The best-selling book, "The Shepherd and the Sheep," which best introduces Psalm 23.
40th Anniversary Edition

Psalm 23, sung by the shepherd David
Read through the eyes of Philip Keller, another shepherd and writer.

A new look through the eyes of a shepherd
A modern classic on Psalm 23,
Meet again in the 40th anniversary edition!

Psalm 23, which beautifully depicts David's life journey and God's faithfulness along the way, has been a source of comfort and healing for Christians across time and culture.
Whether we lie in green pastures or walk through the gloomy valley of death, we long for and experience the hand and guidance of Christ, the Good Shepherd.
This psalm, which possesses both profound spirituality and literary excellence, appears constantly in the songs and prayers of many, in writings and books, in sermons and teachings.
But isn't our appreciation and interpretation of Psalm 23 simply the product of theoretical study or our imagination? What if a lay minister, deeply educated in the Word and a long-time shepherd, truly looked at this psalm "properly"?
In his book, The Shepherd and the Sheep, Philip Keller sets out to do something that has never been done before.
Drawing on his diverse experience as a shepherd, agricultural soil scientist, and ecologist, combined with his keen observations as a photojournalist, the author offers us small but unique and practical insights.
And it paints a vivid picture in our minds of a shepherd caring for and leading his flock.
This is why it has captured the imagination of countless readers and pastors even 50 years after its publication.
Readers of this book will have the opportunity, under the author's kind guidance, to take a leap forward into a living and intimate relationship with Christ, the Good Shepherd.

This applies precisely to the Christian life as well.
Many of the places we are led to will seem dark, deep, dangerous, and not very pleasant.
But we must always remember that the Good Shepherd is there with us.
He works very hard in such circumstances.
Even in such a deep and dark place, I can only benefit from the Lord's energy, effort, and strength as He works for me.


It was there that I realized that only He could truly satisfy me.
It is He who gives me enlightenment, purpose, and meaning even in situations that would otherwise be nothing more than a laughing stock.
Suddenly life has meaning.
I realize that I am the object of His special care and attention.
I see the events of my life given dignity and direction, and all of them working together for my good.
All of this is refreshing, stimulating and empowering.
My thirst for finding the truth of life is quenched and I find myself satisfied in the Lord.
_'4.
From 'He leads me beside still waters' (pp. 72-73)

Just as in David's time the sheep found comfort and solace in the staff held in the shepherd's skilled hand, so too today, when we consider the power, truth, and boundless authority bestowed upon the Word of God, our hearts overflow with great confidence.
Because the Bible is the rod of God.
The Bible is an extension of God's heart, will, and intention toward mortal human beings.


Although we live in an age of countless confusing ideas and strange philosophies, it is a comfort to God's children to rely on God's Word and know it through the powerful hand of the Shepherd.
What a comfort it is to have such a powerful, clear, and capable tool! Its Word protects us from being confused and lost in the midst of chaos.
The Word brings into our lives the very peace that the psalmist meant when he said, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
_'8.
From 'Your rod and your staff, they comfort me' (pp. 128-129)

--- From the text