THE PROTECTION OF THE SHEPHERD
Psalms 23:4
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.
Israel is a place of mountains and valleys. The highest mountain
Peak is Mount Hermon which is 7336 feet above sea level.
The city of Jerico in the Jordan Valley is 845 feet below sea level
The elevation of Bethlehem is 2500 feet above sea level. Shepherds
Spent their lives with their sheep in the mountainous grassy area
Tending their sheep.
David as a teenage shepherd fought lions and bears to protect
his sheep (1 Samuel 17:34). The road to Jerico from Jerusalem
was 18 miles uphill where robbers hid out (Luke 10:30). The Shepherd
risked his life for his sheep fending off wild animals and thieves.
As God's sheep, we live in a dangerous environment where death
can overtake us in many ways. The shepherd knows the dangers
That are around us and lie ahead of us at all times. His job is our
Protector.
The phrase, the shadow of death may describe a life without God. A
Life ignorant to promises of Jesus, A life absent of the grace and
Mercy that the shepherd provides. We exist in a world of darkness,
A world with a destination of death. But we are led in the path of
Of righteousness. We are led through the path of darkness to
Bring light to those destined to hear the Word of God.
Matthew 28:19 is the great commission for making disciples and teaching the Word of God. This path leads us to dark areas to
Bring light.
In the presence of the Shepherd, there is faith and not fear.
God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound
mind. Fear comes when we take our focus off the Shepherd.
I believe God designed our lives to be compatible with the environment He placed us in. He designed the mountains and the
Valleys, He designed quiet streams and rough rivers. He spit the
Earth apart underground to allow earthquakes. He designed
Volcanoes with hot lava deep in the earth for eruptions. He designed
A weather system to allow storms, tornados, and hurricanes.
Our lives are a series of highs and lows. Times of quiet and times of
Storms. Times when it seems safe and time when it is dangerous
The Shepherd leads me to a place where I need protection. A place
Of dangers seen and unseen. It’s the right path because it is for
His namesake. He leads me to places I would not go and allows circumstances I prefer not to face.
The Apostle Paul was sent by God to places where his life was in danger to spread the Gospel. He was persecuted and stoned and left
For dead.
Acts 13:2-3
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
In each city Paul preached, he was protected by the Lord. He faced
Hardships, but he was protected in all of them. For His NameSake
Paul preached the Gospel. For His NameSake, many were saved.
For His Namesake churches of Jesus Christ were established.
You and I are led by the shepherd through trials and tribulations
So the World can see Christ through us.
Proverbs 15:24
24 The path of life leads upward for the wise
to keep him from going down to the grave.
HIS ROD AND STAFF COMFORT ME
We will never escape the presence of evil people. They exist everywhere. In the Lord's presence, we have nothing to fear
There is not but one person to fear and that is the Lord.
Proverbs 19:23
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life:
Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
With the shepherd, sheep have no thought of fear, they are content to be in his presence and enjoy the provisions he leads them to.
The rod of the shepherd is a heavy club used by the shepherd to beat predators. The rod is a symbol of the Lord’s immeasurable strength.
The Lord has His angels camped around us everywhere we go.
Psalms 18:1-2
18 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
The Lord and you are a mighty army’ What enemy can stand against you? The enemy may cause trouble, but the Lord is careful to
Take us to, through, and out of trouble.
The Staff of the shepherd is specifically designed for the care of the sheep It is a long slender stick with a curved end. It is used to manage
And direct the sheep. Sheep are notorious wanders. When one
Wanders off, the Shepherd uses the cured end to grab the sheep by the neck and pull it back into the fold.
The staff is a symbol of God’s guidance and direction. Like sheep we
Often wander in directions not pleasing to the Lord. The Lord through
The power of the Holy Spirit guides us back to Him
Hebrews 13:20-22
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Our success in the proclamation of the gospel is planned and assured in the midst of trials and tribulations. The Work of the Faithful in Jesus
Christ will never fail.
Philippians 2:1-4
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
The path that shepherd leads us on is designed to unify the body of Christ
COMFORTS ME
What does comfort look like?
Encouragement
Assurance
Love
Compassion
Kindness
COMFORT REQUIRES TWO PARTIES
The one who gives comfort and the one who receives comfort
You cannot comfort someone who does not want to be comforted
The Lord is ready to comfort
To be comforted you must trust the Lord. You must receive what
He promised you. You must let go and let God
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Notice you were put in a position to receive comfort, so you are
Prepared to comfort others.
Your trouble is for His namesake.
It is by your comfort that you can testify to the comfort of the Lord.
The path of righteousness is designed for the time we live on Earth to
Bring enlightenment to the World. God has equipped us with the ability and the desire to light up the world with His love and compassion
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