THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD  

A GOLDEN OLD MESSAGE FOR THE TROUBLED HEARTS 

Praise to the loving name of Jesus Christ. We all know that Psalm 23. We need not tell  that because that is a real Psalm which is used in many occasions in our family. These  Psalms have been composed by King David. Some of the Psalms are full of prophecies  and these were sung in the service of the temple with many musical instruments. King David  was the man after God’s own heart. If he is a man after God’s own heart, he must be uttering  things which are pleasing in the sight of God.The very first verse says. “The Lord is my  shepherd”. He did not tell something which he didn’t experience. Some-times we talk about  things which we never experienced in our lives. Are we a true witness of Christ? Suppose  we see an accident, the policemen come and ask us did we see it. If we had seen it we  must say “yes”. Suppose we never saw that accident and we say “yes”. Suppose we never  saw that accident and we say “yes”, we are false witnesses. In the same way, a child of  God should be a true witness. Not telling a witness (testimony). Bible tells “Each should be  witnesses”. This witness doesn’t come by theology. True born again people are the only  true witnesses. Other people are false witnesses. So today my friends, if David was a man  after God’s own heart and if God liked him very much, we must think deeply what he said.  We learn a lot of things through these animals and from birds. That’s why God said, “Behold  the fowls of the air”. When he was talking to big crowd, he must have seen the flock of birds  flying, then he told his people, “Behold the fowls of the air”. Behold the flowers” – what is  there to learn? I see you people loving flowers so much. Every house you see flowers. But  did you notice that God is clothing these perishing things in such a beauty. How much God  will clothe you in eternal glory if God can clothe these perishing things in such a beautiful  way, what a glorious thing it will be when God clothes you with the gloriness of God! What  does the Bible say? Eye hath also not seen and ear not had heard what God hath prepared  to them that love him. That we cannot describe my friend. We have to believe what God  says. He couldn’t describe it to the human beings. He can only say this- “your eyes have  not seen, your ears have not heard what I have prepared for you”. This body has got a  limitation. It can’t stand the strain of this world. It will put on old age and one day we will  have to become very weak and pass on. This world will have to pass away. What is there  waiting for us? “Something unknown for us. 

When there is a lot of sheep, the shepherd doesn’t go behind, he goes in front. He doesn’t  go behind. He said, “My sheep will hear my voice”. His voice is in the Word. Forget about  people. Atleast you can be true to what he says. Any fool, if he reads the Bible and ask the  light of God to shine on the Bible, he will never go wrong. That’s why David said, “Thy word  is a lamp unto my feet”. This is the lamp my friend. If you trust God, He will guide you. King  David says, “The Lord is my shepherd”. You can tell it without any experience. In a school  concert one boy came and gave an oration on this. The Lord is my shepherd like that. Then  an old man came with a stick in his hand, tears in his eyes and he said like this - - The Lord  is my shepherd. I didn’t know what the people said. The other man knows the Psalm, but,  this old man knows the shepherd. So, do you know the shepherd? If yo know him, how  many types of experiences he has given us. You know that’s a great thing God has taught  us. We have been just guided by His voice. Certain experiences you will never believe.  Even if I tell here you will never believe it. That’s why I am not telling so many experiences  in our life. You will tell “Will this happen?”, and that’s a shame for God.

So, David says, “The Lord is my shepherd”. Now you may ask whether David was a saved  man. Now listen, You will say, “This is my Church” – You will call, this country is my country.  I will say India is my country. I say my child, my house, my shirt. What is that word “my”?  There is something to possess. What did King David say? The Lord is not a shepherd, but,  ‘My’ shepherd. I shall not want anything in this world. He said I shall not want. Want what?  You don’t want anything to trouble about, you don’t want worry. Everything is leading. Now  take a sheep – It has nothing to possess. Man cuts its hair and makes blankets, takes the  skin and makes belts and so many things. He takes the flesh and cuts it and ears so many  sticks and bone he used to make a soup. He won’t leave one portion of the sheep free.  Everything is useful for man to eat. But it (sheep) is not worried about food. It won’t say,  ‘Where will I go tomorrow for eating grass.” All the problem is for the shepherd and the  sheep has to follow. 

