Psalm 23:1 – The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
This Psalm displays the amazing condescension of the Lord and the extreme humility of David. The Lord of the Universe inspired David to refer to Him as an ordinary shepherd. Shepherds have historically been considered as part of some sort of lower class, almost an invisible yet necessary part of society. Jesus Himself boldly called Himself the Good Shepherd, He spent His life on earth tending His sheep. Even in heaven He is portrayed as a shepherd. Rev.7:17 – “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters”. David who was the King of Israel, referred to himself as one of the Lord’s sheep. What kind of king would call himself a common farm animal? Probably only David. So the King of the Universe is my Shepherd, knowing this puts me in a place of being loved and cared for all of my life. Here is how Spurgeon describes this.
“There is a noble tone of confidence about this sentence. There is no “if” nor “but,” nor even “I hope so;” but he says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” We must cultivate the spirit of assured dependence upon our heavenly Father. The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, “My.” He does not say, “The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leads forth the multitude as his flock,” but “The Lord is my shepherd;” if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me. The words are in the present tense. Whatever be the believer’s position, he is even now under the pastoral care of Jehovah.”
This is really a life changing revelation, “the Lord is MY Shepherd”. He calls ME by name, He provides everything I need because He loves ME. He guides ME, transforms ME, and anoints ME with His glory. Seeing the amazing humility of Christ humbles us. We recognize His greatness cloaked in a man and realize the whole purpose of Him becoming a man was to simply love ME. If the Lord is MY Shepherd I can rest in His love. The beauty of all this is how He treats me personally, He loves ME and I can hear His voice. The Lord is MY Shepherd.
