Devotionals
Who is the good Shepherd?
Jesus said in the Book of John that “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep
(John 10:11)”.
Psalm 23 is a Beautiful Psalm, which is written by King David and Most of us knows this psalm from our childhood.
Psalm 23 portrays God as a good shepherd, feeding and leading his flock, the "rod and staff" are also the apparatuses of a shepherd.
The shepherd is to know each sheep by name, God gives the analogy of a shepherd, he is not only a protector but also the caretaker.
The sheep would die either by a predator or of starvation, since sheep are known for their helplessness without their shepherd.
King David Wrote this song when he was shepherding his Father's Sheep, Very few of us understand the life of the shepherd, in the ancient Near East, most of us have been able to grasp the message of comfort and assurance conveyed in the psalm, Especially in times of distress, such as fear, we instinctively turn to the assuring words, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
King David acknowledges God's protection in expeditions and in battles,
The First Verse says in the Psalm ascribes authorship to King David, said in the Hebrew Scriptures to have been a field shepherd himself as a youth.
1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” In Hebrew Its “Yahweh”.
The writer (King David) of the song sees himself as a lamb and the Almighty God as his Shepherd.
The Maker and the creator of the earth and all the things, whether Human or animal, plants, Mountain, Sea, the creator of the universe, the creator of all the stars, who is Alpha and Omega that Almighty God is my Shepherd.
The Writers view here is not as a storytelling, but he knows from his inner consciousness and the fact of truth and his personal Experience.
Who is Yahweh God?
“Yahweh” is of the Hebrew language word which is made of Four letters
“Yod Hay Wav Hay” in Hebrew it's “AHAYAH ASHER AHAYAH” here are no e soundings in the Ancient Hebrew alphabet, so it can't be spelled "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh" ,in English it is translated as “ I am Who I am” Or “ I will be”.
The Hebrew language is a supernaturally language, linguistics and scientists are doing research on it, our body is made of thousands of cells and all cells is like Hebrew language. Like we have 22 Chromosome in our body, which we called DNA and it comes at us through our parents.
The Hebrew language has 22 words, and does not have vowels, so the Name Of God is read as “Yahweh, Jehovah”.
When Moses saw the burning bush and ask God's Name, God Declares his name as “Ahayah Asher Ahayah” means I am who I am.” Means he is not the imagination of a painter or imagination, of sculpture, here The Creator of the universe is Yahweh is my Shepherd as described by the writer.
The second thing the writer says is “ I Shall not want.”
It's “Is” not “will”, because “Is” a present tense where as Will is Future tense.
Means I shall not want present, it's not “I will not want.” understand the difference.
In our Worldly life when you ask somebody “how are you or how's life”, normally people says, “don't ask or life is a hell,” these kind of answers you get, remember the days when you were in hospital or near to death and people around you your family praying to the same very God to save your life.
And when you are saved and when asked how's life, then your answer is it's hell, which one is better that day when you are near to death or this day when you are saved and alive.
At that time words never spoken from your mouth. But by saying this it seems that the second life which God gave you, it's like you have obliged God
If anyone asks that man.” How are you” (The man knows that his savior or Shepherd is Jesus), what will he says “ The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want,”
When God becomes our Shepherd, then the same Supernaturals Witnessing will automatically come out of our mouths, we will not speak those worldly words.
It Might be we don't have money in our pocket, might be we don't have things for household, we might have debts to us, or we have bills or children's school fees we need to pay, but we have the assurance that we are incorporated with “Everlasting, infinite, endless, eternal, Heavenly God who is our Shepherd and will fulfill all our needs from his celestial Store.
Who Knows and believe in the Creator of Universe and Believe that He's been their Saviour and Shepherd will speak like this. but the worldly people speaks lies, and don't know him and not glorify him, but the people who knows Jesus and Glorify him and consider him as their Shepherd will say like “ Yahweh is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
The days when this Song was written, the writer of this song was a great man and the King of Israel, “David”, the quality of this man was that he loved the God so much and he was a supernaturally writer of songs (Psalms), the God had gave him rights to be in his presence, he used to play musical instruments to sing Glory of God.No wonder he earned the name, wealth, prosperity, and did some wrong things but God also has forgiven him but he was remaining under God's feet.
