Psalm 23 is one of the most popular chapters in the Bible but have you thought of it as a scripture referring to our relationship with Jesus Christ as our Shepherd and we as the sheep? The Psalmist says that the Lord is my Shepherd so I want to break it down so you understand the core role Jesus Christ plays in your life and how you need to relate to Him as a good Shepherd and you as the precious sheep. 

Firstly, a shepherd is a person who tends, rears and guards sheep. The role Jesus plays is to care for you, watch over and guard you. We as believers are His sheep. Jesus Christ is not just a Shepherd but a good Shepherd as stated in John 11, “I am the good shepherd”. The first verse of Psalm 23 reads, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”. Once you give your life to Jesus Christ, He becomes your personal Shepherd and you do not have to worry because He knows what you want and according to His will, He will give it to you. 

Also, you must know that He knows the things you need before you ask Him because He is your Shepherd. The Bible says in Matthew 6:8, “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. He knows what you need and all you have to do is ask (Matthew 7:7 ask and it shall be given unto you) and He will grant your request. Once the Lord is your Shepherd, just seek and follow Him and He will add the other things you need, just as it is written in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? He knows what you need so ask Him and trust that He will give it to you. 

Psalm 23: 2-3 says, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake”. These two verses talk about the leadings of the good Shepherd. Once you follow the good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, He will lead you to green pastures for you to eat and also to rest. He will not keep you in the desert/ wilderness but will take you to a place of freshness so you can rest. In His presence you will find rest. Once you follow the good Shepherd He will lead you on the right path to righteousness; He will show you the prescribed way of life and the standards He approves of. The Bible is His word and food hence once you feed on His word, you will know His ways and path to His kingdom. 

Do not lead the Shepherd; allow Him to lead you. A lot of us get frustrated because we the sheep want to lead the Shepherd but it is supposed to be the other way round. We feel we know what is right for us. Remember your Shepherd knew you before you were born, just like God knew Jeremiah before he was born (Jeremiah 1:5). He has a plan for your life and His plans are good. He will lead you on the path ordained for you, to take you to your ordained destination. Just as God said to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29: 11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end”, the same applies to you. We must go to the Shepherd to ask what His plans are for us. A sheep must allow the Shepherd to lead, because the Shepherd knows the destination of the sheep. 

Psalm 23:4 says “Yea, 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”. Once you allow the Shepherd a chance to lead you, do not fear because the Shepherd is well equipped to deal with any evil that may come your way. The Shepherd is well positioned to see evil when it is coming and even if you end up in evil territory the Shepherd will definitely deal with it because He is a good Shepherd and the good Shepherd is ready to give His life for His sheep. In Daniel Chapter 3 when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were put into the fire, Jesus Christ appeared in the fire to make sure the fire did not touch any of them. It is important you maintain a good relationship with Jesus so that even in trouble He will be there with you. Do not fear any evil because God has promised you in Isaiah 54:17 that “No Weapon formed against you shall prosper”. 

Psalm 23:5 says “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over”. Once Jesus is there with you. He will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies and guess what? They cannot do any harm to you because He will be there for you. He will also anoint your head spiritually with oil so you can do greater things in life. The anointing comes upon your head to put you ahead in all you do and also to have a spiritual advantage. The anointing comes on your head to ensure you are the head and never the tail. 

Psalm 23:6 says “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever. Having the Lord as your Shepherd means that His goodness and His mercies will follow you all the days of your life. When the apostles walked with Jesus they never lacked anything and even when Peter’s mother in law was sick with mere fever Jesus healed her. Once you give Jesus a chance to be your Shepherd, He will guide you in your walk in life. He will guide you, fight your battles for you, bless you and take care of you. Remember that He has already given His life for you on the cross to prove He is a good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep. 

The only thing you have to do is to be a sheep in His sheepfold, that is His church, and be ready to submit to Him as His sheep. Jesus wants to be a Shepherd over your life. He is knocking on your door. Please open and let Him in.