"Why We Should Let the Lord Lead"

Psalm 23:2-3: He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

 

If the Psalms are the hymnbook of the Bible, then Psalm 23 ranks first on the "most requested."  If there had been a "billboard of hits" going back three thousand years, Psalm 23 would consistently be at the top.  Perhaps the reason lies in the fact that this Psalm so logically presents the benefits of living in the sheepfold of the Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verses 2-3 give us four basic reasons why we should let the Lord lead in our lives. These verses are a response to the end of verse 1:  shall not want."

  The Great Shepherd is our sovereign, to whom we owe full allegiance, and from whom all blessings flow.

In verse 2, we have the provision of food (lie down in green pastures) and water (leads me beside the still waters).  The Psalmist relates how abundantly the Shepherd has provided.  It is not the typical Middle Eastern desert that is indicated here, but a beatiful verdant valley where a sheep can peacefully graze.  Because of the nature of a sheep, it is nearly impossible for them to get a sufficient amount of water if the water is running swiftly.  Thus, the shepherd knows the limitations of the sheep so places them by still waters.  The implication is that our heavenly Shepherd has omitted nothing which might contribute to make us live happily under His care.

In verse 3, David declares that when he is weak the Lord is there to restore his soul.  The word "restore" may literally be rendered "conversion" of the soul. It has the implication of recovering or making anew.

David also credits the Lord with leading him in paths of righteousness.  All of this is for "His name's sake."  If you are pursuing righteousness, then you can be sure that you are doing what would be in the sake of the Lord.  Romans 12:1-2 reminds us that our bodies are to be presented as a living sacrifice.  That is reasonable service in light of all that has been done for us by the Lord our Shepherd.