the song of the shepherd (pt 1)

 

I recall an experience many years ago of leaving our home in Campbeltown and heading up the Kintyre peninsula. A few miles into the journey Liz noticed a lamb at the side of the road. We stopped the car, reversed back and she lifted it up and placed it back in the field with the rest of the flock. The lamb could only have been days old but there it was cold, frightened and vulnerable; badly in need of the support, care and sustenance of its mother.

That memory of helping a lost sheep contains many echoes of biblical truth. A good number of us will look back with fondness to the story in our childhood about the 100 sheep and the one that was separated from the flock and ended up lost (Luke 15:3-7). We shared in the joy of the shepherd as he found that one lost sheep and carried it home on his shoulders. 

The image of a lost sheep is the classic illustration of our lost spiritual condition outside of Christ. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of his own (Isaiah 53:6).

The most vivid and beautiful description of these truths is found in David’s cherished 23rd Psalm. 

Depth and strength underline the simplicity of the psalm. The peace we find here is not escape; its contentment is not complacency. There is a willingness to walk a difficult and dark path because it will ultimately lead to the Lord himself.

I’d like to reflect on this ancient psalm, beginning with its wonderful opening sentence: 

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (verse 1).

We can all too easily miss the impact of these words because of their familiarity. We ought to hold in our hearts and minds as David certainly did, that we belong to the Lord. There is a striking tone of confidence about this sentence. We don’t find “if” or “but” or even “I hope so” here. David says, “The Lord IS my shepherd.” He encourages us to cultivate a spirit of assurance and dependency on the Lord. 

The picture of God as shepherd contains the idea of authority and care. We live our lives under his authority and rely on his content care. 

The fuller revelation of Scripture ultimately brings us to the Lord Jesus who said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).

Good means genuine and true. This is the Lord we follow.

And this good shepherd willingly laid down his life to save us, so that we could become his loved, chosen and purchased flock. Such love!

Of all the truths in John 10 regarding Jesus, our good shepherd, I settle on this one to close:

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

Christ’s sheep will never perish. We may wander from him and lose our joy and comfort. But if we are really his, his honour is pledged to seek us and bring us back to himself. 

As we ponder the authority and care of the Lord our shepherd and his hold on our lives, we can understand why David is then able to say, “I shall not want.”

(picture - near Auchinleck)

discovering pastures new

The call to worship at last Sunday’s service came from the justly famous lines of Psalm 100. Part of the psalm contains the following appeal:

“Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

As our minister read those stirring sentiments two words jumped out at me - ‘HIS pasture.’ And then before he prayed he read the words of Psalm 95 which contains similar thoughts and the same little phrase:

“For he is our God, and we are the people of HIS PASTURE, and the sheep of his hand.”

We, as believers, are the Lord’s flock; the sheep of his pasture. 

A memory from the past and recent observations from our locality came almost immediately to mind as I pondered those words.

A number of years ago I climbed a mountain in the Crainlarich region with two friends. As we came off the hill, and passed a field of sheep, one of my friends appeared to say out of nowhere, ‘Sheep must have well developed jaw muscles to be able to chew grass on a consistent basis!’ I have to say it’s not a thought that had ever entered my mind but it was a decent observation.

More recently I’ve been struck by how lush our local fields appear. The combination of much rain coupled with the recent warm weather has done much to bring these grasslands to vibrant life.

Consistent feeding in these verdant pasturelands is a natural part of life for sheep. 

→ How might all of this apply to our lives as God’s people?

It centres on how God feeds and nourishes our souls…in HIS PASTURE.

The beloved words of the hymn, “The King of love my Shepherd is” has the following lines as its second verse:

“Where streams of living water flow,

my ransomed soul he leadeth;

and where the verdant pastures grow

with food celestial feedeth.”

The Lord has graciously provided his people with access to a balanced diet to enable us grow and develop into mature and healthy believers. 

We find this sustenance from four key sources. Firstly, through:

➡️ God’s Written Word

Jesus taught us that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

As food is vital for our physical development, so the daily intake of God’s Word is key to our spiritual maturing. 

As young believers we begin on the milk of God’s Word (see 1 Peter 2:2; also Hebrews 5:12) before progressing onto the solid food of God’s truth (see Hebrews 5:14-6:3). 

As we read God’s Word we should do so with a similar aspiration to that of Job who said, “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food” (Job 23:12). 

The prophet Jeremiah echoes this thought when he wrote, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16).

The Lord’s greatest provision comes, secondly through:

➡️ His Living Word

In John chapter 6 Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (verse 35)

Jesus, the living Word of God, satisfies the spiritual hunger of those who believe in him.

Thirdly, we are nourished through:

➡️ His Spoken Word

Weekly participation in good and godly preaching is part of God’s plan to enrich the lives of his people. We ought to pray for those who are gifted by God in this area. And we in turn should come to Sunday worship with prayerful and expectant hearts.

Keith and Kirstyn Getty’s “Pastor’s Hymn” is great prayer with which to come to church:

“Speak, O Lord, as we come to you

To receive the the food of your holy Word

Take your truth, plant it deep in us

Shape and fashion us in your likeness.”

And finally, the Lord feeds us through his:

➡️ His Visible Word  

God speaks to his people through his Word both as its read and expounded from Scripture and as its dramatised in the two gospel sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. What builds the church up more than anything else is the ministry of God's Word as it comes to us through Scripture and sacrament, audibly and visibly; in declaration and in drama.

