 In a recent midweek Bible study, we observed that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. As we discussed what a good shepherd is, we read Psalm 23 (David’s most famous poem), which says: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Our Elder, Craig Smith, was spot-on when he observed that, contrary to how we usually view this psalm--as a message about death which is usually read at funerals—the message of this psalm is really about life. How do we get through the hard and difficult times of life? We trust in God our Good Shepherd to help us flourish. When God delegates his authority to leaders, he expects them to lead like shepherds. The leader’s power is for protection. His rod and staff are for guidance. The shepherd sacrifices for the sheep, not the sheep for the shepherd. This is obvious in the life of David, the great shepherd-king who came to prominence when he stood up for the people of Israel by slaying a giant with a shepherd’s sling (1 Samuel 17:40-49). In the New Testament Jesus is referred to as the shepherd of all shepherds. Hebrews 13:20-21 says, “May the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will.” In 1 Peter 2:25 we read this about Jesus: “You were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” And in Revelation 7:17 it says this about Jesus: “The Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Isn’t that interesting: By the time we get to the end of the Bible, the shepherd of Psalm 23 has a name…Jesus! Even more extraordinary is the twist that the Good Shepherd is the Lamb of God. Every one of us is a leader in some group of people. Perhaps you are leading your kids or grandkids, leading a team at work, leading a volunteer team at church, or coaching a sports team. Let’s decide that we’re going to follow Jesus’ example of leading as a “good shepherd” by leading in such a way that we help people to flourish and do well in life. You are a shepherd to someone…be a good one! Tyler
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