“The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” (Psalm 23:1-2 NKJV).
Most of us have had the privilege of being born in a comfortable baby-friendly hospital while some of us were born in the comfort of a home; but Jesus Christ, our Shepherd King, was born in a manger situated in a town called Bethlehem.
Mangers are mostly used in livestock raising and are generally found at stables and farmhouses. Here is where Mary gave birth to Jesus. The Greek word describes it as an unsophisticated structure that was three-sided; its purpose was to shelter animals, giving them a dry place to eat and sleep.
None of us have had the experience, where the Head of State for a country (in Jesus’s case, King Herod) wanted us dead and released assassins to destroy us in the infant stage of our lives. Being warned, however, Jesus’s earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, took refuge in Egypt – Matthew 2:13 (NIV). Satan’s plan was to destroy the Shepherd King, and so destroy God’s plan of Salvation for our lives.
Conversely, upon examining Psalm 23, we see, “the Lord”, in all caps, signifying the Hebrew word YHWH which means ‘Yahweh’ was used in the original text. The exact meaning of the word is unclear, but many scholars agree that it is derived from the word “to be”. The very fact that the Lord is, “He Who is”, reminds us of His presence in the past, present, and future: He was; He is; He will be. The name signifies the eternality of God.
Dr Johnny Hunt, author of the book, ‘The Pathway To Discipleship’, stated that when the Psalmist David said, “I shall not want”, he meant that there will be no lacking in what was needed for the uncertain path we have to travel. Continuing, Dr Hunt declared that “the Good Shepherd does not drive His sheep; instead, He speaks gently so they may hear Him and follow Him”, with reference to the verse, “He leads me to lie down in green pastures”. The Hebrew word for pastures means “dwellings” or “habitations”. As for lying in green pastures, the shepherd creates enclosures where the sheep can rest at night in safety and eat. In this sense, the green pastures are a place for us to rest under the shepherd’s (God’s) watchful eye.
Beloved, Jesus said in John 10:3-4 (NKJV), “…the sheep hears his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when He brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” As we follow our Shepherd King, His chosen path will guide us to good pastures in our daily walk. The only barrier to enjoying the blessing of being led by our Shepherd is a lack of trust in the Shepherd. Will you trust Him?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, in Jesus’s name we thank You for sending Him to die for the sins of all humanity. He died so that we may have eternal life. His birth was the best gift to mankind and we endeavour to celebrate His birth by remembering His advent. Amen!
Read: Matthew 1:21; Matthew 2:13-14
Bible Reading Guide: Psalms 136:13-26; 1 John 2:12-27; Daniel 7; Daniel 8:1-14
