"The Lord is my shepherd..." Psalm 23:1
It has been called the sweetest monosyllable in the English language. The Lord is MY shepherd. This is quite a claim.
David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, does not simply affirm that the Lord is A shepherd. He does not put forth that the Lord CAN BE a shepherd. He boldly declares that the Lord is HIS shepherd.
The opening words of the most well-known chapter in the Bible certainly speak of the character of God, but it also tells of a relationship. If God is a shepherd but He is not MY shepherd, I am without hope. If the Lord provides, protects, guides, and leads others, but He is not those things for me, I am lost. The comforting aspect of Psalm 23:1 is that God is Himself a shepherd and that He can be known.
Perhaps you struggle because your view of God is that He is powerful yet distant. Maybe you see the Lord as strong but unknowable. While you may have respect for someone who is mighty, you can only truly worship that which is near and known.
Absolutely God is in the heavens and He does as He pleases. He is God Almighty. He is also the One who will be YOUR shepherd. The Lord created all things and holds the creation together by His word and will. He also is the One who will be YOUR comfort, hope, strength, and peace.
The Lord is MY shepherd.
Charles Spurgeon speaks of this blessed truth as he states:
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 leadeth 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.
Take heart, dear Christian. You are under the gentle care of your Heavenly Father, the One who is your shepherd. His care is perpetual, pastoral, and personal. No one knows you better; no one loves you more.
Because the Lord is MY shepherd...I shall not want.
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