00:00 Intro music and voice over.
Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!
00:20 Speaker
Today we will celebrate what God is doing through the jesus loves the world podcasts with a lister's choice episode titled, Psalm 23 - He Leads Me.
David, the shepherd boy who became king had a wonderful revelation of who God is.
God Himself said of David that he was a man after His own heart. He knew the love of God and how God continually pursues in love. God’s heart desire is for us to come into a relationship with Him. As a result all who are willing can receive the fullness of His love and be empowered by His love to love others.
David knowing this wrote songs or psalms to express his emotions and revelations of God. One of David’s most famous psalms would be Psalm 23.
It is a Psalm of trust. David trusts in the self-exisiting, eternal one for He is his shepherd. Psalm 23 is also a prophetic psalm that speaks of the coming Messiah, who is the Good Shepherd. Jesus declares in John 10 that He is the good shepherd that was prophesied by David all those years ago.
So as we come to Psalm 23 let us lay down all our thoughts, emotions and beliefs and let God speak to us afresh. Let us begin.
Psalm 23:1 'The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.'
David here expresses that the Lord, Yahweh, God Himself, the self-existing, eternal one, is his shepherd. The one who created heaven and earth and all things good, makes Himself personal to David. David being a shepherd himself understood the responsibility and love that goes into caring for the sheep. David tended the sheep at an early age and during his lifetime received a revelation of how much God cares for him.
This is a beautiful picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. God through His Spirit goes before us. He is also our rear guard. The flock, that is all who have received Jesus, know the voice of the shepherd and follow only Him. With Him there is protection. As the flock come together, He calls each one by name.
God knows us by name. He makes himself personal. He makes himself intimate. He calls us by name and makes His home within.
The shepherd would provide everything for their flock. That included water, food, protection and much, much more. The shepherd would risk their life to save the sheep.
David the shepherd boy who became king, received such a powerful revelation that God would become the Messiah, give up His life and be the good shepherd for all the sheep.
All of us who have received Jesus as our Lord and Saviour become His flock. His flock that He will lead, tend, feed and protect. The good shepherd creates a safe place for us to be at rest.
In God’s kingdom everything is associated with relationship. There is a bond, an eternal bond between the shepherd and His sheep.
Knowing all this, David said, I shall not want or lack for anything. David will never be caused to fail because he knows God will never cause him to fail. God will never cause us to fail. He will never leave us and we will never lack.
When all our desires are wrapped up in the living God, there is no other desire than to know and experience Him. He fulfils all desires and needs. I'm not talking about the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes or the pride of life. His pure desire is to have a prefect love relationship with us. To lead us and guide us, transform us, provide for us and empower us to hear His whispers of love. As He call us by name. There is no greater moment than when the living God whispers your name and tells you that He loves you.
To hear his voice call your name is one of the most intimate and personal moments with Him. He calls out of love, not out of need, but out of love.
The Psalmist David continues in verse 2. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters.
He makes us lie down in green pastures is the freshest of grass with new and tender shoots. This is representing a lushness and choice field. By implication the green pastures means lovely satisfaction, beautiful habitation, a dwelling place of abiding in his presence. That is heaven on earth, living in the presence of the God each and every moment of every day.
I love the green pastures. No matter what is going on in the physical world, to be empowered by God to lie down in the green pastures of the spiritual realm, is heaven on earth. Where our spirit is at rest being fed, nourished and surrounded by Him. Dwelling in the presence of God is the only place to be living and ministering out of.
God leads beside the still waters. He doesn't lead us into storms or temptation. He leads us to a place of rest beside the still waters.
These still waters mean 'to sparkle.' We sparkle when we flow in His spirit, from that place of rest, where He protects and sustains us. He carries, feeds and guides us. He leads us to a place of rest and refreshing. To a place of watering or place that causes rest. A place where we can dwell and can be intimate with God, in everything we do.
The creator of heaven and earth and all things good causes us to run to a place where we can sparkle. A place of protection and sustenance. He gently leads us to such a place in Him.
Verse 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake.
