The other day, during my meditation and prayer time, I was reading and meditating upon Psalm 23. You know the one, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." How was it that David could write Psalms like these that seem to come from the very heart of God? Not only that, but who was this man that God called him a "man after my own heart"? The answer lies in this picture, I believe. David was a shepherd before he was a king. Being a shepherd meant that you had a lot of time on your hands. It meant that you had a lot of idle time where it was just you and the sheep. I believe that it was in these times, that God began an one on one relationship with David. It was in these quiet times among the sheep, where God began to speak and make Himself known to David.
Because David was a shepherd and understood a shepherd's heart, he could write the words to Psalm 23 in a deeper way than we can even begin to comprehend or read. He knew what it was like for shepherd to care for the sheep. David knew what it was like for the shepherd to lead and guide his sheep. He had a shepherd's heart. And because he had this heart, he was God's chosen one to lead His people. Although he messed up at times, he still remained humble and man after God's own heart.
I think we can learn from David. Many of us want to hear from God. We all want a word. Everybody's looking for a word, but do we want to pay the price for the word. A simple price. We need to be willing to spend some daily solitude before God, away from the TV, the cell phone, even the computer. Just you and God where He is able to pour into you His heart. I believe that when we do that daily and become closer to Him, we will be astonished at the things that will flow out of us. Who knows? God may be waiting to give us a Psalm 23 word.
1 comment:
Hi Dwayne. This particular Psalm has meant a lot to me, and for many reasons. While I was deployed on the USS Kearsarge this past Fall, I came into contact with a pamphlet called "The Healing Power of the 23rd Psalm", and here's one thing I learned:
Why does David say: "He leadeth me beside still waters"? A sheep will not drink from moving waters. You were right on point about how much the shepherd cares about the sheep. In this case, the shepherd has to provide for a source of still, quiet waters (like a trough) so that the sheep can drink.
Many Marines like me also draw strength from the words of this Psalm. It's wonderful to know that the Almighty cares enough to provide us daily with our every need.
God bless you and Semper Fidelis!
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