In Psalm 23 David refers to God as his shepherd. This begs the question: In what way is God like a shepherd? David teaches that God is like a shepherd in at least five ways. In this post we’ll look at the first way. David says:
God is my Shepherd in that he provides for me.
David writes in Psalm 23:2, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” You see, sheep need both food from green pastures and drink from still waters, which are hard to find in the arid places where sheep live. But a skillful shepherd will provide for the needs of his sheep. As an old man David here is saying that God has been a skillful shepherd to him through out his life by providing for all his needs.
One simple example of when God provided for David comes from the time David had to fight Goliath but was without the smooth round stones he needed for his sling. In this instance God provided a brook that had just the kind of stones he needed. This was something small but situations like this built David’s confidence in God – that he would always provide just what was needed just when it was needed.
If you’ll make God your Shepherd, you may not have everything you wish for, but you shall not want for anything you need. A sheep might wonder “How’s the shepherd going to find us water in this desert? How’s the shepherd going to find green grass in this desert?” But these are the very things the shepherd knows how to find. You might be asking “How will God meet my needs?” Well, this is exactly what God knows how to do! If you’ll make God your Shepherd, like David, you’ll say: God is my Shepherd in that he provides for me.