Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Psalm 23 is one of the most widely known passages of Scripture. It has provided comfort to believers through the ages and to believers of all ages. I want to look at the verses in this beautiful psalm – starting with the first verse.
The first verse provides the key to being able to enjoy the blessings found in the rest of the chapter. The individual who wants those blessings must be able to say with confidence: “The LORD is my shepherd.”
It is much more than a simple phrase. There must be a time in your life when you went from following the world, the flesh, and the devil, to begin following the Lord. You must have told God that you were sorry for your sin and that you now trust Christ alone to save you from Hell – the punishment we all deserved.
He is not your shepherd until you take that step. Once you do, He changes you. How do we know that we are His sheep? The answer comes from John 10:3,4: “the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.”
Notice two things from these verses. First, the Lord’s sheep hear His voice. Secondly, our Shepherd leads His sheep.
These two things lead to another question: How do His sheep hear His voice? Primarily, He speaks to us through His Word. Secondly, he speaks to his sheep through His servants (pastors and teachers) that teach the Word and make it plain, which is why attending the local church regularly is so important.
Believers who profess to be followers of Christ need to ask themselves how well are they trying to live according to the Bible? Then, they must consider how strong is their fellowship with Christ: are they open to change if He asks for it and is He really leading? Real sheep naturally follow.