“Sustainer-Shepherd God” Psalm 23; John 10:1-5, 11-18

The Bible is filled with examples of God taking care of His people. From Adam and Eve through the tribes of Israel wandering in the wilderness to David and through to the prophets, we see God meeting the needs of those who serve Him and follow Him. We see it in the New Testament as well. Just as God created us in His image and creates us anew in Christ, so does He also sustain us and lead us. For this, God is worthy of praise and thanksgiving.

Central Truth: God the Sustainer-Shepherd continually provides for our every need.

We praise and thank God because:

He sustains us (Psalm 23:1-2).

Perhaps no passage in the Bible speaks to God the Sustainer-Shepherd than Psalm 23. It’s a well-loved passage, in part because it speaks of God’s tender watchcare over us. It was written by David, and David was familiar with the life of the shepherd. I can imagine him watching over his father’s flocks and writing this psalm. He understands the role of the shepherd and the duties that are expected of the shepherd in tending to the needs of his flock. Out of this awareness arose this psalm.

The first words of the psalm speak to the intimacy of the relationship between God and David. There is an allegiance to God stated by David and an awareness of the love and care God takes towards those who are His.

Because the Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want. God sustains us. He provides our needs as they arise. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to ask God for our daily bread. We have a tendency to want to live for the future, so we want to ask God for provisions for the long-term. But God teaches us to live in the moment. Jesus tells us we are not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough trouble of its own (cf. Matthew 6:34). God reminds us it’s not a good idea to make long-term plans. In James, He tells us, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. . . Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this and such’” (James 4:14a-15).

This is not to say that God doesn’t expect us to make plans, nor does it indicate He disapproves of planning. What it is saying is that we only have today guaranteed, and that day is to be devoted to the One who sustains us and provides for us. We are to spend each day trusting Him to meet our needs and guide our steps. Each day devoted to Him, each day shared with Him.

And God is faithful. He will meet our needs for the day, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. As we learn to walk more closely with Him we discover more and more how God truly does give us each day our daily bread.

And because God sustains and shepherds us, He is worthy of praise and thanksgiving.

of the ways He sustains us (Psalm 23:3-6).

David is not content to simply declare the special relationship we have with God. He goes on to show how God the Shepherd works in our lives to sustain us.

• He provides us with quiet rest.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul.”

Every time I read this verse, I imagine a beautiful green field with mountains in the near distance, and a babbling brook running through the field. I see the clear water, hear it rushing along, and I can smell the crisp, fresh air and the scent of the grass. I see some wild flowers and some butterflies flitting about. The sounds of birds tweeting in the distance. The day is not too hot, nor is it too cold. It’s a perfect day in a perfect setting. I can imagine a day in a place like that and I know it would bring peace and rest to the soul.

I’m not an expert on sheep, but I know that they are not the smartest of creatures. I also know they need to feel secure. I know sheep don’t lie down unless they feel safe. David tells us that God places us in places where we can figuratively lie down in the pleasant green grass. There is security being in God’s presence, and God gives us His promise that we are His children. He seals us with His Spirit and states He will never let us go. We can rest in assurance and peace because of what God has done for us and what He is doing for us today.

We thank God for restoring our soul.

• He guides us.

“He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

One of the fascinating things about our relationship with God is that all that He does is to bring glory and honor to His name, and that should be our focus as well. The way we let God be glorified through us is by yielding ourselves to Him. We surrender our will to His, we trust Him over our own instincts. We place our goals and desires under His control.

We do this not because we are afraid of Him or because He requires it of us. We do it because we love Him and we know that His way is best. As we walk more closely with Him, we come to a greater awareness of His wisdom and direction and we find our faith growing in Him as a result.

As we learn to follow God, we learn that He guides us in ways that will keep us close to Him and will transform our spirit so we can become more aware of Him.

We thank God for guiding us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

• He protects and comforts us.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

It’s interesting that the first few verses of Psalm 23 refer to God in the third person—David constantly refers to God as “He.” In this verse, though, he changes to second person—“You are with me; Your rod and staff . . .” It speaks to me of a more intimate awareness of God.

