I Am His

Psalm 23 is one of the most popular chapters in the Bible. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read it right now. It’s one of the first places many people go when they are hurting and need comfort. In it we see a picture of God as our Shepherd and His love for us as His sheep.

When David wrote the first five words of Psalm 23:1—The Lord is my shepherd—I believe he wrote it in a very personal way. The word “my” is a word that shows possession. David wasn’t saying “the Lord is a shepherd”; he wrote “the Lord is my shepherd.”

This is important for us to see because it can be so easy to view God as distant. But He isn’t far off somewhere—out of your reach. He wants to have a personal, intimate relationship with you. And as your Shepherd, God loves you unconditionally, endlessly and perfectly. He wants to take care of every one of your needs because He cares for you and has a good plan for your life.

You Are Welcome at God’s Table

There’s a beautiful story in Second Samuel Chapter 9 that illustrates the kind of relationship God wants to have with us. After the death of King Saul and his son, Jonathan, David began to search for someone in their bloodline. Jonathan had been like a brother to David and he wanted to honor his friend by showing favor to any of his descendants.

David asked, "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that i may show kindness for Jonothan's sake?" (2 Samuel 9:1 NKJV).

David found out that Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth who was still alive. But he was told the young man was lame in both feet. However, his condition didn’t phase the King, who sent for Mephibosheth to be brought to him.

Mephibosheth came in fear and shame, bowing and asking, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (1 Samuel 9:8 NIV)

David assured Mephibosheth, saying, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually” (1 Samuel 9:7 NKJV).

I love this story so much because David had a covenant relationship with Saul’s son, Jonathan. A covenant relationship meant so much more in the Bible than we understand today. When you’re in a covenant relationship with somebody, everything that you have is available to them and everything they have is available to you.

We have this very same covenant relationship with God, through Jesus. Like King David looked for Saul’s descendants, God is looking for you, and He wants to show you kindness.

Sometimes we are like Mephibosheth. We see the areas of our lives in which we are weak and we begin to think they keep us from all God has promised us.

However, God is saying to you what David said to Mephibosheth. He’s saying, “Don’t be afraid. Don’t live in fear over your mistakes or your flaws. I will show you kindness for Jesus’ sake. I want to be good to you, not because you deserve it or have earned it, but because of what Jesus did on your behalf.” This is what it means to be in Christ!

When I first started studying this story years ago, it was eye-opening to me. I had always felt bad about myself because of all the things that had gone wrong in my life. Spiritually, I felt like I too was “lame in both feet.” Even though I was a Christian and serving God, I paid more attention to what I did wrong in life than I did to what Jesus had done right for me. But God began to show me that I didn’t have to be afraid. He was always going to be good to me, and I had a place at His table.

David could have used any picture of God in Psalm 23 to show us how God cares about us, but He chose to give us the picture of a shepherd—a defender who walks with his sheep every day and takes care of their every need. That’s the God you and I get to be in relationship with.

But don’t forget, God’s not just a shepherd—He is your Shepherd. He is your perfect Father, and you are His beloved child. He’s with you when you’re afraid, and He’s with you when you’re unsure. And even when you make mistakes, He loves you and wants to show you kindness.