"If you are in want, then THE LORD is not your Shepherd; something else is." - MD
Unlike most children, I was brought up with two major prayers from the Bible - "The Lord's Prayer" and Psalm 23. The Lord's Prayer was mostly for the morning, but Psalm 23 was for any time of the day, especially at bedtime.
Like some of you, I grew up believing that Psalm 23 was a prayer for protection and provision; until the Holy Spirit gave me insight this year by asking me a simple question during a prayer walk. I would also want to ask you the same question before we begin: "IS THE LORD TRULY YOUR SHEPHERD?"
If your answer is a big 'Yes' and you already think this is one of those useless posts, I will ask you to indulge a little more by reading further. We will begin with four (4) major points.
1) That you have accepted Jesus Christ as your LORD and your Personal Savior does not make HIM (THE LORD) your Shepherd automatically. You must ask Him and be prepared to let Him be.
2) Psalm 23 was not written as a prayer for protection and provision.
3) Psalm 23 was written to show believers the signs and benefits a person who has asked, accepted and allowed THE LORD to be their Shepherd enjoys.
4) The entire Psalm 23 rests on the statement, "THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD".
Psalm 23:1 (KJV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
David, a learned and Spirit-filled Prophet and King, understood God more than any other person. He had a personal Prophet and a Seer. As a King, he had access to all the books of the fathers. From the books, he knew God as Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rapha, Jehovah-Shalom, Jehovah-Nissi, Jehovah-Tsidkenu, etc. Yet, when David was talking about whom he had made the Shepherd of his life, he chose Jehovah; not Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord that Provides).
At this juncture, if you are confused then you are following. Let's quickly consider an example.
For example, My name is Paul. I am 30 years old. I am a husband, a writer, an editor, a church elder, 6th born of my father, a casual footballer, and a casual rapper.
Now, some people relate with me as an editor, others relate with me as a church elder, and others as a writer. Aside from relating to my wife as her husband, she benefits from every other aspect of my life because of our union.
Now, let's relate the above example to David's statement in Psalm 23 verse 1. Instead of David allowing an aspect/nature of God be his Shepherd, he rather chose to see and accept JEHOVAH for who He is and decide to have HIM (in full) as his Shepherd.
WHO IS JEHOVAH/WHAT DOES "JEHOVAH" MEAN?
Exodus 6:3 (KJV)
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name, JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
According to the Hebrew translation, Jehovah means THE SELF-EXISTENT ONE/THE ETERNAL ONE.
The dictionary describes anyone or anything that is not caused to live by someone or something else as self-existent. That is, the thing or person lives independently.
Also, anyone or anything that is eternal has no beginning or end and exists at all times.
So, what God was saying to Moses when He called Himself Jehovah was that, "I do not need my creation to be God. I cannot be limited by the very time I created. I am God all by Myself"
This is the kind of God David chose to be his Shepherd. A God who will only do what pleases Him knowing best that that is what His Creation needs. So, instead of making Jehovah-Rapha his Shepherd so as to enjoy (only) healing, David rather chose Jehovah in order to benefit from the healing, the peace, the favor, the provision, the protection, etc. And all that was made manifest in King David's life. Unlike David, most of us have made just an aspect of Jehovah as our Shepherd so we find ourselves wanting in other areas of our lives.
Until Jehovah is your Shepherd/Ruler/Teacher/Companion, you will continue to want in other areas of your life. You will not lie down in green pastures. You will not be led beside the still waters. Your soul will not be restored. You will not be led in the path of righteousness for God's namesake. You will be afraid when you walk in the valley of the shadow of death. God's rod and staff will not comfort you. God will not prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies. Your head will not be anointed. Your cup will not run over. Goodness and mercy will not follow you all the days of your life. You will not dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
If THE LORD has been, is and will forever truly be your Shepherd, you should have benefited, should be benefiting and should forever benefit from the good things - peace, restoration, protection, provision, honor, etc - mentioned in Psalm 23.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, from today I ask and permit you to be the Shepherd of my life. I refuse to have anything to do with the devil and his demons. I will from today do as you wish no matter how difficult it may look or feel. This I promise to do with the Holy Spirit you have given to empower me. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
Unlike most children, I was brought up with two major prayers from the Bible - "The Lord's Prayer" and Psalm 23. The Lord's Prayer was mostly for the morning, but Psalm 23 was for any time of the day, especially at bedtime.