When King David articulates of Yahweh as his shepherd, he thought of Him not only as his provider and protector but as also his king.
Because God was David’s shepherd, he lacked nothing. A good shepherd is all a sheep needs since a good shepherd, by his very nature will always supply all the needs of the sheep, in a similar way, a good father will provide for every need of his child.
He considered himself as the lamb and God as his Shepherd, the provider and protector.
2 .”He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”
David used to to shepherding of his father's flocks. When he was young.
At that time shepherds used to find green valleys for their lambs, but before that they gathered their sheep and lambs in one place, before sending sheep or lambs, shepherds identified first the green valleys.
Beneath the green grass there were snake holes, at that time there were dangerous serpents in that area of Israel and were hidden in those holes, if unknowingly someone goes there they bite.
David describes those things for which he, as God’s sheep, will never lack, he is describing God’s relationship to him in terms of a shepherd’s relationship to one of his sheep. The rest, which the Good Shepherd provides that the sheep would lie down to rest after having been fed. The adequate provision of lush pasture land, or “grassy meadows”and “quiet waters” (literally, “waters of rest,” which the shepherd has led his sheep, causes them to lie down in rest.
3 “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”
“He restores my soul,” continues this same thought of the rest which God provides for his sheep. God as Shepherd provides his sheep with rest and restoration. He does this by supplying the necessary provisions of food and water, which sheep require.
He also makes provisions of food and water, but rest also relates to restoration.
While a shepherd provides his sheep with food, rest, and restoration, God provides His sheep with His Word, which is the principle means of giving spiritual nourishment, rest, and restoration.
God guides His people: “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
Guidance is recognized as one of the principle tasks of the shepherd. He leads his sheep to places of nourishment and rest, but he also leads them in the proper paths. Often it is necessary for the shepherd to lead his flock great distances to find both pasture and water. Some paths are dangerous and should be avoided. The good shepherd leads his sheep in the right paths.
God’s guidance in the life of a believer is more than just a matter of leading us in the “right path”; it involves His leading us in “paths of righteousness” What a wonderful word of comfort for those who seem to think that God’s will is some kind of mystery, known only to the few who are so fortunate to find it.
One of the assurances the psalmist is confident he will never lack is the leading of God in his life.
4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Shepherds carry two things rather three things in their hands.
One was Their rod and second one was their staff and third one used to be leather bag which was filled with pure olive oil.
Rod is for the safety of lamb and staff was to fight with enemies.
The same way Our Shepherd, Jesus has both the things his rod and his staff for our safety and staff for fighting with our enemy.
So the Shepherd checks those green grass with their rod and their staff and if they found any snake holes they put olive oil in those holes so that if snake wants to come out, he won't be able to because the olive oil makes the hole so slippery that whenever snakes try to come out they slipped back.
When he satisfied that there is nothing wrong, the Shepherd whistles and Sheeps hears his voice and follow the Shepherd them.
What Jesus said in John 10:27 “ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”.
Sheep are not self sufficient to protect themselves, they also have visibility up to few meters and after that they cannot see, they are blind, but their ear drums are strong, even a Light sound effect they hear.
That's what the scripture says in “2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
So it is by faith we live, because sheep also have faith on their Shepherd, so do we on our Lord Jesus.
In Romans 1:17 “ For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”.
Moses left the empire because he was walking in faith with God and was seeing the promised land, though it was not seen or in existence, but the faith in him made him enthuse and encouraged him to see the unseen things of the promised land for which God has promised him to give it to his chosen people.
Noah, David, Moses, were looking those things through the eyes of faith which were not seen and was not existed, until the time it was seen and materialized.
5 “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over”.
Shepherd call the sheep through his voice and they ran after him to graze those green grass, when they are grazing, the snakes hear the sound of their hoof, and they try to come out to bite them, but as the olive oil is there which not let them come out because they try but slipped back.
That's how our Shepherd, Jesus does and the verse says “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies “.that's how our God protects us and he prepares a table before our enemies to guard us from our enemy invasion.
