CCF: Because the Lord Is My Shepherd

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PSALM 23 (By Pastor Jay Jackson)

A Look into the Heart of the Shepherd of Israel (Part 2)

We’ve been looking into the book of Psalm chapter 23 and the heart of David when he wrote the song. These passage helps us understand our relationship with our Shepherd and what good shepherding means so we can apply the same principles as a parent, spouse, friend or discipleship group leader.

From Part 1 of this series we have learned two principles:

Principle #1 If I am a Shepherd it is because I am aware of the needs of the sheep and seek to meet them

Principle #2 If I am a Shepherd it is because I ease the burden of the sheep

As we look to the remaining verses of Psalm 23, let’s find out the last two principles we can take away from this chapter.

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.

He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Principle#3 If I am a Shepherd it is because I keep the sheep on course for the glory of God.

As we shepherd the people entrusted to us by God our ultimate goal is to give honor to God. Isaiah 53:6 tells us, “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…” Every one of us has wandered away as some are stubborn or confused.

Are you on course in your personal life? If you are lost find someone who can help you find your way back to God. But if you are on course, you can be that someone who points others back to the right path. You don’t have to be in leadership to get people headed in the right direction, you just need to know the way.

As a good shepherd, the right motivation to lead our sheep is for God’s glory. The shepherd lives for the glory of God, always points the way to Christ and gives credit to the rightful owner.

To make an impact to others is not a bad thing to pursue but it can be distracting. Transformation in the lives of others should be the result of our ministry and not the goal. It is only about Him, always about Him. God may use you to make a person believe in Christ not to make you feel good about yourself but because God is glorious and deserves the glory for everything He does through you. There should only be one pursuit that will ever be legitimate – our pursuit of Christ and the glory of His name. Ministry is not something that we pursue, ministry is what we leave behind us in our footprints as we pursue Christ.

Reality Check:

When people follow you and your lifestyle do they end up where they should be?

If God were to use you to do something wonderful, would His glory be safe with you?

Principle #4 If I am a Shepherd it is because I comfort the sheep when they’re afraid. We do nothing when we dismiss the fears of others. As believers, we are sons and daughters of God but it doesn’t mean we will never be in danger but in case we find ourselves in a difficult time, be assured that God is with us. Trust Him and do not be afraid because you are not alone. Matthew 10:29-31 says “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father…  So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”

Is there enough supply of confidence in God in your heart to make it possible for others to borrow from you? Don’t make it just enough for yourself, make it overflowing supply of confidence in God so you can loan it to others.

Reality Check:

Do you dismiss the fears of God’s people, do you choose to rebuke them or do you use the opportunity to point them to the presence of God?