sheep.let us consider this with our knowledge of the Bible what pictures of our Shepherd can be seen
a) The Shepherd of the flock led His flock of sheep he did not drive them. Our Shepherd God will not drive us but lead us.
b)The Shepherd of the flock was a friend to his sheep. Jesus is the friend of sinners.
c) The Shepherd of his flock knew His sheep by name. As Christ knows you name (John 10:27).
d) The Shepherd of the flock put His mark upon His sheep to make them distinctly His own. The Christian has God’s mark upon him to the Holy Spirit.
e) The Shepherd of the flock protects His sheep from those who would destroy. (John 10:29 ‘no man is able to pluck them from the Father’s hand’. Is this how you see your Great Shepherd?
There is a story of how one evening in a hotel lounge a company of notable men were talking when the conversation turned to the quotations of great pieces of literature. A famous actor was there and by way of example recited the 23rd Psalm. There was perfect enunciation, modulation and expression. It was beautifully done and was well appreciated by the men there. However also at the meeting there was an old preacher who knew God he stood up and followed the actor with the same 23rd Psalm. It was beautifully done. The comment afterwards in comparison of the two was this “The actor knows the shepherd Psalm but the preacher knows the shepherd OF the psalm”. Our Shepherd is a tender faithful living God who loves and cares for His flock. Do we know Him?
There is a true story of a Christian man taking his holiday in Scotland as he roamed across the hills one he came across a boy who was minding a flock of sheep. The Christian man sat beside the boy and presently asked him if knew the 23rd Psalm. Of course he did he was a Scots lad and went to church regularly. ‘Then what is the opening sequence ‘, said the man? ‘The Lord is my shepherd’, said the boy. ‘Say it again , ticking off a finger for each word’. ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’, demonstrated the boy. ‘What is the fourth finger’, asked the Christian man. ‘MY’ said the boy. ‘Can you say He is MY shepherd?’ said the Christian man. The shepherd boy clutching that fourth finger, for the first time saw his need of Christ the shepherd of the psalm. After being led to the shepherd of the cross, the lamb of God the boy trusted Jesus in his heart and was converted. The two separated and the boy whenever he spoke those words clutched his fourth finger ‘MY’ Shepherd. The succeeding winter was a very hard one and it so happened that on one of those days there was a heavy fall of snow and the boy had not come home with his sheep. They were found days later buried in a drift of snow frozen to death. The person who discovered the boy recalled how he had found him. He had a peaceful look on his face and the fourth finger of his left hand was firmly grasped in his right hand. Such was that boys last thoughts and such was his hope for eternal years. What a difference MY makes to ones life. Jesus the good, the great, the chief shepherd is wonderful but before we can truly embrace all that he is as a shepherd He must be MY Shepherd.
God bless