There are three passages of Scripture that most Christians are familiar with, and many who are not Christians are also familiar with these passages. They are almost spoken of the world over. The first of these is “The Lord’s Prayer”. This prayer is often spoken or read or even spoken in unison by certain congregations in Christian life. “Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” It’s often prayed at funerals as well. The second passage, familiar to Christians all over was used many, many times in the messages of Billy Graham in his crusades while he was still alive, and is still spoken in revivals and evangelistic messages today is John 3:16; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” And the third, perhaps the most familiar of all, is the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” If there is one passage of scripture that is hung on walls of homes and churches alike, it is the 23rd Psalm. I remember both my grandmother and my aunt on my father’s side, would have this passage framed, and on the living room wall. Perhaps your grandparents and relatives had the same. This is the passage of our devotion this week, the 23rd Psalm.
Actually, when spoken of, there is no need of any further introduction than that. It is known the world over as the 23rd Psalm. Each line, each passage, is a sermon within itself. And it’s not just a passage to read or quote at the time of a funeral, it’s a passage of comfort, guidance, strength, reflection, support, and help for every day of the week. Even the way the first line is written in different translations of the Bible speaks to us in different ways. The King James Version, the version most of us know, says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” That passage alone tells us that the Lord God is the One who watches over us and guides us and leads us into the passages of life that each of us passes through, whether we need times of comfort, rest, and refreshment of our souls, or through the dark valleys of despair, troubles, and even of death, letting us know the He is with us. In fact, His very name, “Emmanuel”, means He is the “with us God”, He is the One who walks with us through every phase of our lives. The Holman Version of the Bible, also called the “Christian Standard Bible”, says, “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I lack.” And if we add to that one of the more contemporary versions of the Bible, “The New Living Version of the Bible”, the first line reads, “The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.” And that’s true, isn’t it? Whether we are in need of spiritual rest and nourishment, whether we are in need of spiritual and physical refreshment, or we need guidance in the right path to go, we have everything that we need, because the Lord leads us just for the sake of His name alone. It’s kind of like His reputation is on the line, but He won’t lead us away from the path He has for us to walk, the one that is for the most of our benefit. The Lexham English Bible says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I will not lack for anything.” And add to that, the Easy To Read Version” says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I will always have everything I need.” Everything? Yes, everything. Not our wants! Our wants are something quite different from our needs. He never says He will supply our wants, but He will supply our needs, and more than anyone else, God knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Inmates in prison have a saying, “He is an on-time God!” He is never late nor too early, always on time.
A tourist in Syria observed with interest how a shepherd drove all his sheep into a sheepfold one evening. The fold was an enclosed wall with only one opening. On that opening he noticed that there was neither a door nor a gate. He remarked to the shepherd, “Can’t wild animals get in there?” “No,” answered the shepherd, “because I am the door. When the sheep are in for the night, I lie down across the doorway. No sheep can get out except over my body, and no wolf or thief can get in except over me.”
