Tag Archives: shepherd

THINGS THAT DAVID SAID – 1

June 1, 2025Bible StudyBe in want, diminished, shepherdLuella Campbell

I SHALL NEVER BE DIMINISHED

At least half of the psalms in the Book of Psalms are attributed to David. He was known as “the sweet singer of Israel”. He said many things that represent eternal truth, not religious platitudes. We could meditate forever on the rich truths he embraced. However, we cannot exhaust everything he espoused but we can weave some into the fabric of our own lives.

Although David lived under the Old Covenant, he said many things that rise above law and ritual, things that have eternal significance and give us a better perspective on the nature of the Father and life in the New Covenant.

Let’s examine some of the things David said, wrote, or sang as the core of his philosophy of life, beginning with the most beloved of all his psalms…

Psalms 23:1 NIV
[1] “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”

Psalms 23:1 NLT
[1] “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”

Psalms 23:1 CEV
[1] “You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.”

Psalms 23:1 NKJV
[1] “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Four translations…four interpretations, but all implying the same basic thought. Since the Lord is like a shepherd, I am assured of a steady supply of every physical and material thing I need.

Was that what David’s heart was saying as he chewed on a piece of grass out in the meadow, musing and watching his father’s sheep? Was he contemplating God’s goodness to him as a young lad in an Israelite family despite the way things appeared to be? Was he contrasting God’s ways with the ways of humans…who elevate themselves above others?

Did his mind range around his own role as a young sheep herder, carrying the huge responsibility of the wellbeing of his daddy’s flock? What was it that weighed on him out there on the hills? Did he consider his own inadequacy and vulnerability against the odds of weather and wild beasts? Did he turn his thoughts, with gratitude, to the faithfulness of his God who gave him strength to stand his ground even against lions and bears?

Let’s look at the words he used.
Shepherd… Hebrew “ra’ah”, meaning “one who tends”, i.e., tends a flock. As always, the meaning is in the context.

What does a “ra’ah” do? In a nutshell, he provides everything a sheep needs and he allows nothing to harm his flock. This takes wisdom, strength, and stamina, a tall order for one so young. Was he conscious of the way in which God supernaturally helped him in times of crisis? Was this God a true shepherd?

Our translators cover the first but neglect the second aspect of a shepherd’s care in the words they used. What if David was conscious that his Shepherd took great care that no psychological or emotional damage happened to him as well as physical harm or need? After all, he was the youngest of eight brothers and was often treated with contempt by his own family, as his story unfolds.

Two incidents illustrate this point.

First incident…

God gave Samuel, the prophet, instructions to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be king in Israel in place of the disgraced Saul. Jesse presented seven sons to Samuel but, each time, God said “No”. What now?

“Do you have another son?” Samuel asked. “Oh him,” Jesse replied. “He’s looking after sheep.” Can you hear the contempt? David’s own father didn’t consider his youngest son good enough or important enough to meet the prophet and join the sacrificial ceremony.

1 Samuel 16:10-11 NLT
[10] “In the same way, all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” [11] Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

Second incident…

Israel was at war with the Philistines. Three of Jesse’s oldest sons were in the army. The Philistines’ champion, Goliath, had challenged the Israelite soldiers to a duel. Not one Israelite soldier dared take up the challenge.

1 Samuel 17:14-15 NLT
[14] “David was the youngest son. David’s three oldest brothers stayed with Saul’s army, [15] but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem…”

Jesse sent David to the battlefront with provisions for his brothers and to check on their wellbeing. When he arrived, his eldest brother turned on him. His accusations were cruel and belittling.

1 Samuel 17:28 NLT
[28] “But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”

How does a teenage boy feel under the weight of such insult and contempt, especially from a member of his own family? Were these attitudes not even more damaging than any physical challenges he faced out there in the hills with the sheep?

