The Lord is my Shepherd, pt. 2

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

What a brief but profound statement by David who was a shepherd himself. The thought came to me this morning that unless we get to this point in our Christian experience—where we’re willing to recognize Him and follow Him as our Shepherd—then our spiritual growth will be minimal or null. Instead of following Him unto greener pastures, we will settle for grazing in a barren land, fooling ourselves that we are really being nourished.

To say that the Lord is my shepherd, then, is to say that I am willing to listen, follow, be protected, cared for, fed, and ultimatey trust God with my well-being. To say that the Lord is my shepherd would require me to admit that I am but a sheep—nothing else or nothing more. On my own I cannot make it; on my own I’m bound to get lost and fall prey to the wolves all around me. If I am a sheep, then I am in need of a shepherd. It is of utmost importance to reach this point in our Christian lives—where we realize our need of a loving Shepherd.

Jesus explained this same concept in the first Beatitude when He exclaimed, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). Being poor in spirit is equal to being a sheep. Both need someone else’s help to make it through. Their survival is dependent upon another. Therefore we could aptly say: “blessed are the sheep…”

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Notice that it doesn’t say, “I shall not have any needs,” “I shall be problem-free,” or “I shall have everything I want.” –No! Absolutely not! It says, “I shall not want.” If the Lord is leading my life I should not feel the need of other things or other people to fill me up —for He should suffice. If Jesus is my shepherd I shall not follow after other shepherds, nor leave His fold to follow after independent, shepherd-free sheep; nor should I ever reach the point where I think that I’m capable and mature enough to be my own shepherd. There will always, only be one true Shepherd, and a lot of pseudo-shepherds that will mislead sheep unto perdition.

Jesus is my Shepherd, and He will supply my needs. Why is He my Shepherd? I’ll let Him answer:

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:11–15, ESV).

Jesus is my Shepherd because He laid down His life for me. He did that because He loves me, and I am His sheep. He did that for all of us, and is desperately trying to get our attention so that all may come into His fold with the rest of His sheep. Would you accept Jesus as your Shepherd, today? It is my prayer that you will do exactly that.

Your friend,

Abner E. Aguilar

The Lord is my Shepherd, pt. 1

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want" –Psalm 23:1.

This morning I woke up in turmoil of soul, and affliction of mind. I have questions that are unanswered that bring feelings of doubt and fear to my soul. I was thankful, therefore, when God woke me up earlier than planned and led me to prayer. Though I was glad to open my heart to God, those doubts were still lingering in my mind and a struggle was taking place until God brought this Psalm to mind.
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." –Peacefulness invaded my soul immediately. There is confidence in knowing that if Jesus is truly our Shepherd, we should not worry about the details of life. Yes, I still don't know what will transpire, however I can rest assured that whatever happens will be His will.
"I shall not want." –What a deep pronouncement! It overreaches to every single aspect of our lives –even the minute details. I have thought about this passage off and on for the last couple of weeks, and every single time it comes to mind it leaves me in awe of its depth, and automatically brings a sense of peace. There is something special about knowing that we can rely on Someone who will not let us down, Someone who was willing to give His life for us —because He loves us (John 15:13).
Why should I fear, then, about the things that are unclear to me when I have a Shepherd that will supply all of my needs? –I have nothing to fear! The LORD Jesus is my Shepherd, and He shall supply all of my needs according to His infinite love and care. I can rest assured that He will come through for me today, just as He has in the past; I can be confident as I move forward and face today —and so can you! May this be our prayer: "Jesus, be my Shepherd; I submit to your loving care."

Your friend,
Abner E. Aguilar