“The Lord Is My Shepherd”

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. —Psalm 23:1

Philip Keller, who had a sheep ranch in South Africa wrote a small book entitled ‘An Exposition of Psalm 23’. When it came to sheep, he knew what he was talking about. He tells in his little book that a shepherd next door, was not a good shepherd. He really didn’t give much attention to his sheep. Some of them were ill with diseases and parasites, and some of them their coat was coated with muck and mud and they could hardly get about. Some of them were caught in the fence and some of them had gone over the side of the hill into the ocean and it didn’t seem like the old shepherd cared a bit. That bothered Dr. Keller. He said “I watched over my sheep. At nighttime I looked over their little bodies. I made sure that there were no parasites and that they were well. I made sure the burs and all of the things were out of their wool, and he said I watched over them and then I tucked them into their place of rest at night. He said, you know, sheep are totally dependent upon the shepherd for their nourishment, for their care, and for their provision. For sheep are the dumbest animal that God ever created.”

Do you know that a sheep will wallow in its own refuse and drink its own urine? It doesn’t know any better. And the sheep must be protected from itself, and that’s why it’s so imperative that there be a good shepherd. A shepherd that’s watching over his flock, and that’s why David could say I am so glad that God almighty, the Creator of the universe, the God who loves with an everlasting love, He is my shepherd, and because He’s my shepherd I never have a reason to fear or be anxious because He’s going to take care of me. That’s true of all of us if we’re children of God. God almighty is our shepherd. He’s our Master, and He’s going to take care of us.