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THE LORD IS YOUR SHEPHERD
April 18, 2025Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! Psalm 23:1 TLB
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:2-3
1. THE DEVIL DEPLETES. GOD MEETS YOUR NEEDS! The devil is a diminishing taker, a thief, a liar. In contrast, the Lord makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside quiet waters. Pastures provide grazing for food, and quiet waters give hydration. Sheep will die in the wilderness if they don’t have water and nutrients. Both represent our needs which God promises to supply (Philippians 4:19). Jesus, the Good Shepherd, said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). God is our provider for every area of life.
2. GOD RESTORES YOUR SOUL. God cares about us in all three realms – spirit, soul, and body. Look at yourself like this: you are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a body. Our soul is our mind, emotions, will, and thinking faculties. David said in Psalms, “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul” (19:7). This theme is reiterated in the New Testament in Romans, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (12:2). The book of James says, “In humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls” (1:21). These scriptures all express what it means for God to restore the soul. Whatever you are facing – God can restore!
3. REMIND YOURSELF THAT GOD IS YOUR SHEPHERD. We are at our best when we are in a posture of trust in God. David strengthened himself in the Lord, and we must do so also (1 Samuel 30:6). If doubts hit, we have to go to the Word and say, “wait a minute, the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want!” Take some time to turn off your devices and meditate on Psalm 23 to remind yourself of His faithfulness. Paul wrote in the New Testament that the Lord had delivered him in the past and would continue to deliver him in the future (2 Corinthians 1:10). God will see you through every time.
PRAY THIS OUT LOUD:
Father, I pray You help me in my thinking, sleeping, mood, inner world, and dialogue. I thank you that the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus is working a great restoration, so that everything in my life is whole – from the ground up. I pray for such a thorough work in my heart that I will refuse to quit or give up on what You have called me to. Strengthen and fortify me to go forward in all the will of God in Jesus’ name, amen.
Happy Easter!
Pastor Jeff Perry
shep·herd, noun
A herdsman, sheepherder; one who tends, leads, guides, cherishes, feeds, and protects a flock.
Copyright © 2025 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“Shepherd, N.” The Hayford Bible Handbook, Thomas Nelson, 1995, p. 783.
