We begin a new series here at LIFE-LINE CORRESPONDENCE.  How exciting to be a member of this great family called the Kingdom of God, and if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you are right in the middle of it!  We want to thank you for being an integral part of LIFE-LINE CORRESPONDENCE. 

By way of introduction, Psalm 23 is a Psalm of David.  The most beloved shepherd of the Bible.  Do you know this man, David?  Of course, he is also known as the King of Israel.  But David was a shepherd before he was a king.  Being a shepherd prepared him for the time when he would take the throne as Israel’s King.  Yes, King David!  The sweet Psalmist of Israel.  Psalm 23 is one of the most loved and read psalms in the Bible.  It is often quoted at funerals or life celebrations of loved ones.  It has a tremendous lesson for us as Christians in this day and age.  An in-depth study of this great psalm will benefit us greatly as we consider our walk with the Lord.  In fact, it is FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR SURVIVAL!  The Shepherd of our souls will be seen as the One who makes up the shortage in our lives and supplies just what we need so that we will never lack for that which is vital, or needful to our survival as sheep. Come and journey with us into this great Psalm and discover “The Fundamentals of the Christian Life” as we discuss the Shepherd, the Sheep, and the Shortage.

Why do we title this series the Shepherd, the Sheep, and the Shortage?  Well, look with me at the first verse:

The Lord is my Shepherd.  Ah, there it is!  The Shepherd.  His name is Jesus.
The Lord is my Shepherd.  Ah, there it is!  My Shepherd.  I am the Sheep.
I shall not want.  Ah, there it is!  No want.  No lack.  Shortage.

Many sheep are experiencing a shortage in their lives.  Jesus wants to fill that void and bring spiritual growth and development to your life. 

“The Lord thy God knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness.  These forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee, thou hast lacked nothing!”  Deuteronomy 2:7

Again, someone needs to hear that!  Listen, He has taken care of you, has He not?  He has supplied your needs.  Notice, needs, not wishes, or mere desires.  What you and I think is needful – felt needs - is different than what God knows is needful.  Listen to it:

“And thou shalt remember all the way the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart…He suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not…thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.”      Deuteronomy 8:2-5

So, the children of Israel needed not only food but chastening.  I am sure they did not think they needed the chastening!  But God knew.  He knows our need also.  The scripture tells us in Hebrews that the Lord chastens us or disciplines us because we are his sons and daughters.  What a compliment!  Thank the Lord, He does not let me get away with anything. 

Also, take notice of this most important feature of Psalm 23.  The Lord is my Shepherd.    This Psalm talks about HIM!  It is all JESUS!  We see Him.  The Lord!  Look at the all the names of God in this Psalm.  Is it coincidental?  I think not.  Go through the Psalm again with your Bible in your hand and see the Lord in this!

What a powerful Lord and Savior.  Jesus the Lord God almighty is all over this Psalm.  This is nothing but the Divine hand of God.  Yes, it matters who our Shepherd is.  This sheep in Psalm 23 knows its Shepherd.  Do we?  He knows what a good Shepherd is and consequently what a bad Shepherd is.  Jesus tells us there is a difference between a shepherd and a hireling.  A hireling runs when trouble comes.  He leaves the sheep to fend for themselves.  He is only interested in the paycheck.  But a shepherd, Jesus said, “lays down His life for the sheep.”  Lord, give us shepherds who can feed the flock so that they may never lack for that which is FUNDAMENTAL to their existence and survival.  The Lord Jesus is that Shepherd!  He is the Chief Shepherd as the Bible tells us.  He is the Bishop of our souls.  Try to find those phrases in the Bible.  “Chief Shepherd” and “Bishop of our soul.”  Pastors are under shepherds.  We need good under shepherds.  Pastors are under shepherds who are responsible to feed the flock of God.  Pray for your chaplain, and the pastors you know or have known in the past who have fed your soul the unmixed word of God.

Important to this Psalm is the way in which the Shepherd makes up the shortage.  What do I mean?  I mean the Divine order of the supply.  He makes up the shortage in my life and knows exactly which should be first.  As we move along, we will see that He does not leave anything out that is VITAL, or NECESSARY!  What does that indicate?  It indicates to me that the church, the under shepherds, must get back to the necessities of the Christian life.  Some may say the BASICS!  Many Christians have been satisfied with the ACCESSORIES more than the NECESSITIES.  Let us be straight forward.  Too often we have been more concerned with our outward appearance than our inward condition.  A sub-title for this series could be, “Do My Shoes Match My Purse?”  LOL.  Really?  Yes.  I remember when I was in the hospital and had to have a minor surgical procedure.  I had to wear a gown that was open in the back with strings.  It was not something I would wear to a dinner party, for sure!  They did not seem to care how I looked.  Why?  Because fashion is not their passion when they are trying to KEEP YOU ALIVE!  In the church we have become enamored with accessories and not fundamentals!  We seem more concerned with our shoes matching our purse, or our tie clashing with our socks.  Sadly, the fundamentals have become accessories and the accessories have become fundamentals and the sheep are being eaten by wolves!  Has the church and the ministry become more concerned with their image in the community rather than being conformed to the image of Christ?

So, the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.  There it is.  The rest of the Psalm goes on to tell us about this Shepherd and what HE deems necessary, fundamental, and vital, to our survival as a sheep in this wolf infested world.  He says what is necessary.  The fundamentals are what He says is fundamental. 

Now, what are those fundamentals that He provides that will make up the shortage in my life?  I will list them in order as they appear in the text.  Are you ready?

How great is this?  I think you can see that this could take a long time to get through, right?  Absolutely.  So, buckle up and get ready for the Shepherd, the Sheep, and the Shortage.  He has a plan for your life, and it is no coincidence that you have decided to walk through this with us.  Do not lose heart.   Try to memorize this Psalm.  You will not regret that.

“Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”   Psalm 119:11

There is an old song that I love to sing.  It is a simple one and the words go like this:

He supplies all your needs, my friend.  HE does.  This Psalm will make that clear.  Notice in this Psalm how many personal pronouns refer to JESUS, the Shepherd.

• HE makes me lie down…
• HE leads me beside…
• HE restores my soul…
• HE leads me in paths…
• HE is (thou art) with me…
• HE (thou) prepares a table…
• HE anoints my head…

 

The sheep have a shortage only the Shepherd can supply. 

John 10:11 & 14