...he revives my soul. He guides me along right pathways for his name's sake.

(continued)

Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, has come, “That we might have life and have it more abundantly.”  Because of His great love of us He wants us to enjoy life.  Therefore, by the Grace of God (His free unmerited favor) He seeks constantly to mold the characteristics of Psalm 23 into our lives.  So far we have looked at three characteristics.

...he revives MY soul.

King David, a child of God, knew through experience the tremendous meaning of this phrase.  In Psalm 42:11 he cried out, “Why are you downcast. O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God…”

King David knew what it was like to be downcast – defeated, dejected, frustrated, depressed.  He knew what it was like to be helpless – not able to restore one’s self through one’s own strength.

There is an exact parallel to this in caring for sheep.  Phillip Keller shares a great fact here about a “cast” sheep or a “cast down” sheep.

For a sheep to be “cast” means that it has turned over on its back and cannot get up again.  This is a very pathetic sight – the sheep’s feet in the air – helpless – struggling to get up, without success.

If the shepherd does not spot the “cast” sheep and get her up on her feet again she will die.  The shepherd must count his sheep and always be looking for a “cast” sheep.

But the shepherd is not the only one looking for a “cast” sheep.  The buzzards, vultures, wild dogs, coyotes and cougars are looking for a helpless sheep too – an easy meal.

In the same way you and I, the sheep of our Lord’s flock, may be “cast” down and need our Good Shepherd to come and with His strength get us back on our feet again.

Phillip Keller tells us it is not always easy to get a “cast” sheep back on his feet again.  There feet have become numb for lack of circulation and the sheep must be lifted up by the shepherd and massaged.  Then many times the sheep will take a step and fall.  Repeatedly it will stumble and fall until finally it will be able to follow the shepherd back to the flock.

When you are “cast” down by sin, illness, tragedy and Satan – don’t you find it impossible to rise without Jesus, your Good Shepherd’s help – and even with His help isn’t it still difficult – you may stumble again and again until you have been fully restored.  We can rejoice that our Good Shepherd, Jesus, is tender, loving and patient with us.  Repeatedly He comes to our aid – lifting us up again.  Phillip Keller relates three ways that sheep can be “cast” down.  They also apply to us.

1. Looking for a soft spot to lie down in.  Sheep look for a soft round hollow in the ground to lie in.  They very easily can roll over onto their backs.

You and I may also look for the easy place, cozy corner, or comfortable position.  We ignore endurance and discipline in the Christian life.  When we become lazy Christians – having forgotten our commission to evangelize the world for Jesus – our Good Shepherd comes to us and sets us once more on our feet to get our priorities straight.  Christianity is not a sit down faith but an on the move faith.

2. Having too much wool.  The fleece becomes very long, heavy, matted with mud, manure, burrs, etc.  The sheep can very easily be “cast.”  Their fleece must be cut off.

Wool in Scripture depicts the old self-life in the Christian - the life of the world clinging to us – sins, influences, philosophies.  The Lord Jesus will cut away our fleece of worldly thoughts, influences and sins – to get us on our feet and on our way with Him again.

3. Having too much fat.  Over fat sheep are not healthy or productive.  They “cast” very easily.  Once the shepherd sees his sheep getting unhealthily fat, he puts them on a disciplined diet.

This is when you are doing so well in business or in a career – you think you have arrived into the prosperity of God.  You may “cast” very easily.  You may be turned upside down by the things of the world.  The Good Shepherd will then have to raise you up and put you on a diet and discipline program of spiritual growth.

When we are helpless and on our backs – kicking and crying for help – then our Good Shepherd comes to STRENGTHEN us – lift us up.

STRENGTH for you is – “...He revives MY soul.”

He guides ME along right pathways for his name’s sake.

Sheep are creatures of habit.  If left by themselves they will graze a hill into a wasteland.  Therefore, if a flock of sheep is to flourish and the owner’s reputation held in high esteem – the shepherd must be a good manager who can guide his sheep to green pastures in a timely fashion.

The Hebrew word for “guides” or “leads” means to do it by force if necessary.  The shepherd may have to compel his sheep to move in order to save them and his reputation.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is concerned about saving us and nourishing us.  This also preserves His reputation in the Universe against Satan, His adversary.  So He keeps us moving from pasture to pasture – Spiritual nourishment to Spiritual nourishment.  He has a vision, pattern and strategy of supplying our needs as His sheep.

Phillip Keller says that a shepherd has a pattern of grazing that is carefully worked out in advance.  Shepherds set up a base camp and fan out from it in wide grazing circles, like the lobes of a clover leaf.  This way new pasture is covered each day.

This is much like the Local Church.  There is the base camp of fellowship in the local church and the Good Shepherd, Jesus, leads the congregation to different Spiritual pastures to feed on.  This leading takes place through His under-shepherds (pastors and lay leaders) (both whom we can call His sheep dogs) who bark and nip (in love) at the sheep’s heals at times to prod them to move to new pastures.

A stubborn sheep on its own way is destined for destruction.  How often, you and I, too as the stubborn sheep of Jesus are determined to go the wrong way to self-destruction.  The words of Proverbs 14:12 ring true, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end is the way of death.”

Our Good Shepherd’s flock, His Church, is full of stubborn, stiff necked, self-willed, proud, arrogant, self-sufficient sheep that persist to resist His leading.  The results can be devastating to lives and congregations.

Your loving Good Shepherd, Jesus, wants you to trust Him and move on with Him.  He loves you so much.  He offers you Abundant Life if you just accept His GUIDANCE.

GUIDANCE for you is – “He guides ME along right pathways for his name’s sake.”

With the Good Shepherd’s mark of the Cross on you in your Baptism and Faith, you can be certain His shepherding of you is not over.  He will persist to mold these characteristics into you.