There’s a story about a tour group traveling in Israel, enjoying the surrounding scenery, when their bus comes to a stop. As they looked to see what caused the stop, they noticed a flock of sheep crossing the road. They watched as the large flock moved past, until a man brought up the rear. One of the passengers, curious, asked their tour-guide, “I thought the shepherd always walked at the front of the flock?” The tour-guide answered, “Yes, but that was the butcher.”

Did you know that there are two who are interested in sheep? There is a “butcher” who desires to have you. The Bible says that Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). However, there is also a Good Shepherd who wants to lead you. David wrote how things are much different with the Shepherd. The following is what I learned from my study of Psalm 23:

“The Lord is my Shepherd.” It is not “the Lord is a shepherd,” but He is my shepherd. This must be a personal decision. It is not enough to say “he is my pastor’s shepherd,” or “he is my neighbor’s shepherd.” Nothing in this Psalm will mean a thing, unless the Lord is my shepherd. Yes, it is nice to say the Lord is a shepherd, but it is powerful to say that He is my shepherd.

“I shall not lack anything.” Does this mean that I will get everything that I want? No, it means that I’ll have everything I need. If I don’t have it, maybe I don’t need it. Have you ever thought of it that way before? I hadn’t. Maybe we don’t get that treasured item, because it is not truly good for us. But a good shepherd knows what his sheep need and when they need it. So, when God is my shepherd, I will not lack anything. I will have everything I need, when I need it.

“In pastures/ meadows of green grass, He will cause me to lie down.” I have been told by people who know sheep that a hungry sheep will not lie down. When sheep are lying down, it means they have been fed. When was the last time you were fed spiritually? Last week? Why is it that we put so little value on our spiritual health? The shepherd cares. He’ll feed us. Notice what He feeds us with: green grass. I may not always choose the healthiest nourishment on my own, but when God is my shepherd, I will not only be fed, but I will be fed with the best!

“Beside quiet/ restful waters, He (intentionally) leads me.” The verb means “to lead to a watering place and cause them to rest there.” I’ve read that Rottweilers (because of loyalty and a high endurance to pain) may, when playing at a lake, continue running into the water chasing a ball past the point of exhaustion, even to the point of drowning. Their owners are told that they must make the dog take a break regularly. Sometimes we can be like Rottweilers. The world says that there’s “no rest for the weary,” but when God is my shepherd, “there is a place of quiet rest”—and He intentionally leads me to restful waters.

“My soul He brings back/ restores/ returns/ refreshes.” After being fed by green pastures, and rested by peaceful waters, our soul is refreshed or renewed. This is the same verb that God used when He called His people to “return” to Him. Life is hard on us and sometimes we can feel lost. But when God is my Shepherd, He restores my soul—He returns my soul—He refreshes my soul—in preparation for an incredible journey:

“He leads me in the tracks/ entrenchment of Righteousness, for his name sake.” These “tracks” are basically wagon tracks and, because of the alternate meaning of “entrenchment,” it gives the idea of ruts in the road. Now think about this one for a moment. We all have been stuck in a rut of some kind before, but David is talking about a very different kind of rut: we will be led in the well-worn straight and narrow path of righteousness. You see, when God is my shepherd, He makes the way of righteousness a rut in my life!

“Also, when I shall walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, I will not fear evil, for You are with me.” This is not death—this is the shadow of death. This is when you feel like all hope is gone. You can’t see God leading, you can’t see where you are going, and you can barely see where you just came from. This may be the darkest period in your life. But, when God is my shepherd, even when I walk in the darkest period in my life—the deep darkness of the valley—I do not have to fear any evil because the Good Shepherd never leaves the sheep’s side.

“Your rod and Your staff comfort me.” The rod (a larger staff often used as a weapon) would be used to keep danger from getting into the flock and to teach the sheep not to leave the flock. If they did leave, the staff could guide them back or be used to lift them up out of trouble. Therefore, I don’t have to fear the dark valleys of life because, when God is my shepherd, He keeps me out of trouble and keeps trouble out of me.

“You shall spread out/ prepare/ arrange before me a table (for private use) in the sight of my enemies.” According to historians, this is one of the ways a person would welcome you into their home as a guest. This is saying that God will welcome you into His house as a guest even as all your enemies, those who showed hostility towards you, watch. So, when God is my shepherd, He will publicly accept me as a guest in His house.

“You anoint my head with oil.” One reason shepherds did this was to keep bugs off the sheep. It was like an insecticide. This is also more frequently used to set someone apart from the rest, often as a sign of an honored guest. This tells us that, when God is my shepherd, I will not only be a guest, but I will be set aside as an honored guest.

“My cup overflows (is saturated).” Everything God sets apart is blessed. Everything God blesses overflows. In His presence there is no end to blessings. What a thought: when God is my shepherd, I receive more blessings than I can handle.

“Surely good things and goodness/ kindness shall pursue me all the days of my life.” “Follow” gives me the idea of a puppy dog: following you around the house just to be where you are. The verb literally means, “to pursue, in order to overtake, especially with hostile purpose.” This gives me the idea of a rabid dog. We spend our lifetime seeking happiness and good things. But when God is my shepherd, good things and kindness will hunt me down with the purpose of overtaking me! Oh, to be persecuted with goodness!

“I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” This is what it is all about. This is the purpose of the journey: Our shepherd brings us all the way from the green pastures and still waters, through the paths of righteousness and the valley of the shadow of death, to His house, where we will live forever.

This is why Satan wants to be your butcher: to keep you out—to keep you lost. Because when God is your shepherd, when it’s His voice you are following, you will end up home.