The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Over the years many times I have shown Myself to be your shepherd, to lead you, to guide you, to protect you, to feed you, to heal you, to prosper you, to deliver you, and to carry you in My bosom and keep you in My hand. And have you noticed also that many of My people whom I have called have been shepherds of a flock before they shepherded My people? Abraham had flocks and herds, Jacob was a shepherd, Joseph was a shepherd along with his brothers, Moses was a shepherd, and David was a shepherd. Peter was a fisherman but I called him to shepherd the early Church. I told him to feed My sheep. And what did he tell the early leaders of the church?
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:1-4.
You are in Christ because you believe in your heart that I raised Him from the dead with all your sins gone and the judgment against you fully paid and your sentence satisfied and have confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord but do you know the office to which I raised Him?
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21.
I raised Him as the great Shepherd of the sheep. He is the good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. And it has pleased Me to give you, His little flock, the Kingdom. You are equipped to do every good work that I have called you to do.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. 2 Corinthians 9:8.
I love a cheerful, joyful, and generous giver.
And to shepherd you who are in Him is a great joy to Him. Have you not read: “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 11:2.
And even in the Kingdom He is shepherding you to joy, with joy you shall draw water at the springs of Yeshuah (Salvation, Jesus), for He is your strength and song and has become your Salvation. Isaiah 12.
They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:16-17.
Yes, He always leads you in joy to joy.
And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout. Psalm 105:43.
Jesus came to undo the works of the devil and give you abundant life. In Him is eternal life. Wherever He went when on earth, He brought joy unspeakable filled with glory. Blind people saw, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, the deaf had their ears opened, sins were forgiven, and the hungry were fed. And going about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil was pure joy to Him and it still is, but now He does it through His body on earth, those who are in Him, and are willing to walk with Him and in His Name do the works He did and greater. The greater work, of course, is leading people in the prayer of salvation to be born again, which Jesus was unable to do when He was on earth because He had not died or been raised as yet. But now He has and you have the honor to be entrusted with His mission and commission to tell everyone about Him so that all can be saved and come to know the truth. You too are to be busy to undo the works of the devil and let the oppressed go free. You too are to enjoy a life lived in love.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. John 15:10-11.
Jesus is the fulfillment of Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34. And He is that to those who are IN Him. And that is why you who are in Christ Jesus can rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give constant thanks. You are forever loved by an eternal Shepherd who will never leave you or forsake you but will always be right there with you to see to all your needs according to His riches in glory. And I have sealed you in Him and commanded Him to keep you and raise you up on the Last Day.
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14.
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:37-40.
Now let us consider Psalm 23:
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:1-6.
This is a very good description of what it means to be “in Christ Jesus.” Jesus and I with the Holy Spirit shepherd you at every moment. My Son is your teacher and guide and He does this constantly within you and about you by the Holy Spirit that I have given Him to pour out on you from My throne. Acts 2:33. And Jesus is My arm, Isaiah 53:1, that I have reached down to hold you in My bosom and constantly protect you at your side. He is the good Shepherd who came to lay down His life to raise up His sheep and I was in Him not counting your trespasses against you but counting them all to Him to reconcile you to Myself and make you ambassadors of reconciliation as His body in the world. He came to seek out and save the lost and bring all, both Jew and gentile, into His sheepfold. He leads you with joy out of the darkness of slavery to sin and death to the light of the promised land of My Kingdom flowing with milk and honey which is the gift I have been pleased to give to you in Him. It is I who have rescued you out of darkness and translated you to the Kingdom of My Beloved Son in whom you have redemption, the forgiveness of your sins.
When you are stressed and anxious He takes you to green pastures and quiet waters of healing peace. He restores your weary souls and calms your fears. If you detour, He seeks you out and puts you back on the righteous path and gets you safely to the place you were meant to be.
When enemies come against you, He fights your battle, raising up His rod and pulling you away with His staff. He sets out a banquet of My Words for you to eat and be strong to overcome. He anoints you with the anointing with which I anointed Him, and that is the oil of joy! For My joy is your strength. And He fills your cup with living water and the sweet wine of My love until it fills you up and then it overflows to all around you, drawing them to the sweet fragrance of your anointing. And in Him and through Him and the Holy Spirit, My goodness and love pursues you and overwhelms you all the days of your life, leading you to dwell with Me in My house of abundant delights forever. There is nowhere like home sweet home with Me, for My house is yours for eternity. I prepared it for you since the foundation of the world and it was in My heart way before that.
I love you. You are Mine and I am yours forever. And that is why I make sure to seal you in Christ as soon as you believe. There is no snatching out of My hand.