The Shepherd’s Guidance | Psalm 23:2-3
This message was preached at Sherwood Community Friends Church on Sunday, December 8, 2024. You can watch the video in full by clicking below.
Introduction
We celebrate the season of advent in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The build up to Christmas is marked by festive reds and greens, jolly Santas and elves, and pretty presents tied with a bow.
Advent leads to more, however, than the celebration of Christmas Day. Yes, we celebrate the newborn babe Jesus who was born in that lowly stable, surrounded by animal feed and manure. Even moreso, we celebrate the arrival of our Shepherd, the one who leads us, once we are willing to declare, as Robert pointed out last week, “The Lord is my shepherd.“
Today’s verses come from Psalm 23:2-3. I have found that with verses I have heard time and again, verses that have an overwhelming familiarity, I become too comfortable with them. I glaze over the impact of these sacred words of God because I think they can hold no more mystery for me.
In fact, this is the case with Psalm 23. It is well-known by even those with no faith practice. It’s quoted in movies and parts of it sung in songs, even secular ones. So, for the sake of redundancy, I am going to read our 2 well-known verses from 5 different versions. As you listen to each one, notice what stands out to you.
CSB = “He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
NRSV = “He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.”
CEB = “He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; he keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name.”
MSG = “You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.”
NIV = “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.”
Today, we are going to look at the four destinations the Shepherd leads us to: rest, renewal, righteousness, and redirection.
The Shepherd Leads Us to Rest
“He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters…”
This picture David paints for us reflects peace, provision, and simplicity. Our souls crave exactly this because this is exactly the environment we were created for.
Genesis 2:8-10, 15 8 The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he placed the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river went out from Eden to water the garden. From there it divided and became the source of four rivers.
15 The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.
But when we declared that we would choose our own way over the way of God, when we no longer said “The LORD is my shepherd,” we lost our access to this space of rest in the Garden of Eden.
It’s no wonder this is the place our souls ache for.
God continually tried to bring his people back to the Garden, the place where he dwells, the place of rest. Most notably, God brings them to the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses and Joshua. But again and again and again, they turn to their wisdom above the wisdom of God. They look to human kings rather than turning to God as their king. After many kings who “did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord,” at the end of 2nd Kings, we see the Israelites captured by Babylon.
Again lost.
Exiled to the wilderness without a home and left longing for the place we belong.
Longing for rest.
And for the next 600 years the world would wait with bated breath until it could hope of entering into rest once again.
This is the beauty of Christ. Jesus came to restore our access to this place of peace that we lost, the place that David speaks of.
He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.
When we consider the coming of and the life of Jesus, in a more obvious way, we see that in the life of Jesus himself embraced rest and is our example in so many ways:
He regularly pulled away from the crowds to pray, most notably accounted in Luke 5:16.
Of course there’s the time when Jesus is sleeping on the boat in the storm - This was intentional sleep, not a random doze off in Mark 4:38-40. Like - Jesus had a pillow. I imagine the disciples could have been quite angry with him as they cried out: “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?” Jesus didn’t scramble to help them or apologize for not being there. Instead, he calmed the storms and reminded them that they had the same faith to do the same. He trusted them, which released him to the rest he had entered into.
And there’s that time when Jesus says, “‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’” Matthew 11:28-30 CSB
Again, these are the obvious ways that Jesus brought rest to us and modeled it for us as the Shepherd.
But also… through the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he defeated the sting of death and the power of sin in our lives. Since the fall, death and sin have had a power over us that we have not been able to escape. We continue to fight against both. But we have VICTORY over both SIN and DEATH which allows us to enter that rest that we ache for rest that only our Chief Shepherd can lead us to.
The only place of true rest lies in the one who has already attained victory over the grave and our egos when we acknowledge Him by saying “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
After each point, we will have a few moments of reflection. Our first question to consider:
Will you allow the Shepherd to lead you to rest today?
The Shepherd Leads Us to Renewal
“He renews my life…”
The word for “renews” is the word שׁוב (sheen vav vbait) and it can also be restated as “returns” or “turns back.”
The “turning back” happens after we allow him to lead us, after we recognize there is nothing else we long for other than his guiding, and after we allow him to lead us to the places of rest. We don’t have to stay the people we once were. He turns us back to the people he intended for us to be.
But what exactly does he turn us back to?
When we enter into the place of rest that God leads us into, we enter into the original state of who we were created to be.
Genesis 1:26-27
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
We were created in the image of our Creator. That’s why the Psalmist can so confidently acknowledge in praise to God:
For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. (Psalm 139:13-14)
He fashioned us, all of the intricate details, all the cells, blood vessels, brain neurons. All of the emotions, personality traits, and even what we would call flaws he calls us perfectly in his image. We are complex because we are made in the image of our God, whose ways and thoughts are higher than our own.
When we say “The Lord is my Shepherd” and we submit to his leading that brings us to the places of rest and nourishment, we come back to the origin of who we were actually created to be and where we were always supposed to dwell.
But we must be willing. Just as we had a choice in the Garden, even now, Jesus stands at the door and knocks.
Are you willing for the Shepherd to renew, restore, return you to his original design?
The Shepherd Leads Us to Righteousess
“…he leads me along the right paths…”
The Bible’s hot take is that there are actual right paths and wrong paths in life to travel.
“Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of my adversaries; make your way straight before me.” Psalms 5:8 CSB
“I am teaching you the way of wisdom; I am guiding you on straight paths.” Proverbs 4:11 CSB
And, of course, Jesus himself says
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6, CSB)
The truth is there is a “right way” and a “wrong way.” Our hearts and minds tell us the only right way is the one that makes you feel good. What’s your truth? That’s the right way.
But God’s Word says otherwise. There is one right way - the way of Jesus.
And the trouble with us humans, we think that because we believe a certain way, that we must be right.
Or we believe that because something was right at one time, that it is still right today.
Or we believe that if everyone just tried to do it “my way” that all the problems would be fixed.
Or that God can have all of my life - except for that one thing. That’s MY thing that’s right for me.
But Jesus gave up all his rights so that we would have the freedom and ability to follow the one right way. And when we are unclear on that one right way (because we will be unclear) we trust the Shepherd’s guidance.
And when we are off track, because we will stray, we must respond quickly to the correction of the Shepherd.
Every time I see a pastor of any status fall into a moral failure, my heart breaks. My heart breaks because these failures are increasingly plastered all over the news and media. I am concerned that so many who do not know Jesus for themselves have been pushed away because of these sheep who have wandered so far from the flock.
But also, my heart breaks because I wonder about all the nudges and guidance they ignored from the Shepherd along the way. John Piper says this:
“The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the primetime dribble of triviality we drink in every night.” John Piper, A Hunger for God
One of the most notable examples of wandered sheep in the Bible is David himself. 2 Samuel 11:1
“In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.”
The men are off to war and where was David? Back at home! This was not the norm. The king went to war with his men. But David was comfortable in his role and position, so he stayed back. Seems innocent enough, right? A little self-care. A little reward for all he had been through and done for the country?
What happened next?
“One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.” (2 Samuel 11:2, CSB)
Well, ok so he just looked at a naked woman… innocent enough right? He just happened to be out at the same time as her, right? It’s not like anything happened…
Verse 4
“David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her.” (2 Sa 11:4a, CSB)
I won’t read the rest of the story, but here’s the summary. After this one night stand, the woman becomes pregnant. In order to cover his tracks, David tries to get Uriah to come back and sleep with his wife, but he refuses to indulge when his men are at battle. Then David becomes a murderer, sending him to the front lines of battle to meet certain death.
It started because David wasn’t in the place he was supposed to be. And each little thing that seemed to be not-so-bad led to just a little more and a little more and a little more until he was a murderer.
How could this man, who is known to be a man after God’s own heart (1 Sa 13:14) and who is known as the pinnacle king of the ancient Israelites, have strayed so far off the path?
Yet, when he was confronted with his sins - when God sent Nathan as a voice to nudge him -ok jolt him- back onto the path of righteousness - David responded with repentance as he recognized the not-so-gentle correction of the Father. We see David’s response in Psalm 51:
Be gracious to me, God,
according to your faithful love;
according to your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.
2 Completely wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I am conscious of my rebellion,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you—you alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in your sight.
So you are right when you pass sentence;
you are blameless when you judge.
5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
and you teach me wisdom deep within.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Turn your face away from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.
10 God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God—
God of my salvation—
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;
you are not pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.
You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.
He leads me along the right paths, the paths that are well-lit, the paths that lead to life. David wandered. And we wander. Again, wandering doesn’t start off with an affair or muder or embezzlement. Wandering starts with watching a sitcom with coarse jokes, allowing an offense to linger in your heart, or just happening to hold a little to tightly to what you think is yours when it belongs to someone else. Jesus himself tells us that the path of righteousness is hard to find:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.’” (Matthew 7:13-14, CSB)
This is why it is vital that we pay attention to those nudges early, that feeling when something isn’t quite right, because Jesus himself is guiding us to stay on that path of righteousness.
What nudges have you been ignoring from God that would keep you on the right path?
The Shepherd Leads Us to Redirection
“…for his name’s sake.”
This is not a new conversation for us here at Sherwood Friends. But for the sake of redundancy, I’ll say it again.
The light is not to shine on us. It’s always about redirecting the attention to the name of the Father.
Even Jesus pointed to the Father.
Matthew 5:16 - Sermon on the Mount (starting January)
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (CSB)
John 15:8 - Jesus as he’s going to his death (just talked on this end of October)
My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. (CSB)
Or how about Jesus’ example in Matthew 9:2-8
2 Just then some men brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.” 3 At this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “He’s blaspheming!”
4 Perceiving their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts? 5 For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he told the paralytic, “Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 7 So he got up and went home.
So why did Jesus do this here? Verse 8
8 When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and gave glory to God, who had given such authority to men.
When we trust the Shepherd to lead us, he will always redirect us to the Father.
When we look to the Shepherd and we recognize that we are sheep and not a shepherd, when we put ourselves under His leading, when we resist the temptation to wander and stay on his path, the outsiders will draw their eyes to the Shepherd and recognize how good He is.
We get really concerned when a wolf is impostering a sheep, but I think it’s more concerning when we as sheep try to imposter the Shepherd.
Our submission as his sheep will draw attention to the goodness of the Shepherd. And they will be welcomed to the flock when they, too, can say “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
When others see the Good Shepherd when they look at me?
As we embrace the advent of Jesus coming to earth, let’s hold tightly to what it is that he leads us to. When we declare “The Lord is my Shepherd”...
We will be led to rest
We will be led to renewal
We will be led to righteousness
We will be led to redirection
He returns life to our weary bones, our breathless souls, and our wayward paths. He points us in the right direction - the path that brings wholeness and restoration and life and love - so that more and more people will come to know the wide and deep and high love of the Father.