David turned to the God he was getting to know. He was learning that the God of his fathers, the God of covenant, was not only a reliable source of supply, but also a God who never put him down, or let him down no matter what his circumstances. Young as he was, his confidence in the character of God gave him the courage to trust Him when he needed Him. With this kind of confidence in God who never failed, this stripling teenage boy faced, challenged, and killed the Goliath his brothers feared.

Psalms 3:3 NIV
[3] “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.”

The Hebrew word, “rum”, means “to be high, or exalted.” David was aware of the way God lifted him up and supported him when others put him down, insulted him, and treated him with contempt. “I shall not be in want…” also helped him to treat others the way God treated him.

David’s habit was to “enquire of the Lord” for guidance in every tough situation, and to follow His instructions because he knew that God would always support or vindicate him.

Such was David’s confidence in God that he could tell the world, through his songs, that no matter what, he would never be diminished. What a way to live!

In turn, David took care not to diminish others. He had the power to eradicate the members of Saul’s family in case they threatened him as king. However, instead, he stepped in to lift up Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, in his distress, to the position of a member of his household. As a recipient of God’s mercy, David extended mercy to others.

People think nothing of diminishing others. It happens in families, in workplaces, and in society. In fact, people love to diminish others, even in the most drastic of all ways, by taking another’s life, with hardly a thought.

What if we take a leaf from David’s book? What if we rely on God never to diminish us when the chips are down? What if we resolve never to put anyone else down even if it costs us?

What a way to conduct our lives! As the object of God’s immeasurable mercy…

Psalms 103:9-11 NIV
[9] “He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; [10] he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. [11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him…”

…We owe God the same attitude of mercy to others as He has shown us. He steps in to support us in times of trial. Now let’s do the same for others.

Micah 6:8 NIV
[8] “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

FOUNDATION STONES – 7

April 20, 2025Christian LifeBe diminished, Lack nothing, shepherdLuella Campbell

FOLLOW THE SHEPHERD

Psalms 23:1 NLT
[1] “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”

Now here’s a great stone to help build our foundation.

The Hebrew word, “Chaser”, in
Strong’s concordance, (h2637)
“- Definition: to lack, need, be lacking, decrease.

Origin: A primitive root; to lack; by implication, to fail, want, lessen.
Usage: be abated, bereave, decrease, (cause to) fail, (have) lack, make lower, want.”

There’s a connotation in this word that is not conveyed in most translations – the idea of being in want, not in a material sense but in who I am.

The Good Shepherd’s role is not only to care and provide for the sheep, but also to help His sheep to be who they really are. They belong to Him. They are His sheep. They are special to Him. He knows them. He watches over them with tender care because He loves them.

Any “sheep” who is treated in this way will be reassured that the Shepherd will never do anything or allow anything that will diminish His sheep in any way. Such loving care must give the sheep the confidence that he is loved and treasured for who he is. It does not matter how the world treats him because he has confidence in the Shepherd’s unfailing love .

How we need this reassurance, this confidence in the unchanging attitude of our Shepherd towards us in a world that is increasingly hostile towards righteousness and truth. In the security of our Shepherd’s love, we can face anything that comes against us without fear. Our Shepherd is beside us with His rod and staff to guide us through the dark valley of hatred and rejection to the table land of His provision, favour, and blessing.

We need to build this stone securely into the foundation of the way we think and act. Its presence under our feet, the reassurance it provides for us, will be a buffer against what people may say or do to diminish us. Like Jesus, we will learn not to retaliate but to entrust ourselves to Him who judges justly.

COMPASSION JESUS’ WAY-1

February 15, 2025Christian Lifecompassion, sheep, shepherdLuella Campbell

Opening the abscess of accusation.

Mark 6:34 NLT
[34] “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”

When Jesus saw the crowd, He had had compassion on them. What did He see in the Spirit? He saw flocks of sheep milling around, …but no shepherd! That touched Him deeply.

