BEING A SHEEP
Psalm 23

The relationship between sheep and their shepherd is not enough to communicate the love and care of God for us, but it does go a distant to let us know that God’s care for us is deeper than we have taken to Him. Psalm 23:1-3, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” For those who have accepted the great Shepherd as their Lord and Savior, they become His sheep. In Him, there is no lack and every need is available except when we make the wrong choice, such as entering into fear and not looking up to the Shepherd for all our needs according to His riches in glory. The Psalmist stated in verses 1-3 of Psalm 23 all that the Shepherd made him to do and the Psalmist concluded in verse three the reason why the shepherd made him to do was “For His name’s sake.” The Name of God is all that is needed for those that have accepted Him as Lord and Savior and those who understand whom they are in the hand of God. Once in the wilderness journey of the children of Israel, God responded to the disobedience of the children of Israel. “I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.” (Numbers 14:12) Moses responded to God’s plan against the children of Israel by speaking to God. “Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, 16 ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’” (Numbers 14:15-16) Moses’ response is like telling God that, “Your name is at stake here Lord.” With Moses’ response, God declared in Numbers 14:20, “Then the Lord said: ‘I have pardoned, according to your word.’” The point here is that because of His name, He will deliver those who He has decided to carry through as sheep. It was because of His Name that, “…He made His own people go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock; 53 And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.” Time and space will not permit writing all He has done because of His name for those who know Him and know how to remind Him concerning the work of His hand. The Great Shepherd has laid His life down for His sheep. Until His sheep give their life to Him, the sheep will not know how to take the life He has come to give more abundantly.
Being His sheep is becoming a winner.