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TOPIC 7: PSALM 23 - The Lord is my Shepherd
Reflections on Psalm 23 and the pastoral words of Jesus
1. The Lord is my Shepherd

The crowning of the followers of the Good Shepherd


PSALM 23:6
Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Whoever abides under the anointing of the Holy Spirit and lives by the ongoing cleaning of Christ's blood, is being changed within his innermost being. He will be merciful, because the love of God has been poured out in his heart by the Holy Spirit, whom he has received. He will be good, because the Spirit of God is good. His behavior will improve because he is connected to the goodness of God. Such a person can no longer be attracted to a superficial and misunderstood humanism, but will sacrifice time, money, energy and life in serving the wretched, just as Christ served them as the good Shepherd. Whoever has been renewed by God, will attempt to bring others to the life of God. He wants to share eternal life because he himself has been raised from spiritual death by God's word; he wants to give to others what has been given to him. Since he has received mercy, he will be merciful. His selfishness is overcome by the love of God, which leads into practical service. He can offer wise words, filled with patience and kindness.

Have you understood what opportunity it is that God is offering you? After he has blessed you, he will then make you a blessing to many others. He frees your heart from greed and gives you an attitude of understanding for the needy and poor, orphans and widows, for the blind and the crippled. Whoever lives in a rich country can help the people of poor countries - that is if he wants to! Jesus preached and served equally. He freed people from demons and healed them from their diseases. We should not give our attention to celebrities, the famous and to movie stars - but like Christ - look for those that are lost and despised. The Spirit of Jesus propels us to missionary and social service. His power and wisdom crown us with grace and mercy. Jesus said to His disciples: By their fruits ye shall know them! The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control. These nine fruits accompany the followers of the Lord all their lives. The glory of the Lord rests upon them and the Holy love of God is reflected in their character.

Certainly there is at times internal strife in the life of those who trust God, because the flesh lusts against the Spirit of God. We will not pretend that following Jesus is a dream-like walk without missteps and shortcomings. But this is where the faithfulness of the good Shepherd is proven to be reality. He will not leave us alone. He will bring us brothers and sisters to help us. We then will recognize that we are not the only ones having problems. God will solve our difficulties not at once, but gradually. Give Him your heart and entrust all your concerns to Him, then you will realize that He has more opportunities than you are aware of. He wants to turn you into a person full of love. He does not justify you to make you feel pleased with yourself. No, He will free you from yourself so that you may learn to serve others, just as Jesus made Himself the servant of all people. Are you ready to be a servant to others? Or do you want to be Lord yourself? Do you want to be lifted up, stand big and showy, appreciated by many, or do you want to follow Jesus, who descended from His divine glory and became a servant of all? "Whoever wants to be the first," says Jesus, " should be the last, and whoever wants to be Lord should be a slave to all" (Mark 10:43-44).

David closes his Psalm with the vow that he will remain in the House of the Lord forever, not only for his lifetime, but throughout eternity. He knew that he himself was not able to govern and lead his stiff-necked people. Daily he needed strength and much wisdom. Therefore, he continuously sought intimacy with God. Not only in the Valley of the shadow of death, but also on the high plateaus of our lives, we need daily contact with God. As we abide in Him we will experience His closeness.

Whoever will not regularly read God's Word and follow it will die inwardly, like a grape cut off from the vine. No one can help you if you disconnect yourself from Jesus and do not want to read His word anymore.

Everyone is focused in his subconscious on God. He has a longing for the Father's House. He would like to reach the goal and arrive home. David sings that he will remain in the House of the Lord; he desires to abide there forever. Jesus said: "In My Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, would I have said then: I go to prepare a place for you?" (John 14:2)

Do you have a longing for God? What is your real aim in life? Are you successful, wealthy, honored? Are you waiting for eternal life with all kinds of pleasures? Or do you want to see your Father in heaven and have a part in His eternal glory? We do not look for a paradise consisting of physical or mental pleasures, but are longing for the presence of God. Jesus said: "blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8). You can never create purity of heart by yourself, but you will receive forgiveness from Jesus, who is looking for you, who will find and rescue you. He paved the way to the Father's House for you. He gives you the legal right to safely come home. He comforts you when you are tired and He will take you home. This shows that He is the good Shepherd, sure to bring His flock to its destination without losing one of His sheep. In eternity there will be a large herd, one Shepherd, and unity among the followers of Christ from all nations - dwelling in joy and safety.

Dear reader, we are making a proposal: Learn this Psalm by heart! It would like to accompany you through life and give you strength in the hour of need. Don't shy away from impressing these words upon your mind. Keep them in your heart, meditate on them, and speak them to others. Here you have the entire script of Psalm 23 so that you may memorize it, preserve it and pray it by heart:

1 The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me besides the still waters.

3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in the path of righteousness
for His name's sake.

4 Though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil
for Thou art with me,
Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me.

5 Thou dost prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
Thos dost anoint my head with oil
my cup overruns

6 Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell
in the House of the Lord forever.

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