The Covering of Mighty
Shepherd
Text: Psalm 23:1-6
This Psalm is
the testimony of David for God’s faithfulness and His blessings in his life.
David was also reflecting upon the relationship he had with God in the Psalm.
David applied allegorical illustration that he was well conversant with to
express the relationship that existed between him and God Almighty. David was a
shepherd before he was anointed to become a king in Israel. On the day of his
anointing, while his seven amiable brethren were appearing before Samuel, the
Prophet of God, David was tending his father’s sheep in the shepherd field. When
all the brothers of David that did not fall into the criteria that God was
looking for showed up before the Prophet, he asked Jesse the father of David,
“Are here all
thy children?”
“There remaineth
yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep,” answered Jesse.
“We will not sit
down till he come hither,” said Prophet Samuel.
In this Psalm,
David also reflected upon the faithfulness of God from the beginning of his
calling because called him from the shepherd field. “He chose David also his
servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with
young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he
fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the
skillfulness of his hands.” (Psalm 78:70-72)
David was
speaking from authoritative point of view of a professional shepherd while he
related the caring relationship of God in his life as what he used to be to his
father’s animals in the shepherd field. He recognized the role of shepherd that
Almighty God had filled in his life. The sheep have eyes, but because of its
trust for the shepherd, he chooses to see with the eyes of the shepherd that
sees better. As a sheep under the cover of the shepherd, he subjected himself to
the authority and directives of the shepherd. As a shepherd boy he knew where
the green grazing grass was for the animals, and he always led the animals of
his father there everyday. This was the basis of his trust in the Lord, that as
long as the Lord is his shepherd, he shall not want. He would not lack any
deserving blessing for the sheep of Almighty God. Wondering why he was so sure
of this? The closer you are to someone in a relationship, the more knowledge of
the person you possess. Having walked with God in the faithfulness of heart,
David knew that “the earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof; the world,
and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1) He was tapping from the divine
wisdom that was revealed in Deuteronomy 10:14 that says, “Behold, the heaven
and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that
therein is.”
David trusted in this divine information before he declared a win-win scenario
upon his life and boldly said, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” He
knew that God is at the back of every need that is successfully met in our lives
it was not our personal effort that met those needs. It is not exactly what you
plant that you live on, God is behind the hundred folds you have in return of
your endeavors. It is not your money and the service good of doctor that you can
procure that give you a good health, God is the one ministering healing to every
cell of your body.
David was still
rapped up in the meditation of his shepherd experience and continued, “He
maketh me lie down in the green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still
waters.” One of the problems of man is, we do not know when it is enough. We
always assumed that we can go a step more even when a rest is obviously needed.
In fact some believe that the only time that man can rest is when he is dead.
But the shepherd understands that the sheep need to rest. The ideal place of
rest for the animal, in point of view of a shepherd, is beside the still water,
where the coolness of the water will be refreshing the animals. The Lord has a
better and thoughtful place of rest for your soul where His peace that passed
all understanding will be your portion. And it is in the comfort of His
presence. That rest begins when you establish a relationship with Him. The
divine peace you now found with the Lord also leads to the restoration of your
soul. The peace that eluded man, since Adam and Eve blew it in the Garden of
Eden, when you encounter the Lord in the path way of your life as Paul
encountered Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus, He would restore you and
because of his Holy name. He will straightened your crooked life in His
righteousness.
Problem is a
spiritual exercise for the children of God. As the sporting events tones the
body and strengthens the muscle for a prize or honor, the same way problems keep
you on your toes and it is also a spiritual mechanism that continually remind
you not to deviate from the covering of Almighty God in order that glory of God
may manifest in your victory. Without problem in the pathway of your life, you
cannot become an overcomer. Prophet Isaiah revealed this assurance from God in
his prophecy,
“When you passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the
rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou
shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” (Isaiah 43:2)
David recognized this principle of life in testimony to presence of God in the
life of David he added in the Psalm, “Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and
thy staff they comfort me.” David passed through the valley of shadow of
death even in the shepherd field. The lion and bear attacked the sheep, but the
presence of God delivered David from those wild animals. He safely rescued the
animals from the mouths of the wild animals. This was his launching pad faith
that leapt him to victory in the valley of Elah. The battle in the valley of
Elah was not a battle of strength, neither was it a battle of skilful usage of
weapons of war; rather, it was a battle of who is on the Lord’s side. David
walked in to the valley of Elah in the name of the Lord; in this shadow of death
he did not fear Goliath, the giant warrior of the Philistines. Goliath, the
enemy of David came like flood of water, the presence of God with David raised a
standard that gave him victory over the Philistine. The standards are the rod
and staff which of course are the sword of the spirit. They comforted David
indicating his love for the law of God but the same destroyed the enemy that
trivialized it.
Having all these
spiritual facts in his kitty, in summary David assured in the confidence of the
faithfulness of God that, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” Since
he recognized the Lord as his Shepherd and having known the tender loving
kindness of a shepherd towards his flock, and that the earth and the fullness of
it belong to Him and above all, because of the relationship that exist between
him and God, goodness and mercy of God shall locate him, lock on him and
continue to follow him all the days of his life. Perhaps we are wondering why
this should be so. David did not seeking what the entire world was seeking. The
world around placed the cart before the horse, they were seeking for wealth and
prosperity. When they come to the presence of God, instead of seeking first His
kingdom and his righteousness, they were seeking for 'all other things'; they
were seeking for reward and abandon the main task that will usher in the reward
of divine blessing in their journey on earth. David was seeking after continuous
relationship with God, he was pressing forward in righteousness and integrity of
heart. He iterated in the Psalm that he would dwell in the house of the Lord for
ever – meaning that he will not allow the love of the world to severe the
relationship he had with God. Can you consider this as a challenge in your
relationship with God from this moment onward? Even, if you do not have a
relationship with God before, consider to establish one with your Creator.
Michael A.
Eleyinafe