Once again, God leads us to a place that is wonderful. It's a path of righteousness. That is a place of equality and true justice. Having been justified byGod, it is His place of rightness.
We are delivered from judgement and death. Living in His victory as we surrender to the Father's will, we allow Him to transform us. By His Spirit freely flowing within we are fruitful in the Kingdom of God. For He gives us each day more His love, His joy, His peace and all the fruits of the spirit as we surrender to Him.
This word that's been translated 'leads' is a different word to the one that's been translated as leads in the previous statement. This one actually means by implication, to guide, to transport, to bring about, to straighten. Leads in the paths of righteousness has legal implication. It is a very strong and powerful word. This word reinforces the work of God in what He does for us and gives to us. God is not only the one who declares us innocent, forgiven and righteous, but is the one working that truth deep into our hearts.
Jesus said in John 10:27-30 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.
What is the pathway of righteousness?
For us, it is simply doing the will of God by receiving Him and His right to rule and reign. As we surrender to the Father’s will, we herald in His kingdom. We pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
The work that God does in us testifies of who He is, what He has done and will do. He cannot go against His character. God is our good shepherd. He makes us to lie down in green pastures and leads us beside the still waters. He restores our soul and leads us in the paths of righteousness, for His namesake. For that is who He is.
Verse 4 Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Notice God does not lead us through the valley of the shadow of death. That was a choice that humanity made. But yes, as we walk in this world, in this life, we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
We need not fear for He is with us and has given us His eternal life. The good shepherd is with us even in what seems to be the most difficult and troubling of times.
We have no need to fear as His rod and His staff are with us. Both instruments of the shepherd are very powerful. Ancient shepherds used the rod and staff to rescue, protect, and guide the sheep. They became symbols of the good shepherd's loving care for his flock. The sheep are not alone. The shepherd is standing over them, guiding them into safety.
Just as the Lord stands over us and protects us with His mighty power. As in all of this life, it is God's presence which gives us complete comfort and security. He will never leave us nor will forsake us. He is with us in every situation. The shepherd's rod is for both attack and protection. Protection from enemies such as savage wolves wanting to devour the sheep.
The staff is used to guide and lead. We can rest knowing that God is with us. In all times during this life journey He is guiding and leading us to all the good things we need in Him. His rest, His protection, His provision, His character, His heart's desire, His will. We need not fear death or anything else because we have been passed from death into eternal life. The good shepherd gives all of Himself. His presence is with us, upon us and around us. His perfect love casts out all fear as He is guiding, protecting and interceding for us, even in the darkest of places.
Verse 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.
God Himself, the good shepherd maintains an equal place for us. Our place cannot be taken away. As Jesus Himself has ordained it. He maintains it and protects it. Jesus our good shepherd is still interceding for us. We simply say yes to the good shepherd and follow Him to the heart of our Father.
Upon saying yes to Jesus, yes to God we are one in the beloved. In the love relationship with Jesus and the Father. He prepares a table before us. His provision is so luxurious. It is as though He has paid for a continuous banquet. A continual love feast of His provision and presence of Himself. The continual provision of His unending love that never ceases, and never runs out and is always available. For there is always more with God.
We are His honoured guest. He anoints us with oil. God's provision is abundant. It is continually overflowing as we minister to others out of the overflow and testify of Him. We are in a unique place of honour and in a continual love feast with the living God.
We are honoured even in the presence of our enemies. Our enemies are everything that opposes the living God. In the eyes of the powers and the spirit world we have a place at the king's table. We will see Him face to face and physically dwell in eternity with Him.
Verse 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
His goodness is continually running after us. That's the perfection of God's will. That His goodness and love is always upon us, in us and working through us. His mercy is a covenant of love. It is His redemptive power and faithfulness of who God is.
God's mercy is always attached to a covenant relationship and His rescue plan. For it is God’s heart desire to set people free.
The goodness of God and the love of God will follow and pursue throughout our entire lifetime. As the Lord is our good shepherd, there is a 100% certainty of this fact. There is no doubt that His goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives. And because we have received the good shepherd, we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen.