Like shepherds Opens the leather bag and pour out the oil in snake holes to protect his sheep from the snakes dangerous bites.
If we give us in the mighty hand of Jesus, he will put the anointed oil in our lives to cover us from our enemies. That no witchcraft, no other evil things come near to us, no sorcery will affect on our lives.
No witchcraft or sorcery effective on God's people, but that is possible when they covered in the protection of the holy blood of Jesus.
If God's Son or daughter do sin and all kinds of Worldly things like “. Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Then the protection of Jesus blood is opened because their sins loosen the rope of protection and no more protected by his blood.
It gives enemies a chance to attack on us, because enemy know that this man or this woman is not anointed with the Blood of Christ, so it is easier for the enemy to overpower on their lives.because they let the enemy to take them on all kinds of worldly uncleanness, that's why people comes in trials tribulations, debts, evil possession etc. etc. things.
But the Believers of Christs are covered in his blood so that no kind of worldly uncleanness, will affect them because they are under his anointed hands. The Lord establishes his people in front of his enemies as “Superb Jewel”. He also reconciles with his people from their enemies, they start thinking that this man or woman is not ordinary, there is some powerful source behind them.
Jesus blood is a cleanser and it has all the enzymes to kill the bacteria of sins. It cleans our sins and make us presentable in front of God.
Why Blood? Because Blood has new life cells.
He creates respect in the eyes of our enemies.
That's how he prepares a table before our enemies and anointed us with his oil that no evil things comes near to us, and the way the snakes are under Sheep's hoof, the same way our enemies will be under our feet.
When the sheep are full with the green grass field, they Shepherd takes them near to still water, so that they can drink Shepherd doesn't take them too deep or waved waters.
King David knows that “ Yahweh” is his Shepherd, and he is confident of that, he knows that all his shortages and needs will be taken care by his Shepherd " Yahweh" the God, that is why the first verse say “I shall not want.”
The people of the Lord does not have the witnesses like worldly people does, but their witnesses are like “Lord is my Shepherd.
The Lord will take care the need of his sheep, and guard them and provide safety to his people from evil.
In Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.”
What the psalm says they rod and thy staff comfort me.
You must have seen that our President or Prime Minister is being provided security, they have four or five kinds of security, which consist of black cat commandos, and special security force outside their houses or wherever they go, the security is always with them. While the President and Prime Minister have the peace and faith because they believe they are in protection.
If they have 4 layers of security ,we have thousand layers of security, because his angels are there, his army of angels are there around your house, around you and your family and loved ones.
Writer of the song says in my Shepherd hands, his Rod and his staff.
The Rod is slightly bent Round from the top, this For enemies and they fear from it, when Sheep is slipped down from the height and stuck-up in bushes the Shepherd used his Rod as it bounded from the top, the Shepherd placed it on the sheep’s neck and pulled upward the sheep.
The shepherd carries a leather bag which is filled with extra extra virgin Olive oil and its purest oil.
Once the Shepherd pulled out his sheep, he does remedy for the sheep and apply “Massa” meaning oil massage, he does it very diligently in the sheep's body, it's a remedy to keep away all kinds of blood sucking insects from their body, and there will be very sweet aroma comes out of their body.
That's like what our Shepherd does our Spiritual massage that that no blood sucking spirit comes near to us.
When you wrapped under the holy blood of Jesus, No Advocate makes money from you, because Jesus will be your Advocate, No Doctor make money from you because Jesus will become your doctor and medicate you none of your money goes into the drugs or alcohol addiction, none of your money goes to Astrologers or people doing magics because all your worries your money will be taken care by Jesus.
Jesus will also take out from a kind of Doubts, all kinds of evil things, He will cover you with his feathers none of your enemy shall rise against you.
Scripture says in Psalms 91:4-7 “ He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.”.
There will be tribulations comes into the world, but none will harm you as “Yahweh” take care of your security.
This is the testimony of that man who believe in “Yahweh”, that yes, I will dwell in the house of the Lord which is through prayers, fellowship, obedience, righteousness.
And that Sheep of Lord will proudly annunciate that “ Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want.”.
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