He Knows Our Needs

As one of the most well-known passages in the Bible, and certainly the most well-known and beloved of the psalms, Psalm 23 has given people untold encouragement and comfort throughout the centuries.

And when we consider the content of the psalm that precedes it and the psalm that follows it, Psalm 23 makes a lot of sense. Psalm 22 presents Jesus as the suffering Savior. It gives a graphic account of His crucifixion, including references to the way He would die.

Then, Psalm 24 speaks of Christ’s return. When He comes again, He will be wearing not a crown of thorns but a crown of glory as He comes to establish His kingdom on Earth.

Between these two psalms is Psalm 23, where David presents Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Thus, we see Jesus as the suffering Savior in Psalm 22, the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23, and the returning King in Psalm 24. Taken together, these psalms give us a picture of who God is.

David was a shepherd and the son of a shepherd. In fact, the Bible refers to him as the shepherd king of Israel (see 2 Samuel 5:2; 1 Chronicles 11:2; Ezekiel 37:24). Perhaps one day, as he was looking over his flock of sheep, he started reflecting on the things about sheep that reminded him of himself.

There is a lot we can say about sheep. They have many strange characteristics. For example, they don’t take care of themselves and need constant attention. Sheep completely depend on the shepherd for sustenance, protection, and guidance.

Picking up on this theme in John 10, Jesus said, “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice” (verses 3–5 NLT).

In fact, we see the theme of God as Shepherd and His people as sheep repeated throughout Scripture. Isaiah 40:11 says, “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young” (NLT).

And Isaiah 53 tells us, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” (verse 6 NLT).

Peter wrote, “Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25 NLT).

A shepherd comes to know the unique characteristics of each sheep. As David wrote in another psalm, “You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away” (Psalm 139:2 NLT).

Not only does the Good Shepherd know our natures, but He knows our needs. And when God looks at you, He knows the deepest needs of your life.

Click below to receive more daily encouragement from Harvest Ministries.

Receive These Devotions In My Inbox   OR   View Available Resources