The Anglican “Book of Common Prayer” issues this call during Communion:

“Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee, and feed on him in thy heart with thanksgiving.”

Here are the four key sources of food with which the Lord feeds the souls of his people. They are found in his Written, Living, Spoken and Visible Word. Well might we say with David in light of this, “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:2).

(The North West , near Lochinver)

two things are needed

Towards the end of Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians we find a short benediction that captures something of his longing for these first century believers. This ‘good word’ contains two qualities that are necessary if our Christian lives are to flourish in a world that does not accept the authority of Christ.

Paul’s burden for the Thessalonians is expressed in the following sentence:

“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”

(2 Thess. 3:5)

Two characteristics are required if our lives are to resemble and reflect the life of Christ.

The first is…

➡️ Devotion 

“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God…”

As we reflect on the love of God we find that it becomes the inspiration for Christian living.

We spend a great deal of our lives in front of other people. And Christian ministry can have a depleting effect on our souls; the streams of our inner world can very quickly dry up. That’s why Paul’s good word to the Thessalonians is indeed timely for all believers. “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God…”

Leave to one side for a moment your various roles in this world (e.g. husband, wife, father, mother, employer, employee, etc.) and come before our Father in heaven, recognising him as the God who loves us with an everlasting love. And appreciate again the stunning, beautiful and expansive love he has for his children.

Secondly, we find Paul urging the Thessalonians to reflect on the importance of:

➡️ Discipline 

“May the Lord direct your hearts…to the steadfastness of Christ.”

As we ponder the steadfastness of Christ we find motivation in Christian service.

Included in the second half of the prophecy of Isaiah are four poems that are often referred to as “the servant songs of Isaiah.” They contain vivid word pictures from the life and ministry of Jesus (written 800 years before his birth!). The third poem highlights the perseverance of Jesus in the face of much opposition:

“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,
    to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
    wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;
    I have not been rebellious,
    I have not turned away.

I offered my back to those who beat me,
    my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
    from mocking and spitting.”

(Isaiah 50:4-9)

We have in our Lord Jesus someone who persevered through much hardship. As the Lord directs our hearts to consider this we find the impetus to keep going in Christian life and service. 

The apostle Paul recognises this when he writes to Timothy,

“In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

(1 Timothy 6:13-14)

Our Christian lives flow out of our devotion the Christ so “may the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God…”

And they are sustained as we ponder the perseverance of Christ. “May the Lord direct your hearts…to the steadfastness of Christ.”

This is wonderfully expressed in the words of Hebrews 12:

“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

(Picture - Dumgoyne hill)

read the bible

During the 1990s I spent three years in pastoral ministry with a church in the city of Nottingham. As part of pastoral visits I spent time with an elderly gentleman who recounted on one occasion the moment his father became a Christian. I recall him telling me that the Bible which, to that point, had occupied the top shelf of their bookcase was brought down by his father and became an integral part of his life from that moment on. 

Many centuries ago the Lord gave instructions through his servant Moses about the place God’s Law ought to have in the lives of the kings of Israel.

See Deuteronomy 17:18-20

The Law was to be an indispensable part of the king’s life. 

He was commanded to fully immerse himself in its teachings. 

He was urged to write it out meticulously and was to be accountable to the priests for its content. 

The Law would teach him what it meant to fear the Lord and would enable him to serve God’s people with humility and single-mindedness.

That ancient instruction has timely relevance for us today. The value we place upon the Bible and its teaching will go a very long way in determining the fruitfulness of our Christian life. 

Regarding the Law of God, the kings of Israel were commanded to:

➡️ Write It Out

During my primary school years I was given punishment exercises by a number of teachers. One of them was called ‘lines’. Because of bad behaviour in the class I would be sent home and asked to write out 50, sometimes 100 times, “I must not speak in class” (or a similar sentence)! The process of writing out the one sentence was intended to teach me the lesson that I needed to act differently in the future (it never seemed to have the desired effect!). Lines were a fairly ineffectual punishment. 

The king’s instruction to write out the law was an enormous privilege. “He shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law…” (verse 18). The process would undoubtedly deepen his understanding of God’s Word. It would lead him to a close and personal connection with God’s Law.

➡️ Keep It Close

“And it shall be with him…” (verse 19)

One of my favourite pursuits is hillwalking. And when I plan a day in the hills I make sure that my rucksack only has the essentials. For our walk with God in this world a crucial companion is a copy of God’s Word. 

We can carry a copy of the Bible with us wherever we go or use a Bible app on our phone. However, more importantly we ought to store God’s Word in our hearts. “I have stored up up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). During lockdown I started to write out various psalms on small cards and when I took our dog a walk in the morning I gradually memorised them. I would recommend that practice as it proved to be a great blessing in my Christian life.

➡️ Read It Daily

“…he shall read it all the days of his life…” (verse 19).

Just as food on a daily basis is necessary for the nourishment of our bodies so the day-to-day intake of God’s Word is vital for the sustenance of our souls.

➡️ Obey It Fully

“…that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law…” (verse 19).

This would have the effect of keeping the king humble (“his heart may not be lifted above his brothers”) and steadfast (“he may not turn aside from the commandment”)

The prayer of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer from 1542 has been an inspiration to me for many years now:

"Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; 

Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, 

that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, 

we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, 

which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Amen."

In the manner of the kings of Israel may we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest God’s Word in the daily rhythms of life.

(picture - the grounds of Culzean Castle)