When David was arguing about facing Goliath, David told Saul that he had fought of bears and lions in protecting the flock. I cannot imagine those encounters were anything but frightening. I imagine at those times that David called up God, much as we do when we are in a crisis moment.

And God is there with us even in our most trying of times. The Bible tells us that God will not let us be tested beyond what we can bear. There are times we think He may have forgotten that promise, but we discover that He does see us through it and brings us out of that valley of the shadow. We rediscover the light and serenity of the green pastures and still waters.

But while we are in that valley of shadow, we also know that He is with us. His promise to us is that He is with us and will be with us for the remainder of this age. This age will come to a close only when Christ returns and then we shall be with Him for all eternity. His presence in our world today is a comfort and a strength, even in the darkest shadows. That’s why we can praise God for sustaining us through the trials and hardships of life.

The rod and staff of the shepherd were used to guide and protect the sheep. The rod was used to prod the sheep in the right direction; the staff was used to grab the sheep and pull them back to the flock. These tools of the trade were used by the shepherd to protect the flock. David knew this; that’s why God’s rod and staff are a comfort.

There are times when we think we can go our own way, but God has other plans. He works in us and through others to draw us back to Him, back to the flock. And once we rejoin the fellowship, we realize how foolish we had been, and we gratefully give Him praise and thanksgiving for caring enough to use His rod and staff when He needs to.

• He feeds us and gives us victory.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

This is a wonderful picture David paints. Imagine being ushered into a great dining hall. The room is filled with those who have not thought very highly of you. You enter the hall, and the host of the party immediately gets up from the table and steps quickly to you with arms outstretched and a broad, genuine smile on his face. He gladly shakes your hand, places his arm around your shoulders and says, “I am so glad you were able to make it. Come on. I’ve got a place for you right next to me.” And he ushers you to your seat of honor. Then, as if that isn’t good enough, he sets your place for you, and serves your food for you. He pours your drink and asks if there’s anything else you need. The enemies around you are dumb-founded at this genuine show of affection and respect.

That’s what David is talking about in this verse. God demonstrates to us each how much He cares as He and the Son make their home with us. He stands at the door and knocks and as we open the door, He enters in to dine with us.

Do you remember what was said about the wine that Jesus created at the wedding in Cana? The steward commented that the groom had saved the best wine for the last. I believe that the meal God prepares for us is the best tasting, most satisfying meal we can ever hope to enjoy.

For this, we give praise and thanksgiving to the Father.

of the way He shepherds us (John 10:1-5, 11-18).

When Jesus taught about being the Good Shepherd, He made some statements that tell us why He is worthy of praise and thanksgiving.

First, He says that He calls His own sheep by name, and that His sheep listen for His voice. The Good Shepherd calls His sheep and leads them. He doesn’t simply call the sheep out of the pen and then tell them they’re on their own; instead, He takes the lead, guiding His sheep on the path of righteousness.

Jesus also tells us that, as the Good Shepherd, He lays down His life for His sheep (vs. 11-13). He contrasts this devotion to the sheep with that of the hired hand. The hired hand has no investment and has no interest in protecting the sheep. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, is invested and is committed to the safety of His sheep, even to the point of laying down His life for them.

As Jesus speaks of the relationship between the Good Shepherd and the sheep, He lets us know that the relationship is an intimate relationship. Through this relationship, we are able to know Him and He already knows us. We are able to speak with Him, learn from Him, walk with Him, be with Him.

As the Good Shepherd, His willingness to lay down His life for His sheep is seen in His willingness to carry His own cross to Calvary, there to be crucified for His sheep to redeem us from sin and its cost, and to bring us into a right relationship of reconciliation with the Father.

Knowing all that Jesus has done for us as the Good Shepherd, we can do nothing less than give Him praise and thanksgiving.

Conclusion

It’s one thing to know that God created us in His own image, and that He re-created us in a newer image to be His children as we come to know Him through Christ. But the relationship takes on a deeper meaning when we realize that God not only creates us a new being but also provides for us and shepherds us through life. To know that God is there every step of the way, even through the valley of the shadow of death, with His comforting presence, lets us know that the Sustainer-Shepherd God is worth of praise and thanksgiving.