“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 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.” Psalm 23
Jesus described the people of the world - even those who were part of the outward church of His day - “as sheep having no shepherd” (Matt. 9:36), and this description is still truetoday.
But what comfort we have with the LORD as our Shepherd! “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;and the LORD hath laid on him [Jesus Christ] the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). “We were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of [our] souls” (1 Pet. 2:25).
With Jesus as our Good Shepherd, what could we possibly lack? He died for us and won for us forgiveness for all our sins and a place in heaven. He provides for all our needs of both body and soul and will bring us safely into His everlasting kingdom (1 John 2:1-2; 2 Tim. 4:18).
He makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside the still waters, nourishing us with His Word and protecting us from false teaching and deception.
Though we by nature would go our own way, He leads us in the paths of righteousness, teaching us to live humbly before God, acknowledging our sin and wickedness and trusting in His mercy and forgiveness for the sake of Christ’s blood shed upon the cross and, as a fruit of faith, seeking to live our lives for Him.
Even when we walk through the valley of theshadow of death, what have we to fear? Christ, our Shepherd is with us to protect us and keep us. And, even when we die, no evil will befall us, for we have been redeemed by the holy and precious blood of Christ and our risen Savior will raise us up on the Last Day unto life everlasting!
Even though the devil and the world wait to devour us, our Good Shepherd prepares a table before us and nourishes and blesses us through His Word and Sacraments. He pours out His Spirit upon us and keeps us in His mercy and grace throughout our earthly lives and, finally, we will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
O Jesus, tender Shepherd grant that we hear Your lifegiving Word and trust in You to provide for all our needs of both body and soul. Grant us forgiveness for all our sins, nourish and keep us in the true faith, and lead us safely through this world to Yourself in heaven. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll, Scripture quotations are from the KJV.]
News, Pages 4 on 05/18/2011