The Lord Is My Shepherd
By Pastor Jerry A. Burns
Five words open this psalm, and yet a lifetime of comfort rests within them. David does not say the Lord is a shepherd, or even the shepherd, but my shepherd. Everything hangs on that little word. A sheep does not benefit from shepherds in general; it benefits from the one whose voice it knows, whose rod guards it, and whose hand leads it to pasture. Salvation is personal or it is nothing at all.
Notice also what follows from that relationship: “I shall not want.” David does not say he shall have everything he desires, but that he shall lack nothing he truly needs. The sheep does not carry a map, a weapon, or a plan for tomorrow. It carries nothing. Its whole security is the character of the shepherd. So it is with us. Our confidence does not rest in our circumstances, our savings, or our strength, but in the One who has promised, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee(Hebrews 13:5).
Perhaps today you feel the pinch of want, whether of provision, of direction, or of peace. Let this verse turn your eyes from the emptiness of your hands to the fullness of your Shepherd. He knows your need before you ask. He has already walked ahead of you into this day.
Can you say "my" shepherd, or only "a" shepherd? The difference is everything.
"Who is among you that feareth the LORD, That obeyeth the voice of his servant, That walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, And stay upon his God." — Isaiah 50:10
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This Week's Radio Program
Week Forty-Five • November 8, 2026
What are you Seeking? (Part 2)
In this message, "What are you Seeking? (Part 2)," Pastor Burns explains how many people search for meaning and purpose in all the wrong places. Just as Solomon sought fulfillment in worldly success and great wealth only to find it vanity and vexation of spirit, listeners will learn that true answers cannot be found in dead works, rituals, or philosophies.
Turning to John 20, listeners will hear how Mary Magdalene went to the tomb searching for Jesus and discovered that He had risen. Pastor Burns shares how the reality of Christ’s resurrection provides eternal life, encouraging everyone to choose life, since Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life."
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