My Reflections

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Take Up Your Cross

Prompt:
"1 (A Psalm of David.)
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters."
(Psalm 23:1-2, KJV)

These verses indicate, that God has the role of Shepherd
and His redeemed ones (aka Christians) have the role of sheep.
What needs is the Lord meeting in verses one and two?

Answer:
I kind of cheated on this one. Lol 😂 I took a peek to see what I could see on google about this topic. I actually found a good article on it and would like to share it here.

https://theunexpectedpastor.com/2017/06/20/he-makes-me-lie-down-in-green-pasture...

Now I also have some of my own thoughts as well. First of all, if the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want for any good thing. The following scriptures back this thought up.

Matthew 6:33
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Psalm 37:3-5
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

The next thought is about the phrase, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”.
My first impression is a mental picture of sheep eating grass and relaxing together as a flock. It is a picture of the good Shepherd, Jesus, providing and making sure we have food and rest. The next thought that I have about this one phrase is, “Could this also be a picture of the church, God’s flock, getting together on the sabbath day?”. After all, The Bible is considered spiritual food. We get together to learn about and worship God. We also rest on the Sabbath day.

I have some interesting ideas about that last phrase. “He leadeth me beside the still waters.” For one, water quenches thirst. It also cleanses. It can be healing. Let me also mention the woman at the well and what Jesus said to her.

John 4:14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Jesus gives us water that springs up to everlasting life. Here are another couple scriptures that come to mind.

Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

John 15:1-8
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be 15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Plants and animals both need water to survive. The water that Christ gives makes us fruitful and to flourish. There is one more scripture I want to point out on this subject of water.

John 7:37-39
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Water not only represents fruitfulness and life, but it represents the Holy Spirit. So by leading us beside the still waters, Could he also be referring to the Holy Spirit?

I get a mental picture of quiet, serenity, comfort, safety, and nourishment. I see the love and companionship of a shepherd. I see a shepherd who enjoys spending time with his sheep. I could hear the water rippling, the sheep bleating, birds chirping, and the wind blowing through the grass softly. I could hear Jesus softly and sweetly speaking to his sheep. What a beautiful mental picture!

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Take up Your Cross  (E) This will be a daily blog forum. #2225667 by Marvelous Friend

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Gratitude List

1. Sunshine
2. Support
3. Transportation
4. Music
5. Deodorant
6. Sewing machine
7. Toaster
8. Inventions
9. Hair brush
10. Blankets