1. The Radiant Glory of the Shepherd and the Promise of Protection

The Lord is the glory of the Father, shining from the heavens and intervening in the lives of His saints to save them from trouble. Because we have this promise of protection through His sovereign action, we are filled with longing to experience the fullness of His personal, eternal love and faithfulness. Ps. 16: 11"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." This glorious vision of our Shepherd reigning on high compels us to trust in His care. Hebrews 1:3 – “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Psalm 23:1 – “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion 3.2.15, describes Christ as the “splendor of the Father’s glory” who actively sustains and protects His people, making divine providence personal and experiential.

2. Weaned from the World: Desires Redirected to the Source of Life

We are promised that we shall not want, because we are being weaned from this world. The seed of eternal life implanted in us is steadily drawing our desires away from fleeting cravings and toward their true Source. Where else can we escape both physical tension and metaphysical turmoil except in the beatific vision of our Shepherd? Psalm 131:2 – “Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 23:2 – “He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters.”Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections (Part 3, Section 6), explains that true spiritual delight reorients all desires toward God, weaning the soul from worldly objects and filling it with divine beauty.

3. Opposition from the World and Unseen Forces

How can we lie down in green pastures when the world—in its outward trajectory and inward schemes—opposes everything that would bring us rest in His love? Opposition arises not only from the words and actions of men but also from unseen spiritual forces that seek to dethrone the Lord of Glory. These influences permeate relationships, drift through the air, and stir unrest. Ps. 13:3,4"Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”and my foes will rejoice when I fall." All this opposition is powerless before the present authority of our great Shepherd. Ephesians 6:12 – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against… spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”1 Peter 5:8 – “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”John Owen, The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded (Works, vol. 7, ch. 4), teaches that the believer’s greatest enemies are invisible spiritual powers that war against the mind; victory lies in fixing the mind on Christ’s glory.

4. Divine Mandate: Call on Him and Feast on His Promises

Therefore we have a divine mandate to call upon Him. We feast on His abundant promises, take refuge from every enemy, and lie down in the spirit of glory. We live in the assurance that He will enact His protection as we journey from place to place. This reality is experienced through His divine Spirit flowing from our hearts like rivers beside us. John 7:38 – “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Psalm 91:1–2 – “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress…’” Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics 4.13.5, describes the indwelling Spirit as the down payment of future glory, enabling believers to live in present assurance and power.

5. Acceptance and Confidence in His Name Alone

We know our acceptance only by His name being upheld in His sovereign power to work in us. Our confidence rests not in ourselves—we have no reflection of worthiness except in His name at work. We come as unworthy sinners and receive protection we do not deserve. This sets us apart from the world, whose confidence lies in its own strength—horses, chariots, words, and weapons (Psalm 20:7). To know our Shepherd is to let His presence swallow up all notions of self-ability, dissolving the tension of worldly opposition.Psalm 20:7 – “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” 2 Corinthians 3:5 – “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves… but our sufficiency is from God.” Geerhardus Vos, The Pauline Eschatology, emphasizes that the believer’s identity and security are found exclusively in union with Christ, rendering self-confidence obsolete.

6. Walking Safely in a Dangerous World Our good intentions are insufficient. 

We walk amid snakes, scorpions, arrows, and traps.Ps. 57: 6"My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it." Our good intentions are insufficient. God subdues us by enabling trust in Him, establishing boundaries for safety. We must cling to our Shepherd even when the world—or the devil twisting Scripture—lures us elsewhere. Our safety lies solely in His enabling power.Luke 10:19 – “Behold, I have given you authority… over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” 

Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”7. Standing on the Victory Side: Rejoicing in Present and Future Salvation

We stand on the Rock above chaos, dangers, strife, and threats. This is the heavenly vision—victory assured before the battle begins. Though enemies may seem overwhelming, we grow strong as lions under His banner. God promises to reveal the subduing of our enemies before our eyes.Ps. 81:14"How quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Ps. 18:37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed."We rejoice in the God of our salvation—not only eternal but present—speaking deliverance in the destruction of foes. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” says the Lord (Romans 12:19), yet we love even our enemies, trusting His perfect justice. We long for fresh demonstrations of His power, baptized anew by the Spirit from on high. We feel His divine electricity when victory is revealed, anticipating the day when He returns judgment on those who harmed His sheep.Romans 8:37 – “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Revelation 19:11–16 – Christ returns as conquering King. Jonathan Edwards, A History of the Work of Redemption, views all history as moving toward Christ’s final victory, where believers already participate in His triumph by faith.

8. Living in the Heavenlies: Supernatural Renewal and Hope

Here is our true reality: we live in the heavenlies, drawing supernatural power from above. We dwell in a divine mind, hear supernatural communications, and rest under supernatural protection.Ps. 40: 5" Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare." We are harmless sheep—renewed by His blood until the day all things are made new. This is the infection of grace that renews us unto eternal rejoicing in Him alone. Ephesians 2:6 – “He raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”Revelation 21:5 – “Behold, I am making all things new.”Geerhardus Vos, The Eschatology of the New Testament, teaches that believers already participate in the “already-not-yet” kingdom, living eschatologically in the power of the age to come.

In this vision of the Shepherd, we find rest, power, and hope—not in ourselves, but in His sovereign, glorious, and faithful love. Until the final renewal, we press on, confident in His eternal care.