Why did He have compassion on them? They had no one to show them where to find the green pastures and quiet waters they desperately needed. Despite all the “shepherds” in their community, the religious leaders who were supposed to show them where to find nourishment for their souls, these “shepherds” turned out to be “hirelings”, people who looked after their own needs, and neglected the sheep. In fact, they not only neglected the sheep, they put burdens on them too heavy for them to bear. It’s no wonder Jesus had compassion on the crowd.

However, Jesus didn’t feel sorry for the people or commiserate with them. That would have made them feel like victims. “He began to teach them many things.” Why did Jesus show compassion by teaching them “many things”? In other words, what did Jesus do that worked?

He began to teach them God’s word, the truth about how to live according to God’s Word, and to show them where to find spiritual green pastures and living water.

This revelation got me thinking. Everywhere we go, we find sheep without shepherds. People everywhere are struggling with different issues. There are also many “hirelings” around to give them useless counsel at a price, either false shepherds in the churches or worldly counsellors who ignore God’s Word and try to “fix” people the world’s way.

People spend years studying to be psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, even social workers, arming themselves with worldly wisdom that excludes the wisdom of God who created people and knows how they function. Their’s is a come-back counsel. Their sessions can last for months and the more often they see their client, the more money they earn.

Now, not every trained counsellor is mercenary. There are many who genuinely try to help their clients but, without God’s wisdom, their counsel achieves little.

Let’s look at one common scenario. The world is full of people who have been offended in one way or another. There are flocks of “sheep” all over who carry grudges, who are angry, full of hate and revenge, bitter, unhappy, and depressed.

So, after a few trips to the counsellor, they learn that they have a disorder, an emotional “sickness” which, supposedly, can be treated with therapy or medication. A diagnosis takes the burden of responsibility for their reactions against those who offend them and turns them into victims. They attend many sessions or take many tablets that damp down their emotions but don’t fix the problem.

Some have anger problems, so they are sent to another “expert” to learn “anger management.” After a few sessions, they feel competent to manage their anger until…someone triggers their rage again by touching on something that reminds them of the original issue. They explode over something seemingly quite trivial, overreacting like volcanoes to a minor issue.

Why didn’t their anger management course provide the help they needed? The answer is simple. They were not taught to deal with the original cause of their anger.

An emotional problem is like having an infected wound in our flesh. If we leave it there, it will become an abscess full of infection. When someone inadvertantly touches it, the pain is intense. It’s no use putting a bandaid on the infected place. The abscess must be opened, cleaned out and allowed to heal.

Often, in someone’s childhood, a person of significance said or did something to cause that person emotional pain. The hurt festers inside so, to hide the infection, the offended person covers it with a “bandaid” by resorting to anger. Every time anyone touches the sore spot, anger flares up to cover it, far greater than the situation that triggered the anger and…the angry person turns the blame on the innocent person who inadvertently touched the anger button.

Now, we have two offended people. One person’s angry aggression has multiplied into another person’s hurt. Like a game of dominoes, one offended person offends another and so they fall, one by one.

Now, we have a family or a community of hurt people hurting one another, and the hireling can’t help. His diagnosis, counsel, or drugs can do nothing to heal the hurt.

God’s wisdom, in His Word, prescribes a far more effective way to deal with anger. Let me use a rather bizarre illustration.

The best way to treat an abscess or infected wound is to open it, drain the pus, clean the infected area inside and allow the natural process of healing to close the wound. A scar might remain but there is no more pain, swelling, or infection in that spot.

The same with an emotional lesion which happens when someone offends us. We rehearse it, dwell on it and let it become an infection in our souls.

The only way to heal it, like an abscess in our bodies, is to open it up by acknowledging and confessing the sins of attitude we have harboured…the anger, resentment, bitterness the offense caused, until it became a festering “abscess”.

Next, clean it out by forgiving the offender. Forgiving is simply cancelling the offender’s debt and no longer holding him/her accountable for the words or deeds that caused the offense.