We want God to show us the future so many times. “God, what will happen to Germany? 

What will happen to Rome? What will happen to Israelites? What will happen to Russia?”  But my friend, all things are going according to the plan of God. Hallelujah God has a plan.  God has his hand on everything. He has his hand on you. So what is the problem?! We  have to go just day by day. There was a time when I used to ask God, what is going to  happen in India? Now you know what is the problem? Show me what I should do today. I  must fulfill thy word and will today. We are not worried about tomorrow. The sheep is not  worried about tomorrow or about day-after-tomorrow. The sheep is not worried what is going  to happen to Russia. The sheep is not worried whether it is going to be a mutton tomorrow.  It is not worried whether it is going to die tomorrow. But, till the last moment it will keep on  eating grass. It won’t leave a grass. That’s its duty. See, the (Bible) is our grass. Till we  go, we have to keep o eating it. We have to eat it and eat it and eat it. You may say, won’t  this be too bad to eat grass everyday. Man can eat tomatoes, salad, any kinds of fruits,  papricorn – so many things. You can eat mutton, beef, pork – so many things. So many  varieties for man. But for sheep – only grass. But still it keeps on eating the grass. In the  same way we must only like a particular grass. There are so many books like mutton, beef  and so many things. But spiritual sheep like us God has given us this book only. This has  been from the foundation. God made his people write. The commandments God wrote with  his hands and nothing is wrong and everything is full. So, these sheep always look to the  shepherd. 

What does the Bible say? The Lord is my shepherd. He has no doubt about tritheology. If  you have seen God, the doubt of trinity goes away. Trinity doctrine is not of God. You cannot  have one God cut into 3 pieces. But thank God, God has revealed to us. Can you be proud  about it? It’s only grace. Don’t think that He revealed it to us because we are good people.  His grace has opened our eyes. May I have the grace of God to open the eyes of the people  of Germany. 

Now listen, sometimes we think God is foolish. You know, some trees have got small fruits,  but some plants have big fruits like pumpkin. One day a man was laughing, “God has no  brain, this small plant is having a big fruit called pumpkin but for a big tree a small fruit, what  a foolish God!” And he was tired and he was sleeping under the tree. Suddenly, one fruit  dropped on his head. He said, thank God, if it was pumpkin I am gone. The only he knew  God was wise. God is wise. Today, we try to criticize so many things. But, everything is  measured, heat is measured. God has kept this heat so that man can stand. So, we can’t  question God. So this David has no doubt. When he said Lord, he meant Lord. I shall not  want anything. 

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.” He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. Now, the sheep is not guiding, the shepherd is guiding. It (sheep) doesn’t say I must go to timbocktoo. But, he (shepherd) does say I  must go to schwarzwald. The shepherd goes and finds out the best place and then takes  the sheep. So, whether you like it or not go the way of God. Don’t question. It may be sure  a difficult way but, there is good grass there: It may be a small lane, that’s were very nice  grass is. But he (Lot) sees places like Sodom and Gomorrah Lot saw a nice place full of  grass. So he went in, he became a big man. His wife also became a big woman. Big  people married their daughters. But, the fire came and they were running and Mrs. Lot was  not able to keep going because her heart was in Sodom. So when they were running Mrs.  Lot got a nervous break down. She turned behind because her heart was there. What did  Lot gain? He lost his wife, he lost his influence, he lost his sons-in-law, he lost his efforts all  the days. Atlast, he was vexed in the spirit. After, what did he gain? He gained nothing.  What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world but lost his soul. 

“He leadeth me beside the still waters” 

The shepherd knows where there is the best water. “Still water” means not muddy water.  Now we try to drink every kind of water. What is water? Truth! So, muddy truth means you  can find muddy water everywhere. But, the “still means, for many ages it has been tried and  is still. Then III verse. 

“He restoreth my soul”. Now, some time we sin. Has God left us? Suppose you cut a tree,  the liquid comes out, after sometime it heals. In the same way, sometimes we make a  mistake, after sometime God repairs it. He restoreth our soul. So, if we have failures, we  wont keep on roominating but go on victoriously. 

