Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today let’s find relief in the LORD’s Shepherd relationship with us.

Today’s scripture, Psalms 23:1-6 (NLT) says…
[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.

Consider…
The 23rd Psalms is probably the most well known and memorized chapters in the Bible. It’s often quoted in times of stress and fear. So it seems appropriate to take a moment or two to deconstruct what makes David’s testimony so encouraging.

When reading through these comforting verses again, the Holy Spirit showed me 3 Ps of shepherding that give comfort and confidence to the sheep.

• Possession
• Provision
• Protection

We find the first ‘P’ in David’s opening statement…
The LORD is my shepherd

There’s comfort found in knowing who you belong to. That makes me think of the fun game I used to play with toddlers by claiming their parent was my parent. I loved their conviction and exuberant declaration of who they belonged to.

My reflection hit play on the late great Rance Allen singing…

Well, well, I belong to you
I belong to you
I belong to you
I’m yours all alone
Why don’t you take me
Why don’t you make me
Just what you want me to be

I belong to you
I belong to you, yeah
I belong to you
I’m yours all alone

Mind body and soul
Why don’t you take me oh oh
You are the spirit
That lets me sleep at night
Oh yes you are
Then I wake up early in the morning
Knowing everythings gonna be alright

There’s relief in knowing Who you belong to. Reiterating that fact just hit play on another song, this one by Kirk Franklin singing…

You don’t have to worry and don’t you be afraid
Joy comes in the morning, troubles they don’t last always
For there’s a friend named Jesus (hallelujah)
Who will wipe your tears away (yeah)
And if your heart is broken, just lift your hands and say

Oh, I know that I can make it
(I know that I can stand) I know that I can stand
(No matter what may come my way) no matter what may come my way
Jesus, my life (my life is in your hands)

The LORD is saying, when things seem out of control, remember your life is in His hands.

The Holy Spirit is telling me to wrap this POSSESSION relief identification with Psalms 100:3 (NLT)…
[3] Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Find relief in Who you belong to.

We find the second ‘P’, PROVIDER, in verses 2-3…
[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

Notice what the Shepherd provides…

• Worry-free rest
• Peaceful travels
• Renewed strength
• Righteous Guidance

Typically when we talk about God as a provider we think about physical possessions. Yet I read verses like John 16:33 (NLT), which says…
[33] I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Notice, Jesus doesn’t offer to remove our sorrows and trials, but to give us peace to endure.

And I read Jesus saying in John 15:11 (NLT)…
[11] I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

That shows us Jesus is interested in our joy, not our wealth, overflowing.

In fact, let’s look at what we know Holy Spirit provides. Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)…
[22] But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Thr Holy Spirit showed me that His fruit empowers us to engage others in God reflecting and honoring ways like Jesus did.

Accordingly, I recommend we find relief in LORD providing…

• Worry-free rest in His presence, not a storm-free journey
• Peace to endure, not a problem-free existence
• Renewed strength to continue, not the absence of neverending mountains and valleys
• Righteous guidance in a sinful world, not a world without sin

God provides the ability to do what He wants, His way, despite the obstacles we will encounter.

Romans 5:3-5 (NLT) affirms this truth…
[3] We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. [4] And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. [5] And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Like a shepherd provides a safe place for the sheep to grow and be healthy, the LORD provides everything we need to grow and be healthy in Him.

2 Peter 1:3 (NLT) affirms…
[3] By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

So today, find relief in knowing that the LORD provides everything you need to endure and mature.

We find our third ‘P’, PROTECTION, in verses 4-5a
[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.

Notice God protects us in our situations, not always from them. The best example of this is the three Hebrew boys in Daniel 3:21-25 (NLT), which reveals…
[21] So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. [22] And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. [23] So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. [24] But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. [25] “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!”

Notice the circumstances and situation was stacked against these loyal lads who refused to bow to anyone but the LORD. They were in thrown in the fire with kindling clothes. Yet, we know that Jesus joined them in the fire and protected them from the flames.

Someone needs to find relief in my favorite song lyrics…

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine
He’s been my fourth man in the fire, time after time

And…

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I know the author of tomorrow has ordered my steps

Thus…

I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail

The LORD is saying stop worrying about getting out of what I’m stepping into to protect you!

Before I close, the Holy Spirit led me to a companion passage to today’s scripture. Jesus said in John 10:10-15 (NLT)…
[10] The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. [11] “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. [14] “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.

Find relief in knowing that Jesus is our Good Shepherd! And that…

• You are His POSSESSION
• He is your PROVIDER
• He is your PROTECTOR

And the Holy Spirit gave us bonus ‘P’…

• He is your PURSUER

The Holy Spirit led me to affirming scriptures like John 15:16 (NLT) where Jesus said…
[16] You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

And Revelation 3:20 (NLT), where Jesus said…
[20] “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

The Holy Spirit reminded me that John 1:14 (NLT) testifies…
[14] So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

And 1 John 4:9-10 (NLT) emphasizes…
[9] God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. [10] This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

You see Jesus is the LORD’s goodness and mercy that is pursuing me all the days of my life.

So today, find relief in knowing your Good Shepherd!!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

The Holy Spirit is leading me to end with the affirming lyrics of James Cleveland…

God is
My protection
God is
My all and all

God is
My light in darkness, oh
God, God is, He
He is my all and all

God is
My joy in the time of sorrow
God, God is
My all and all

God is
My today and my tomorrow
God my God is
My all and all

God is the joy and the strength of my life
(God is) He removes all pain misery and strife
(God is) He promised to keep me
Never to leave me

He’ll never ever come short of His word
(God is) I’ve got to fast and pray
Stay in this narrow way
(God is) Keep my life clean every day
(God is) I want to go with Him when He comes back
I’ve come to far
And I’ll never turn back

God is
God is
God is
God is
God is my all and all

If the LORD is your Shepherd, let Him be your all in all!

Today’s song is…
Psalm 23 (I Am Not Alone)

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)