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Chapter 19: He Is Our Good Shepherd
I want to look at a scripture that is well known to many: Psalm 23. I learned the 23rd Psalm as a
little boy in Sunday School. It got me through some tight places in my youth. There were some
times when I didn’t know much about what to do, but I would just stand and say, “Yea, though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me,” and He
was, and He got me through.
Our children need to know these things. It’s sad that so many today don’t know the Word. It has
been replaced with gimmicks and all kinds of other things. But the Word will stay with you.
The 23rd Psalm says, “The L
ORD
is my shepherd; I shall not want.” I shall not want. Why?
Because He is my Shepherd, I don’t want.
Look at some other translations. The New English Translation says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I
lack nothing.” I like that, don’t you?
Young’s Literal Translation, a very accurate translation, says, “Jehovah [is] my shepherd, I do
not lack.” It would benefit us to say this often, wouldn’t it? The Lord is my Shepherd, I do not
lack.
The Amplified Bible says, “The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not
lack.” It’s born out in the original language. I don’t lack, and I won’t lack, because He’s my
Shepherd, and the implication is He takes care of me. Because He is such a good Shepherd and
He takes such good care of me, I don’t lack, and I won’t lack.
Reason number 19 we are sure it is God’s will for all of us to be healed, now, today, is
because He is the Good Shepherd.
Well, when you’re sick, you’re lacking. It’s more serious than lacking money, isn’t it? When
you’re not able to leave the hospital, and you’re not able to do what you need to do, you’re
lacking. Do we serve a Shepherd Who is able to meet every need? Does He want to meet all of
our needs? Has He really already provided everything we’d ever need in Jesus? It is His will to
manifest it in our lives so that we can say, “I am complete and entire. I want nothing. I lack not
for any good thing.” It is His will.
That would be the case with a sheep that has a good shepherd. It lacks nothing. All of its needs
are met, and it is cared for well. “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” Why would a
sheep, or any kind of livestock, lie down in the middle of the day in a green pasture? When they
are hungry, they’re not lying down. They’re walking around trying to find something to eat. But
when you see them all lying down in the middle of a day, with the grass waving over their heads
so you can hardly see them, it’s because their bellies are so full, they just can’t take any more
right now. Do you know why? It is because they have a good shepherd who got them to a good
pasture.
