Many translations speak of the valley of death rather than the darkest valley, and maybe for many of us death is the greatest thing we fear. I have heard several christians say that death holds no fear for them, but they are afraid of the way death will come.

For David, the thief was the lion or bear, but in our day we recognise that the thief is the devil himself or one of his demons. The only solution for us is to follow the Good Shepherd who gave His life that we might live long healthy happy lives.

The Israelites had good memories of King David. They must have been encouraged to hear this word that another like him would come. There is much in the life of David that mirrors who Jesus was and what He did. Jesus Himself tells us that He is the Good Shepherd.

How can we be sure we are on the right path and following the right shepherd? The only way is to develop our own personal relationship with the Good Shepherd. To read His word and constantly ask Him to keep us on His path for our lives.

David the shepherd knew his sheep well. He led them where they needed to go for their health and wellbeing. His reputation as a shepherd depended on it. The health of the sheep was important, the livelihood of the family depended on it. Talk to Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

All of us need our souls restoring from time to time, probably most of the time. Every experience we have either blesses us or hurts us, even though we tell ourselves that we are indifferent. Our souls are influenced by everything that happens to us.

Being a spiritual leader is not easy, and can be a lonely job. The only way to be successful is to stay in very close contact with our Heavenly Father. We must keep listening to the Lord. He knows the needs of the flock better than anyone else.

Sheep drink from streams and pools. Imagine a sheep standing in a river drinking. His coat will get very wet, and when wool gets wet it becomes very heavy. A young or a weak sheep can easily get swept downstream. They need their shepherd to find quiet waters for them.

Ask yourself today if you have a good earthly shepherd who feeds you the food your soul and spirit needs. That is the role of pastors and priests. They need our prayers so that they can be constantly hearing from the Lord and feeding their flock the right spiritual food.

During the early life of David as a shepherd boy, he learned much that would be useful later in life. Because of those early lessons he could say with confidence that he was short of nothing. God never let him down, and he will not let you down either.