THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD.

DAILY DEVOTION.

DAY SEVENTEEN.

PSALM 23:1.    The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
This is the opening verse in what is probably the best known passage of scripture in the whole Bible, but how important is it that we understand that the Lord is our shepherd? David had, as a young man, been a shepherd, he had looked after his father's sheep while his older brothers away at war. It was while he was tending his father's sheep that he slay Goliath. David understood the role of a shepherd and how they had to protect the sheep, as well as make sure that they had green pasture to feed in. We see in the incident with Goliath when Saul says that David is only a youth and cannot go up against Goliath, David describes how he protected the sheep from the lion and the bear, and how he had actually killed them in protecting the sheep. David said that this Philistine would be no different to one of them. In Psalm 23 we see how David describes the role of the shepherd and how the Lord would lead David and would ensure that David's needs would be met, both physically and spiritually, and that he would be protected, even in dark times, even to the point that his enemies would even see how God blessed him, and of course, because the Lord was his shepherd, David would dwell in His house for ever. So, if we come over into the New Testament, we see that Jesus makes a very powerful, and profound statement, in John 10:11 "I Am the good shepherd, The good shepherd gives His life for His sheep." This is profound , because the Jews had always seen God as their shepherd, Jesus here is saying that He is God, but that He had come to lay down His life for His sheep. In verse 14 He repeats the fact that He is the good shepherd and that He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. Jesus knows that we are His and He knows everything about us, and we too can know Him and know His voice. He makes the statement a couple of times in John 10 that He is going to lay His life down for His sheep and He says in verse 18 that no one takes His life from Him but that He has the power to lay it down and also the power to take it up again, obviously speaking of how He would ultimately lay His life down for us and be resurrected again. He goes on in verses 27-29 to explain how we can hear His voice and that as hear His voice we will follow Him, and that He has given us eternal life, and that nothing can snatch us out of His hand, He holds us in the palm of His hand, as it were, that's how much He protects us. He even goes on to say that because we are in His hand we are also in the Father' hands and no one will be able to snatch us out. That is an amazing promise of protection for us, This is so powerful because remember Jesus had said in John 10:10 that the thief comes but to rob, kill and destroy, but that He had come to give us abundant life, that life is found as we stay safe and secure in His hand. I love what it says in Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you: Be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Jesus is the One who sits at the right hand of God, Jesus is the One who will uphold us, He is the one who will walk with us through the valley experiences that we go through when the enemy tries to come against us. Jesus is the One who speaks to us in that still small voice that says, "This is way, walk in it" when all around us seems desolated and there seems to be no water or food for us, Jesus is the one who leads us into the green pastures and besides the still waters, He is the One who restores our soul, brings us peace and reassurance. He is the One who leads in righteousness and away from temptation. Jesus is the One who provides for us even in the face of our enemies, an anoints us with His Spirit so that we can walk in His authority and know His joy that will be our strength. His goodness and his grace is with us everyday and He promised us in John 10:28 that we have eternal life, so we can dwell in the house of the Lord forever. AMEN.