The following is an excerpt from The Blazing Center.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not wantHe makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters.He restores my soul. (PS 23.1-3)
Ps 23 begins with God. The Lord of the Universe has taken upon himself the task of being the shepherd of his sheep. Because of who he is, we shall not want.
The Psalm is a catalog of all the ways our Great Shepherd Jesus cares for us. It begins with the Shepherd making a sheep lie down in lush green pastures beside still, soothing waters.
The sheep isn’t running around worrying about where his next meal is coming from – he’s lying down in green pastures. The Psalm doesn’t start with action, it starts with rest. Christianity isn’t so much about what we do for God, it’s about all God does for us. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 JN 4.10).
What a needed and beautiful reminder this is. My faith is built, not on my merits or works, but on God's holy activity. My Father loves me. My Savior redeemed me. My Spirit guides me. My Shepherd cares for my needs.