What is the most familiar chapter in the Bible? What Psalm is read and quoted more often by
young and old than any other Psalm? Without a doubt the answer to these two questions would
be Psalm 23. This Psalm has been the subject of countless books and songs. It has been the source
of comfort and strength to the Lord’s people since the time it was written. The treasures of truth
in this precious Psalm have never been_and never will be_exhausted.

There is an attraction to the Psalm which people find when they read it and meditate upon it.
There are at least two reasons for this. First, its simple and direct language makes it easy to
understand. Only four words out of the 118 words in the Psalm have more than two syllables, and
these four have only three syllables. Second, the personal element is very strong. Seventeen times
the personal pronouns /, me, my, and mine are used. The simple yet precious truths become very
easy to apply, personally. It is this which brings joy and comfort to the reader.

It is impossible, however, to know this joy and comfort without personally knowing the Lord
Jesus as Saviour, as the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11). This is the
subject of the preceding Psalm (Psalm 22), which presents the Lord Jesus dying for our sins upon
the cross.

Psalm 23 presents the Lord Jesus as the Great Shepherd of the sheep. "Now the God of peace, that
brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood
of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you
that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever"
(Heb. 13:20,21). It is this great Shepherd who is introduced to us in the opening words of this
Psalm. "The Lord is my Shepherd." "The Lord." Who is He? None other than Jehovah, the great
"I Am" of the Old Testament (Exod. 3:14; John 8:58). I look up at the heavens; "I see the stars;
I hear the rolling thunder." I see His "power throughout the universe displayed." I realize that
these heavens, the moon and the stars are the work of the fingers of the One I call my Shepherd!
(Psalm 8:3). I see His greatness in creation. I see His love in the cross. It was there in the
darkness of Calvary that my Shepherd bore my sins on the cross. What love! What mercy! The
poet has expressed it in these touching words:

"But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed,
Nor how dark was the night
Which the Lord passed through,
Ere He found His sheep which was lost."

How our hearts thrill to say, "The Lord is my Shepherd.”

This brings us to the first personal pronoun in the Psalm:"My Shepherd." Every one of the
personal pronouns used in this Psalm conveys to us the nearness of this Great Shepherd. But can
any one of them exceed the joy and the wonder of this first one? "The Lord is my Shepherd."
"Oh, how blest to call Him mine." Each believer in the Lord Jesus is entitled by faith to say, "My

beloved is mine and I am His" (Song of Sol. 2:16). Not only is He our Shepherd, but we are the
sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).

"The Lord is my Shepherd." We cannot fully appreciate the Lord’s care of us being likened to that
of a shepherd until we understand the work of a shepherd. David, the writer of this Psalm, knew
from firsthand experience what it meant to be a good shepherd. It was not a part-time job. This
was especially true when the shepherd was also the owner of the sheep. It involved taking care
of the sheep twenty-four hours a day. The shepherd must be constantly on the watch for enemies
of the sheep. David risked his life to protect his sheep from a lion and a bear. The shepherd must
have foresight and skill so that he can lead his sheep to green pastures and to a good supply of
water. The good shepherd takes personal interest in each sheep, giving special care to the young
lambs and those that are sick. He will endure personal hardship and danger to rescue a lost sheep.
Through all kinds of weather the good shepherd will stay by his sheep. This pictures to us in a
small way what the Lord Jesus wants to be to each one of His sheep. An earthly shepherd may
grow tired or may become careless; our Shepherd will never"slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:4).
He is always near us and will never leave nor forsake us. No wonder that David can say in the
presence of this Shepherd, "I shall not want." It matters not what my circumstances may be. My
Shepherd knows them perfectly and I can leave myself in His hands. I may experience suffering
and pain, or the loss of a loved one may bring a feeling of loneliness. In all of these things the
consciousness of the presence of my Shepherd will lead me to say, "I shall not want." Many years
after this was written the apostle Paul wrote, "I have learned to be content in whatever
circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to get
along with prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and
going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need" (Phil. 4:11,12 NASV).

It is good to notice that even the apostle Paul had to say, "I have learned to be content," etc. Being
satisfied with our present circumstances is not something we learn quickly. It is only as we see
His hand in the trials which come into our lives that we find His grace sufficient for every need
(2 Cor. 12:9). The hymn writer expresses this so beautifully in the following words:

"My times are in Thy Hand; Father, I wish them there;
My life, my soul, my all I leave entirely to Thy care.
My times are in Thy Hand, whatever they may be,
Pleasing or painful, dark or bright, as best may seem to Thee."

