When You Have a Shepherd (Psalm 119, Psalm 23)

Looking at God and our relationship to Him through the lens of Psalms

The Psalm begins with this truth, “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all the hearts. They also do no unrighteousness; they walk in His ways” (Psalm 119:1-3). The Psalm ends with this plea, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments” (Psalm 119:176).

Last night I watched a documentary on the life of Russ Taft called “I Still Believe.” It was the story of a man who longed for God. As a singer and a songwriter I could almost hear his heart crying out, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from your law. I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide your commandments from me. My soul is crushed with longing after Your ordinances at all times” (Psalm 119:18-20). His passion and longing for God were evident in both the songs that he wrote and the way in which he sung them. But there was a pain and grief that surfaced in his life, and no matter how hard he tried to be “blameless” and “walk in the law of the Lord” he failed. He found to his dismay that instead of turning to God’s commandments and ordinances he turned to alcohol.

What is the significance of recognizing God as a shepherd? I went to a funeral today. The family had printed Psalm 23 on the funeral memorial card. Psalm 23 is one of the first psalms that a child learns and one of the last psalms on the lips of a dying believer. The beginning of Psalm 23 makes the bold statement that because the Lord is my shepherd I have everything I need. A child resonates with having someone watching over them, and a dying saint finds comfort in not walking through the “valley of the shadow of death” unaccompanied.

When we recognize God as a shepherd we also recognize His intimate care for us. A shepherd has to pay close attention because if a sheep’s wool becomes too thick the sheep will become downcast. When a sheep is full of fleece it can’t get up because its center of gravity is off. *Once down, gasses start to build up in their abdomen and they can die in a matter of hours. Also, when a sheep is in this position it is easy prey. It takes a shepherd to get the sheep back on its feet. When our soul becomes downcast we need our shepherd to restore it.

The shepherd leads the sheep, and just as Psalm 119 says, when we are walking in his ways our path is full of blessings. However, sheep are notorious for getting lost. Sometimes the sheep doesn’t even know that it’s lost. It’s not the lost sheep that goes in search of the shepherd, it’s the shepherd that goes in search of the sheep. I find a deep comfort in knowing that a good shepherd will look for a lost sheep until he finds it.

*Getting intimate with a cast sheep- Jared Gulian