Psalm 23:1

The Lord is My Shepherd

Introduction: Some call this the Psalm of Psalms.  It is a Psalm of consolation and a Psalm of compassion.  These words have been quoted at countless numbers of funeral.  This Psalm has been preached from pulpit to pulpit.  This Psalm serves as one of peace for some who go in surgery and while they recover from surgery.  I think I would be in safe territory to say that this is some people’s favorite Psalm.  The purpose of this sermon today is to encourage and remind the saints that the Lord is our Shepherd; and for that person who is lost and traveling does not have direction, that the Lord can be your Shepherd too. 

I. The LORD…

·         I can see David reflecting on his youthful years as a shepherd himself.  I can see him remembering how he kept his sheep and what his responsibilities were as the shepherd.  I can imagine that he is remembering the actions of sheep.  And, during his reflection, he says the Lord is my shepherd. 

·         He recognizes God, the self-existent one, Jehovah as being a shepherd and starts worshiping…that’s what worship does…in it we recognize God for who He is…just the mention of His name

II.  The Lord IS…

·         is denotes the present tense…right now…not was…right now…not will be…right now.  Ps. 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

III. A. The Lord is MY…

·         David makes this personal…he speaks about who God is to him.

·         Makes a statement of RELATIONSHIP…there is nothing like having a relationship with God.

·         By relationship is meant connection or association; so David is saying that he has connection and association with God.

III.B.  The Lord is my  SHEPHERD

·         Says that he understands that in REALITY he is a like a SHEEP.  He understands by nature, spiritually, he is fragile, directionless, helpless (all we like sheep have gone astray…)

·         To say that the Lord is my shepherd is to make a statement of God’s RESPONSIBILITY (shepherds lead and feed; provide and protect; they don’t drive and starve; nor take away and abuse)

Conclusion:  God was a shepherd in the Old Testament and a Shepherd in the New Testament; but in the New Testament he was a lamb and shepherd.