Like some of you, I grew up believing that Psalm 23 was a prayer for protection and provision; until the Holy Spirit gave me insight this year by asking me a simple question during a prayer walk. I would also want to ask you the same question before we begin: "IS THE LORD TRULY YOUR SHEPHERD?"
If your answer is a big 'Yes' and you already think this is one of those useless posts, I will ask you to indulge a little more by reading further. We will begin with four (4) major points.
1) That you have accepted Jesus Christ as your LORD and your Personal Savior does not make HIM (THE LORD) your Shepherd automatically. You must ask Him and be prepared to let Him be.
2) Psalm 23 was not written as a prayer for protection and provision.
3) Psalm 23 was written to show believers the signs and benefits a person who has asked, accepted and allowed THE LORD to be their Shepherd enjoys.
4) The entire Psalm 23 rests on the statement, "THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD".
Psalm 23:1 (KJV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
David, a learned and Spirit-filled Prophet and King, understood God more than any other person. He had a personal Prophet and a Seer. As a King, he had access to all the books of the fathers. From the books, he knew God as Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rapha, Jehovah-Shalom, Jehovah-Nissi, Jehovah-Tsidkenu, etc. Yet, when David was talking about whom he had made the Shepherd of his life, he chose Jehovah; not Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord that Provides).
At this juncture, if you are confused then you are following. Let's quickly consider an example.
For example, My name is Paul. I am 30 years old. I am a husband, a writer, an editor, a church elder, 6th born of my father, a casual footballer, and a casual rapper.
Now, some people relate with me as an editor, others relate with me as a church elder, and others as a writer. Aside from relating to my wife as her husband, she benefits from every other aspect of my life because of our union.
Now, let's relate the above example to David's statement in Psalm 23 verse 1. Instead of David allowing an aspect/nature of God be his Shepherd, he rather chose to see and accept JEHOVAH for who He is and decide to have HIM (in full) as his Shepherd.
WHO IS JEHOVAH/WHAT DOES "JEHOVAH" MEAN?
Exodus 6:3 (KJV)
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name, JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
According to the Hebrew translation, Jehovah means THE SELF-EXISTENT ONE/THE ETERNAL ONE.
The dictionary describes anyone or anything that is not caused to live by someone or something else as self-existent. That is, the thing or person lives independently.
Also, anyone or anything that is eternal has no beginning or end and exists at all times.
So, what God was saying to Moses when He called Himself Jehovah was that, "I do not need my creation to be God. I cannot be limited by the very time I created. I am God all by Myself"
This is the kind of God David chose to be his Shepherd. A God who will only do what pleases Him knowing best that that is what His Creation needs. So, instead of making Jehovah-Rapha his Shepherd so as to enjoy (only) healing, David rather chose Jehovah in order to benefit from the healing, the peace, the favor, the provision, the protection, etc. And all that was made manifest in King David's life. Unlike David, most of us have made just an aspect of Jehovah as our Shepherd so we find ourselves wanting in other areas of our lives.
Until Jehovah is your Shepherd/Ruler/Teacher/Companion, you will continue to want in other areas of your life. You will not lie down in green pastures. You will not be led beside the still waters. Your soul will not be restored. You will not be led in the path of righteousness for God's namesake. You will be afraid when you walk in the valley of the shadow of death. God's rod and staff will not comfort you. God will not prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies. Your head will not be anointed. Your cup will not run over. Goodness and mercy will not follow you all the days of your life. You will not dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
If THE LORD has been, is and will forever truly be your Shepherd, you should have benefited, should be benefiting and should forever benefit from the good things - peace, restoration, protection, provision, honor, etc - mentioned in Psalm 23.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, from today I ask and permit you to be the Shepherd of my life. I refuse to have anything to do with the devil and his demons. I will from today do as you wish no matter how difficult it may look or feel. This I promise to do with the Holy Spirit you have given to empower me. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