It is the desire of our great Shepherd to bring us into green pastures. "He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures." This pictures to us rest and contentment. Shepherds tell us that before a sheep
will lie down and rest it must be

1. free from fear of enemies outside the flock,
2. free from fear of friction from other sheep within the flock,
3. free from irritation of bugs and ticks which get in its skin and wool, and
4. free from hunger.

What is it that will free a sheep from the fear of enemies outside and friction within the flock? It

is the knowledge that the shepherd is near. Very often the shepherd will sing to make His presence
known. A good shepherd will see that his sheep are treated for ticks and bugs. He will see that
the sheep are cared for and fed. With their stomachs full, their every need met, and the shepherd
near, the sheep will lie down and rest.

We too, like sheep, have real fears which we must have removed before we can lie down and rest
in green pastures. There may be the fear of what tomorrow will bring, or the fear that I may not
be able to do my work well enough, whether it be at school, at home, in the office, or the shop.
There may be the fear that I may not be able to live up to the expectations of others, or the fear
of being unable to provide the things my family needs. There may be anxiety and worry about the
children or a sick member of the family. Whatever the fear, worry, or care, what is it that will
calm us and remove our fears? Is it not the knowledge that our Great Shepherd is near? That One
who has said to us, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The
Lord is my helper, and / will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Heb. 13:5,6). "What time /
am afraid, I will trust in Thee" (Psalm 56:3). "I will trust and not be afraid" (Isa. 12:2). "Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee" (Isa.
26:3). Yes, the knowledge that He is with us will calm every fear and give us to rest in perfect
peace upon Himself. Our Lord Jesus can meet every need of our lives_the great burdens, the
small irritations, the pains and the hurts. As we bring our burden to the Lord and by faith cast it
upon Him, we will find His sustaining power (Psalm 55:22). We then can feed upon His Word,
meditate upon it, and find rest in those green pastures.

Our Great Shepherd also wants to lead us. "He leadeth me." Sheep are often silly, stupid animals.
They have a tendency to go off on their own rather than follow the shepherd’s leading. The
pasture looks so good elsewhere and soon the sheep is off on his own. It is then that the sheep
finds himself alone facing enemies which are too great for him. The sheep may fall down a cliff
and find himself in a place from which it is impossible to get out. Often it may cost the sheep its
life. How this is like ourselves! We think that we know what is best for us and we go off on a path
of our own choosing without the assurance of God’s will. It may be a new job in a different city.
It may be the purchase of a home or a car, or the choice of a school or college. It may be the
choice of a profession or career, or the choice of a husband or wife. In each of these things we
need to be able to say, "He leadeth me." To choose our own way will surely, in the end, bring
sorrow and regret into our lives. We will miss the green pastures and quiet waters that the Lord
had for us and our lives will become barren and without spiritual purpose and meaning. How does
He lead us? He leads us by His Word. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my
path" (Psalm 119:105). As we meditate upon His Word we will be guided in each situation by the
general principles given in the Word. We will be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and guiding
through the Word. The Holy Spirit may bring to our remembrance a particular scripture which
will be used by God to us on or to turn us back.

As we yield ourselves to our great Shepherd’s leading and guiding we find that He leads us
"beside the quiet waters." waters make us think of rest and refreshment. It also ‘s that the water
is deep, not shallow or noisy. The of refreshment that this world gives do not really satisfy. We
may drink again and again of the pleasures of this world and its waters will never quench our
thirst. We are reminded of that woman of Samaria, She had been drawing water from the well

every day, and she said, "The well is deep." Much labor was needed to get that water, and the
next day she had to repeat it all over again. Our Lord said to her, "Whosoever drinketh of this
water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into
everlasting life" (John 4:13,14). This "living water," this "well of water," is figurative of the Holy
Spirit who indwells every believer. It is of that other "Comforter," the Holy Spirit, that our Lord
Jesus was speaking. The quiet waters which our Shepherd would lead us to would remind us of
that ministry of the Holy Spirit. Through the Word He brings a quietness, a calm into our lives.
All around us may be confusion, but within will be peace, quiet, and calm. And "when He giveth
quietness, who then can make trouble?" (Job 34:29). We may pass through trial and sorrow, but
if we follow our Great Shepherd’s leading we will experience that inner peace and calm that will
not only keep us but will be a means of blessing to others. (To be continued)