THE LORD IS MY TENDER

by Tammy Phillips
May 13, 2020

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1 KJV)

I had nothing to say after searching for a couple of hours this morning.  I was wandering around the pasture and bleating for words.  Our Shepherd led me to Psalms 23.  I said, “Lord, everybody knows Psalm 23!  Show me.  Show me what you want to say.”  He revealed more of himself:

If you are a sheep, then the Lord is your Shepherd, right?  Shepherd is the Hebrew word ra`ah, meaning to tend.  Hence, the LORD is my Tender.  After looking up the meaning of tend and tender in Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, I have come to find the treasure in David’s words.  When he said, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” he was implying:

The LORD is my Tender.
The LORD holds me.
The LORD takes care of me.
The LORD is my Care-Taker.
The LORD is my Keeper.
The LORD is my Guard.
The LORD watches over me.
The Lord pays attention to me.
The LORD accompanies me.
The LORD is my Provider.
The LORD is my Preserver.
The LORD is my Director.
The Lord directs me to an end or purpose.

Those five words he spoke were loaded. Stop and think about it. God was all those things to David and he is all those things to us, too.  Jesus said:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29 KJV)

Like Jesus, David knew the Lord was greater than all.  He knew the Lord was his Salvation.  David knew exactly who God was to him and he believed that God would do exactly what he said he would do.  Thus, he could boldly say:

“I shall not want.”
I shall not lack.
I shall not be without.
I shall not decrease.
I shall not fail.
I shall not be devoid of anything.

Again, David knew who God was and believed that God would do what he said he would do.  He had full faith in the Lord, his Shepherd.  He knew the Lord would be his Tender and that he would want for nothing.

I enCOURAGE you to follow the Shepherd through the valley, around the mountain and through every obstacle. He has His eyes on you.  He will never leave you alone.  He will not lead you astray and you will not want!  Follow Him.