As an aside, forgiveness does not excuse the offender’s action, it does not trivialise the offense, nor is it about our emotions. We don’t forgive because we feel like forgiving or withhold forgiveness because we don’t feel like forgiving. We forgive because God requires it since He has forgiven our debt against Him. In fact, Jesus paid the debt for all sin, ours and the sins of those who sin against us. To refuse to forgive is to demand justice and punishment a second time which is illegal. We think we have the right to punish the person who offended us by withholding forgiveness when, in fact, we are punishing ourselves. We feel bad, we carry the grudge. We have no peace.

The worst of all is that God withdraws His forgiveness of our sin when we refuse to forgive another.

Matthew 18:32-34 NLT
[32] “Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. [33] Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ [34] Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.”

Once the “abscess” caused by an offense is opened up and cleaned out, it will heal as we apply the balm of God’s truth to the wound. All bad feelings will be gone, permanantly. No more anger, unhappiness or depression!

The cure for an offended spirit is to forgive the offender…once for-all, permanent, no-maintence healing…never to cause pain again. There is no need for long-term therapy or expensive medication…not even for a counsellor or a mediator. The healing process continues through the application of God’s Word.

Jesus made this bold claim,

John 8:31-32, 34-36 NLT
[31] “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. [32] And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”…
[34] Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. [35] A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. [36] So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

Forgiveness costs nothing but the benefits are out of this world! Forgiving someone who’s sinned against you is the most healing and liberating thing you can ever do for your own soul.

To be continued…

Childhood Days

September 29, 2014Bible Studygreen pastures, leads, quiet waters, shepherdLuella Campbell

CHILDHOOD DAYS

“He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.” Psalm 23:2.

Have you ever noticed how this psalm tells a story? One way of understanding it is to see it as a record of our progress on our spiritual journey.

The first verse speaks of our relationship and connection to the Shepherd. He is the reason for a life that is going somewhere. Because we belong to the Shepherd and are willing to follow Him, He takes charge of our progress and our wellbeing, and He is purposeful in where He leads us and what His intention is for us.

In the early days of our spiritual journey we are like new-born lambs. Whenever we open our mouths and cry, “Maa-a-a, maa-a-a,” the Shepherd listens and answers us. New believers seem to have every prayer of theirs answered! We marvel at the way God waits on them hand and foot, like a mother responding to the cries of her new-born infant. What is God doing? He is building trust in the new believer. The baby believer is thrilled and excited. This new life in Christ is great!

But wait a minute! It’s not always going to be sunshine and roses. A lifetime of training lies ahead because this journey is not only about us. We lived long enough in selfish independence before we joined His flock. We have a new Master and we will have to learn to trust and follow Him instead of wandering around nibbling at any old tuft of grass or poisonous plant.

Instead of following our noses into dangerous places, or following other lost sheep who have no idea where they are going, we have to learn to discern our Shepherd’s voice among all the voices that are calling, and go where He leads us. It always amazes me how young animals instinctively recognise the sound of their mother’s voice. Among thousands of seals and seal pups, for example, mothers and pups are reunited after a feeding trip just by recognising each other’s voice.

The Shepherd knows, like any new mother, that His sheep need nourishing food and clean, fresh water if they are to flourish. His first task is to ensure that they follow Him to the pastures and water so that they grow healthy and strong. The Middle Eastern shepherd never drove his sheep; he led them. They were like his children, bound to him in a loving and trusting relationship.

His sheep would separate themselves from all the mixed-up flocks in the sheep-pen where they sheltered for the night, and strike out after him in the early morning when he called. It was time to move out to find grazing, but they had to do nothing more than follow the shepherd. He knew where the best pastures were and where the quiet streams were to be found, otherwise the sheep would refuse to drink from a fast-flowing river.

As David reminisced, all these thoughts would crowd his mind. Looking back over his life, he realised that he was just like one of the sheep in his father’s flock that he had cared for in his youth. He knew what it was to be responsible for a flock of dependent animals. If he was not there for them, watching over them every minute of the day, guiding them to the best feeding grounds and scouting ahead for resting places and fresh water, and driving off would-be predators, they would not have survived even a few days on their own.

