The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want

The twenty-third Psalm is the greatest poem ever penned in any language. It reigns supreme in circles of highest culture and in the humble homes of the lowly. It sounds all the chords of human experience.

Robert C. McQuilkin

Maurice Pink, a British World War II veteran explained what the twenty-third Psalm meant to him. He served as a cornet player with the Royal Marine Band. Here is his story:

There are times in your life when things don’t go right and you feel all alone. That happened to me on 10 December 1941, when I was on the battle cruiser HMS Repulse with the nearby HMS Prince of Wales. We were attacked by the Japanese Air Force, which resulted in both ships being sunk. I found myself alone in the water not able to see anyone else. It was then that the twenty third Psalm came into my head and I realised I was not alone. I had a Shepherd. The Lord was my Shepherd; I did not need to want. I was not in green pastures but in oily waters; but he restored my soul. Even though I was walking in the shadow of death, I was to fear no evil, for He was with me. The rod and staff did not ring a bell with me until voices above me were shouting. Looking up, there was a big destroyer alongside me, HMS Electra, with nets over the side which allowed me to climb to safety. That was my rod and staff. I didn’t have a table set before me, but I did get a cup of the ship’s kye (or cocoa).
Since that day, goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life; and when I think back to that day, I wonder what would have happened if I had died. There again, the Psalm had the answer: I would dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Thank you, Lord for being my Shepherd and for the twenty third Psalm.

Based on a personal interview with Maurice Pink on Sunday, 1 January 2012 and used with permission in The Lord is my Shepherd by Robert J Morgan.

Sheep, shepherds, lambs and flocks are mentioned nearly seven hundred times in the Bible. The sheep is the first animal mentioned by name in the Bible (Genesis 4: 2 Amplified Bible). God sent the prophet Samuel to select one of Jesse’s sons to be the next King of Israel. God was not impressed with the sons whom Jesse presented. Samuel asked whether he had any other sons, Jesse sent for his youngest son, David, who was tending the sheep. God accepted him and Samuel anointed David to be the next King of Israel. Robert Morgan remarks,

The profession of shepherding became a classroom for the crown. It was God’s apprenticeship for kingship. In loving his sheep, David learned to care for his people. While protecting his flock, David was preparing to guard his nation— no experiences were lost, as the field of Bethlehem became a laboratory for leadership.

In being a shepherd, he learned to think of himself as a sheep, trusting the Lord to do for him what he was doing for his flock, which is summed up in the most reassuring words ever written: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’

Martin Luther once said that the heart of Christianity is seen in its personal pronouns, and Psalm 23 is full of them. Notice all the personal pronouns: I, he, his, your, you, they, me, my. There are twenty-eight in the psalm. When we say ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’, we’re really saying, He owns me, and I am under his management and care. I have a personal relationship with the Lord of the Universe. David cared for his flock as though there were no tomorrows, yet God was preparing him for tomorrow’s greatness. We need to understand that whatever and wherever we are today, it’s simply preparation for future service; therefore no experience should be wasted. Psalm 23: 1 is written in the present tense. Our Lord is a Shepherd whose presence is instant, immediate and accessible every day. There are several Bible verses which imply something that God is doing presently, for example: ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’ (Genesis 28: 16); ‘I am the Bread of life’ — ‘I am the light of the world’ — ‘I am the door’ — ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ — ‘I am the good Shepherd’ (John 6: 35, 8: 12, 10: 9, 11: 25, 10: 11).

In Norfolk, Virginia the Saturday newspapers routinely carried the sermon topics for the next day in the leading pulpits. Revd R.I. Williams of Fairmount Park Methodist Church called the local newspaper to give them his sermon topic: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd,’ he said. The person on the other end said, ‘Is that all?’ Revd Williams replied, ‘That’s enough!’ The next day the church page carried his sermon topic as: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd —That’s enough!’

Let us pray:
Church family, let us pause today and rest in Psalm 23; feel its peace and power. Father God we know that you are our Shepherd and that is enough. You are enough to meet our needs, calm our nerves, clear our vision, restore our souls and bless our day. As our Shepherd you are guiding and protecting us, especially through this deep coronavirus valley. The journey is fraught with tragedies and challenges-tears, sickness, deaths, immense losses, disappointments and broken dreams. Father, deep valleys are places of spiritual dryness and we might think, how can I pick myself up? As Christians we have hope and faith in knowing that you are with us, as the Good Shepherd guiding his sheep. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me—Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23: 4, 6). Father, we take comfort in knowing that you alone can take care of our past, present and future, whether in green pastures or in deep valleys. We pray for those who don’t know you that we will have the courage and opportunity to tell them of our personal relationship with you, and encourage them to get to know you. Lord in your mercy; Hear our pray.

Amen

Creator God, we ask you to surround with your love and comfort the families and friends who are mourning the tragic loss of loved ones, as a result of the collapsed apartment block in Florida. We pray for the safety of the fire services and other personnel who are doing the utmost and putting their lives at risk during this recovery operation.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Amen

Loving Shepherd of thy sheep,
keep thy lamb in safety keep;
nothing can thy power withstand,
none can pluck me from thy hand.

Loving Saviour, thou didst give
thine own life that we might live,
and the hands outstretched to bless
bear the cruel nails impress.

Loving Shepherd, ever near,
teach thy lamb thy voice to hear;
suffer not my steps to stray
from the straight and narrow way.

Where thou leadest I would go,
walking in thy steps below,
till before my father’s throne
I shall know as I am known.

Jane Eliza Leeson (1807–1882)

Glynne Gordon-Carter