Journeys Of Grace 01- The Great Shepherd

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g{x _ÉÜw |á Åç f{xÑ{xÜwM Trusting the Lord in Sorrow and Loss

Psalm 23 1. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” The Bible often describes the relationship between God and His people as a shepherd and his sheep. What is the significance of this repeating metaphor? A. As our Great Shepherd God has authority over us, just as a shepherd owns and has authority over his sheep. a. In what ways can God claim authority over us as human beings? As believers in Jesus Christ? (Psalm 100:3, 1 Cor. 6:19-20)

b. Why do people tend to balk at the idea of God’s sovereignty over painful or difficult circumstances and His authority over us? Have you ever struggled with this?

It is no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep. The behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways as will be seen in further chapters. Our mass mind (or mob instincts), our fears and timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity, our perverse habits are all parallels of profound importance. Yet despite these adverse characteristics Christ chooses us, buys us, calls us by name, makes us His own and delights in caring for us. (Keller, 21)1 B. As our Great Shepherd, God provides for us and watches over us. a. Does this verse mean that as followers of Christ we will never want or need anything? Support your answer with Scripture.

b. Keller says this phrase refers to “the idea of being utterly contented in the Good Shepherd’s care and consequently not craving or desiring anything more.” (26) i. What does it mean to be content in the midst of pain and loss? ii. Read Philippians 4:11-13 – what is Paul’s source of contentment? What would it look like to apply this passage to a painful situation in your own life? 1

Keller, Phillip W. A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 1970

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2. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters… A. The presence and watchful care of the shepherd quiets and comforts the sheep and enables them to rest. “The strange thing about sheep is that a. How does Matthew 9:36 illustrate Jesus’ because of their very make-up it is nature as the Good Shepherd? almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met… [they must be] free of all fear… b. Jesus sees you, as he saw the crowd and free from friction with others of their knew their need – how would knowing that kind… change your perspective in a time of If tormented by flies or parasites, struggle? sheep will not lie down… They must be free from hunger.” It all depends upon the diligence of the owner… it is actually he who c. What does Jesus offer us in Matthew 11:28makes it possible for them to lie 30? According to that verse, how do we down, to rest, to relax, to be content find rest? What does that mean? and quiet and flourishing.” (35-36)1

B.

Sheep, by habit, rise before dawn and feed on vegetation that is heavy with morning dew. By doing so, they can go months without actually drinking if the weather is not too hot. “Of course, dew is a clear, clean, pure source of water. And there is no more resplendent picture of still waters than the silver droplets of the dew hanging heavy on leaves and grass at break of day… those [Christians] who are often the most serene, most confident and able to cope with life’s complexities are those who rise early each day to feed on God’s Word. It is in the quiet, early hours of the morning that they are led beside the quiet, still waters where they imbibe the very life of Christ for the day.” (51-52)1

a. Do you have a habit of spending time with Christ each morning? i. If so, how have you established this habit? How has it impacted your life?

ii. If not, why? Do you spend time with Him during another portion of your day? b. How might meeting with Christ first thing in the morning encourage you, and how could it affect your life specifically during seasons of sorrow and loss?

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3. …he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. A. In Psalm 42:11, David (as you remember, a former shepherd himself) cries out, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” a. Being cast down is a serious thing for a sheep – it is a term that describes a sheep that has rolled onto her back and cannot right herself. A cast sheep is vulnerable to predators, but also will have physical complications and die if the shepherd does not pick it up and restore it within a reasonable length of time. b. Just as a good shepherd will diligently count his sheep and search for any who are missing and may be cast, helpless and dying, somewhere in the fields, Jesus compassionately and faithfully watches over us, knows when we are cast down and vulnerable, and will pursue us to restore us to His side. (Luke 15:4-7) Sheep generally become cast for two reasons: i. They find a soft depression in the ground to lay down in, turn on their side to sleep, and their center-of-gravity will cause them to roll on their backs. If the sheep persists in this behavior, the shepherd may move them to a pasture where things are not comfortable for them in order to save their lives. ii. Their wool is too thick and matted with mud and debris, which makes them more prone to being cast. The shepherd may have to resort to shearing the wool from the sheep entirely. iii. What parallels do you see between these scenarios and your own life?

B. Contrast the picture of the shepherd guiding his sheep into good land (paths of righteousness) with Isaiah 53:6. How have you found yourself seeking your own way rather than submitting to the Shepherd’s wise care?

4. 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. 3

http://www.krististephens.com A. In what ways have you personally experienced the presence of God during painful circumstances?

Both in Palestine and on our western sheep ranches… the efficient sheepmen endeavor to take their flocks onto distant summer ranges during summer. This often entails long “drives.” The sheep move along slowly, feeding as they go, gradually working their way up the mountains behind the receding snow. By late summer they are well up on the remote alpine meadows above the timberline… It is this segment of the yearly operations that is described in the last half of the poem. During this time the flock is entirely alone with the shepherd. They are in intimate contact with him and under his most personal attention day and night… it is well to remember that all of this is done against a dramatic background of wild mountains, rushing rivers, alpine meadows and high rangelands. (82)1

B. Can you relate to the idea that during this time the flock is “entirely alone with the shepherd” and in “intimate contact” with him day and night?

C. The rod is an instrument used by the shepherd to protect his sheep, discipline them, and to part the wool and examine the health and well being of each sheep. How does Psalm 19:13-15 relate to the idea of the rod?

D. The staff is used by the shepherd to reconnect lambs with their mothers, bring individual sheep to himself in order to individually examine them, guide them in the correct way along a path or through an unfamiliar gate, and even to provide comfort and reassurance through laying the staff gently against the sheep’s side. Does this bring to mind any specific ways that God has brought comfort, closeness, and reassurance to you?

5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. A. Interestingly, across the world the high plateaus where the sheep would graze during summer months are referred to as “tables” or “mesas.” The Shepherd prepares the table by eradicating any poisonous plants, bringing necessary supplies, locating the best grazing and bedding ground, and preparing drinking spaces. What parallels to this task do you see in God’s care for us as his flock? How have you seen his preparations in advance to care for you even in the worst of times? B. Predators of the sheep in the high mountainous areas usually prey on the wanderers, the sheep who are farthest from the protection of the Shepherd. When are we as believers most in danger?

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C. Shepherds treat the heads and noses of their sheep with oils and salves to ward off annoying and damaging insects and to treat diseases. How does God provide protection and healing to afflictions and “diseases” of wrong thinking which affect our minds? (Ephesians 5:25-27)

D. In what ways does your “cup overflow” with blessings from the Lord? How can keeping these blessings in mind change our perspective about our current suffering, and help keep our minds free from “disease”?

6. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. If my health is excellent; my income is flourishing; my family is well; and my friends are fond of me it is not hard to say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” But what about when one’s body breaks down? What do I say when I stand by helpless, as I have had to do, and watch a life partner die by degrees under appalling pain? What is my reaction when my job folds up and there is no money to meet bills? …These are the sort of times that test a person’s confidence in the care of Christ. These are the occasions during which the chips are down and life is more than a list of pious platitudes. When my little world is falling apart and the dream castles of my ambitions and hopes crumble into ruins can I honestly declare, “Surely- yes- surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”? (128) Where are you on the journey of trusting God’s goodness and mercy through times of sorrow and loss? How does the picture of God as our Great Shepherd impact you personally?

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