He must have felt humbled and grateful for a God who cared for Him like a faithful shepherd. He felt loved and secure. Like a small child in his mother’s arms, he could rest in the knowledge that his God would never let him go hungry or die of thirst. He would never abandon him to his enemies, or leave him to tumble over a precipice or even wander alone in a frightening wilderness.

he Lord is my Shepherd. He leads me…

Acknowledgement

The Lord My Shepherd

September 28, 2014Bible Studydiminished, lack, shepherd, YahwehLuella Campbell

THE LORD MY SHEPHERD

“The Lord is my shepherd, I Iack nothing.” Psalm 23:1

We all love this psalm. Even people who don’t acknowledge God in their lives know it and, of course, it will be sung at their funeral one day.

Funny how some of the most profound and meaningful passages in the Bible land up as funeral dirges for many people; they read as “funeral” Scriptures – nothing more. Like Psalm 23, and John 14!

This is David’s most well-known and loved psalm. When did he write it? Since he was a shepherd from boyhood, we tend to associate it with the days when he sat around strumming his harp and watching the sheep. But the life of a shepherd wasn’t one long lazy day in the sun. He had work to do and David was familiar with all the tasks that fell to the shepherd.

But there were those times when his work was done for a while. Then he would sit on a grassy spot where he could watch the sheep and let his mind wander. What did he think about? Perhaps his gazed roamed around the beauty of the scene before him; the tiny creatures scurrying through the grass, the blue of the sky, the soft white clouds floating overhead, the rippling water of a nearby stream.

He heard the birds twittering in the trees, the call of an eagle high above him, the cooing of a dove, the rustle of a mouse in the undergrowth. He felt the warmth of the sun on his back, the dampness of the dew in the early morning. Perhaps, in utter contentment he would lie back for a moment, gaze into the infinite heavens and think, “God’s in His heaven and all’s right with the world.”

He would think of his home, his parents, his siblings, the privileges, the love and laughter of a family, the hearty meal he would enjoy when the sheep were safely penned for the night. Inevitably his mind would turn to the God who created all the beauty around him and blessed him with all the privileges he enjoyed. He would strum his harp and sing praise to the God of his ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Many’s the time, as king of Israel, he would reflect on his boyhood and the years that followed and marvel at the way God had led, provided for and protected him – just like a shepherd! He had been a fugitive from the murderous jealousy of King Saul. He had sheltered in caves, slept under the stars, taken refuge in foreign territory, eaten off the land and, like Robin Hood, led a band of “merry men” who were fiercely loyal and, at times, fearlessly courageous to protect and care for their leader.

As he reflected on his life with all its twists and turns, the realisation dawned on him that Yahweh was to him what he had been to his sheep; first his father’s flock which he had led and guarded with his life, even taking on fearsome predators like lions and bears; then the nation of Israel which was God’s flock entrusted to him. Over the years, God had been a shepherd to him. Had he ever been left to fend for himself, abandoned and hopeless? No! God had always been there, watchful and attentive to his every need, answering his every cry for help.

David “enquired of the Lord” at every turn, even when he failed grievously, and the Shepherd was always beside him, rescuing, leading, forgiving and being what a shepherd was, everything he needed. Not only did he lack nothing; he also had the reassurance that, in company with his Shepherd, he would never be “diminished”.

Included in the Hebrew word for lack or want is the idea that those who live in close association with God will never become less than who they are. God wants not only to sustain us; He wants us to increase. David put in negative terms what God would say positively. “As long as you remain with me and allow me to shepherd you, I will make you much more of a person than you are now. I will help you reach your full potential.”

The best grass, the safest resting places, the clearest streams, the greatest opportunities are what the shepherd looks for to create the environment for His “sheep” to grow, to become strong and productive. In the end, it’s the shepherd who gets the credit for being the best shepherd for His sheep.