“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
TEXT — Psalm 23:1-6
Message
We live in a world that trumps up personal freedom and liberty. We are taught by society to defend our fundamental human rights as individuals. What this simply means in plain terms, is to live without any check, to define and pursue our narrow self-interest and to disregard guidance and leading from any quarter. But a Christian who is so self-centred is on a downward slide that would inevitably end in disaster and heartache.
Recognising this, David surrendered his individual rights and preferences to God, and promptly embraced the protection that the Lord offered. He acknowledged the Lord as his Shepherd who had ensured that he did not lack anything good. He saw that God was guiding him to places where he would find refreshing sustenance. Whenever he went astray, God restored him to fellowship and led him on the path of integrity and righteousness. With time, he became confident that even if he faced death, he had no cause to be afraid because God was with him.
And like a true Shepherd, whether in rebuke and chastisement with the rod or under instruction and guidance with His staff, the Lord provided him with comfort at all times. God supplied his daily needs, even in the midst of hostile activities. In response, the psalmist extolled the virtues and beneficence of the Almighty God, and openly exclaimed to all who cared to listen, that, “surely, (God’s) goodness and mercy shall follow” him all his lifetime. In gratitude too, he vowed “to dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
For believers today, Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd (John 10:11), Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20,21), and Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). He loves, cherishes and cares for us, provided that as disciples, we follow Him obediently and trustingly like sheep.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
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I am richly blessed through the study of the word of God as revealed through the Daily manner.
I am richly blessed through the study of the word of God as revealed through the Daily manner.