“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake.” 

Don’t think God selected you because you are good people. Sometimes we talk like this.  You know I was not a very bad fellow like him, that’s why God loved me”. Whether a good  man or a bad man, God condemns every human being. Only there is a good sinner and the  bad sinner. There is no righteousness in us. Our righteousness are filthy rags. He leadeth  you because of his name’s sake. Because we have his name, when he sees that name he  calls us “My people”. So King David knew, “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for  his name’s sake.” He knew the name of God. He didn’t believe in 3 Gods. He had no doubt  about God. He definitely knew who is God was. How did he know it? He saw the leading  of God. Now fourth one. 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil: Shadow of  the valley of death. Will any man be afraid of a shadow? Suppose a dog comes, will you  be afraid of its shadow? What does he say? “Yea though”, I walk through the shadow of  valley of the death.” He knew death is a shadow. You knew, death is like a crocodile. It  was opening his mouth so big, Christ went it, put a puncture in the stomach and came out.  Now the mouth is big, but it is dead. There’s a hole to come out. Its only a shadow. Walk  through it and come out. King David says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow  of death, I will fear no evil. Why? ‘For thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort  me.’ There are two things – rod and staff. For getting the leaves, there is a big stick to bring  the leaves down and there’s a rod to break the leg also when sometimes some sheep is  mischevious. They call the sheep by name. It have seen it with my own eyes. And what  happens? Now, suppose I dres like a shepherd and go and call the sheep, it will not come  because my voice is another voice. 

The sheep comes only by the voice. One day I dressed like a shepherd boy and was trying  to call the sheep with own voice. But when the shepherd boy came and said, “drio”  something like that the whole thing (flock) came. So we go by the voice not by the noise.  Some people go by the noise. Sheep goes by the voice. The devil may change the dress. The devil may put on a dress like Christ but, it can never imitate the voice. 

So, the sheep knows the voice. Sometimes some sheep won’t obey, it will go into some  other field. So the shepherd waits like this, when the sheep jumps into another field, one  blow – the leg goes. Now the sheep thinks what a Cruel shepherd we have. But what does  the shepherd do? Takes the sheep and puts on the shoulders, takes it home, taps it, puts  the leg alright and bandages it; Special grass is coming now, special food and a special  name – a pet name. Don’t go like that my sheep” and the sheep forgets the pain and then  it knows the name. After that it will never go into another field. And the sheep loves the  master much more than ever before. Sometime you may get a caneing from God; Praise  God he is loving you more so he is giving you a new name and special grass. And not only  that. 

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies”. 

Sometimes we feel that only Christians are our enemies. People don’t believe the truth.  Now see, if we are in the enemy country, this is your Germany alright. But for the people  who have been saved this is not Our’ Germany. Our Germany is there. All the borders are  fallen. There is one big Germany or India whatever you call. Our King is Christ. We belong  to that country. So, after the meetings I will also be very happy to go back home. What is  home? Home is not a home without the father and mother. You take a child to some house,  it may be a beautiful house, but the child will say “Mummy”. And thats’ the home for the  child. You may give her a doll or a nice ice-cream, but after sometime the child will say  “Mummy”. So, in the world, we have got so many attractions. Our mother land, father land  everything is there. We are placed in an enemy country. But your heart must be in  Jerusalem, not in this country. Have you got property in heaven? Have you got wealth in  heaven? May God give you much property in heaven. 

What is our property? Anything what you do for the Lord is your property. What does the  Bible say? Anything what you do for the Lord is not in vain. It may be a little work, do it in  the name of God. It may be a little help, it will never go wrong. A little nice work, a little kind  and pleasant word, just a little help in the name of Christ Jesus brings you eternal results.  So what does he say? We are thinking about this country before salvation. 

Because I was prepared to die for India. I remember the time when I was marching on with  a big procession shouting “Gandhiji Jai”. Then the police were shooting I was inside the  college, they have to consult me because it all depends on me to stop the strike. When  some people were shot, I wanted to die for my country. I said, “Come on shoot”. I remember  I was so courageous that I was prepared to die. But thank God, the man who took the rifle  was a football friend of mine and he told the commander, “Please stop it”. He caught me,  tied my leg and put me in a cart and took me to my mother. This is your son, keep him  locked. But, my friends were killed. 

