“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. He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, 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 runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23 NKJV

When going through hard times in life we need some comforting grace. The 23rd Psalm is a favorite of mine. When we meditate on the 23rd Psalm it just calms our nerves and gives us strength. I’ve heard it told that many men on battlefields survived because of the ability to meditate on the 23rd Psalm over and over until deliverance came. Whether it’s a person on their death bed, or a Christian in the underground church, or anyone just living their life, there is no end to the application of the 23rd Psalm.

When Jesus thought of the 23rd Psalm, I believe He thought of it differently than we do. When we read the 23rd Psalm we identify with the sheep, but when Jesus read the 23rd Psalm I think He identified with the shepherd.

John 10:11 says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” Everything that a shepherd is to his flock, the Lord Jesus is to us. He guides, He watches over, He protects, and He provides. Our Shepherd Jesus is the source of everything we need.

You can learn so much about the 23rd Psalm when you study the characteristics of sheep. It’s interesting that sheep are the one animal that cannot really survive without the assistance of a human being to care for them. Dogs can do pretty well on their own because they can run in packs and other wild life pretty much takes care of themselves and each other.

Sheep, on the other hand, cannot figure out where to eat. They need someone to lead them to pasture. They have no way of defending themselves, have no claws or teeth and are unable to run and hide. Sheep are unable to climb trees or burrow into holes. They are absolutely defenseless when it comes to predators. Sheep also have no way of taking care of their own needs. They get lost easily, are easily frightened and they need a human being to take care of them.

I think God purposely made sheep that way in order to give us a lesson of our dependence upon Him. Only one person, the Great Shepherd of the sheep—Jesus–can walk with us safely through life’s difficulties and death’s dark valleys to give us the comfort and help we need.

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” KJV

The comfort and help we receive in our trials can be used in turn to comfort and encourage others experiencing hardships.

II Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. KJV

Turn to the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd and the God of all comfort. He is always ready and willing to help in your time of need.