“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need”
Psalm 23 gave us a wonderful picture of what a Good Shepherd looks like:
1 “The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.”
I think that this is one of the most famous passages of scripture for a reason. This chapter is so rich with truths about how Jesus leads us and walks with us. It reveals His heart towards us. I would encourage you (bonus points) to take some time to meditate on each verse.
In John 10, Jesus goes into detail about many things about how He is the Good Shepherd. Let’s break it up a bit and go through each passage. There is so much here to get out of it, but I will just speak to what I am getting from it. I would love to hear your takeaway as well in the comments!
John 10:1-5 NLT ““I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
What stands out to me here is Jesus is establishing who He is and His relationship to the sheep (us). In ancient Israel, a sheepfold was made out of stones. It was like a big pen where the shepherd would gather the sheep to sleep and stay safe for the night. There was only one opening. I’m pretty sure the opening did not have a gate but the shepherd would sit or be “the gate” for the sheep. So nothing could get in or out without going through the shepherd first.
We must go through Jesus to be a part of his flock. We have to get in the right way. It in only through Him that we are part of the flock. He is so intimate with us that we are so familiar with Him and His voice. I love that picture. Another thing He keeps showing me is that He is the leader. He walks ahead of us. We follow Him… not the other way around. Does anyone else struggle with wanting to lead? 🙋♀️ He knows where He is leading us and we just have to trust Him.
“he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice”
Also, there will be other voices. We need to know the voice of our Shepherd so intimately so we will recognize the strangers voice.
I watched an amazing video on this and I will link it at the bottom. It gave such an amazing picture and more insight to what the Lord was talking about in these verses.
john 10:6-10 NLT “6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
I love how in verse 9 Jesus tells us what His will is for us. “To come and go freely and to find good pastures” In verse 10 He says, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life”. In the amplified version it says:
“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”
Wow! What an amazing thing that His purpose is for us to have an abundant life!
“Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.”
John 10:11-13 NLT ““I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.”
Gosh this one gets me. It truly shows us His sacrificial love for us. He was willing to lay down His life for you and me to make sure that we will live. It shows us how important and valuable we are to Him.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”
John 10:14 NLT “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
He was the lamb that was slain for us. He willingly laid laid down His life for you and me. He did it so that we could have salvation and life more abundantly. He provides for every need we have and leads us to places that will restore us. He is good. ❤️
Prayer:
Lord thank you for being our Shepherd. Thank you for choosing to lay down your life for us. We are so grateful. Lord thank you that we can hear your voice clearly. We will know when you are leading and guiding us. Thank you that your heart for us is for us to be nourished and living life to the full. Thank you Lord that you are restoring our souls. Every broken and hurting place. Thank you that you are leading us to green pastures and still waters. Lord forgive us when we wander away. Thank you for never leaving or forsaking us. We love you.
Amen
Video Link:
This is a wonderful channel to follow on YouTube! I have watched many of his videos and they are so well done.
ADDITIONAL VERSES:
- Luke 15:3-7
- Ezekiel 34:31
- Matthew 4:19
- Matthew 16:24
- 1 Peter 2:24-25
- Psalm 119:176
- Isaiah 53:6
- Matthew 25:32