My dear friends, I was prepared to die for my country as an unsaved man. But thank God,  the grace of God saved me alive. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had this salvation. That is  why, we are not afraid in India even to die today. We were prepared to die for the country.  I won’t be satisfied if you die for God when you are ready to die for the country. Now God  has sent to you some ambassadors here. You have to be true to God and that day in this  country all your supplies will come from God’s permission. God has a care on you. If any  trouble comes to you, he will send his Angel to fight for you. When we had the hundred  thousand (1,00,000) crowd in India, the Police Chief came to me, “Lawrie, you are doing a  foolish thing. 

You must tell the Police so that we can put a guard on all these people.” So I told him, “Don’t think sir that I’m a fool, my God has sent hundreds of Angels and all of them are guarding here”. Angels! Where are they?! I can’t see them I think something is wrong with you mister  and he was watching children crying with big noise. Then the meeting started, power of God  fell. It was pin drop silence. Then he sent a circular to the police, if you want to see a  meeting where there is no police help required go to that meeting and see. And hundreds  of policemen came in the civil dress and watched the meeting. 

You must understand that you are a child of God belonging to God. If your army chief goes  on the road, so many people go in-front on motor-cycle. So, when you go out of the home,  you must believe that Angel is going in front of you. Even though you don’t see it, the power  of God sends the mysterious person behind you. So, don’t be afraid. There they will be  always ready to fight for you. You need not want Jesus Christ. An Angel is enough. But  when you stand for the word of God. God loves you and as a father he comes to you. When  those three children were put into the fire. God did not send an Angel because his children  were in the fire. So what he would have told his Angels? You are good Angels but keep  quiet. I must go there. Then he jumps straight into the fire. They are having a conference  in the fire. Walking and talking and walking and talking. That was like a son of God. The  heathen (King) is confused. And next one. 

“Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” We will be always getting more  supply than we need. If you are a child of God, you will never go bankrupt. All your supplies  will be met. When I was going to Chicago I was going without any money. I got into the  bus, I had nothing to eat. I sat there, next seat was empty and I was feeling very hungry.  But I love one thing – water. Wherever I go I drink a glass of water and I’m full. So what  happened, as I was feeling hungry I didn’t know what to do. Till Chicago I have to go hungry.  But, God cares for you. A negro lady came, she came with a big tin, put there, sat there and  said Praise the Lord. I replied Praise the Lord. You are a believer? Yes. You are saved?  Yes. You know the Lord Jesus Christ? Praise the Lord. You took baptism? Yes. Wonderful.  Have you received the holy spirit? I have received the holy spirit and speak in tongues also.  Wonderful, why don’t you eat something? Thank you Lord. She opened the tin. Take, she  gave one by one. You’ll have something more?! Yes. So, I was eating. She was eating.  And she said, ‘Today is the thanks giving day”. So my dear friends, he cares for you. So  many things like that. Our cup is running over. 

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” 

Shepherd goes in front sheep behind, you know what comes behind? Somebody tell me.  What comes behind? Dogs. Two dogs to watch the sheep. If one sheep goes that side  this God will go and catch the ear. Go there, don’t go here. If that sheep goes somewhere,  this god will go and catch the ear. That’s why dogs are coming behind. Two things are  coming behind us. 

Goodness and mercy follow all the days of our lives. When you sin, go away from the Word  of God, in the mercy of God comes and catches our hear and puts us in the proper place.  When you do some wrong, backslide from God, the goodness and riches of God catches  the other ear and puts you in the place. Glory! It will follow all through your life. And what  should the sheep do? Should it worry? You know what king David says. 

“and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever”.  

He is not worried about problems. Oh! My family problem. Oh! My office problem! No  problem for a sheep. Why? It’s dwelling in the house of the Lord. The sheep should be in  the sheep fold. So, if you want to be in the will of God dwell in the word of God forever and  that will keep you safe God will guide you. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. I SHALL NOT  WANT.

Praise The Lord