Warning: the following words are good medicine; however, they are only effective if you actually follow their advice and do what they say! Note to self: The aspirin, as long as it is in the medicine cabinet, won’t relieve the pain.
1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
How do we have confidence in face of uncertainty? These certainly are uncertain times. One of the most favorite passages, Psalm 23, is a picture of how God guides us, how he provides for us, how he leads us. We are not in control, praise God, He is!! God knows who we are, where we are, and what we need. That should give us confidence.
Verse 1: Contentment. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
This verse speaks first of relationship. We are never alone when we have a relationship with God. “The LORD” (note the all-caps} refers to our awesome, sacred, sovereign master. “My shepherd” is possessive, the LORD is MY shepherd. In John 10:11,14 Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd.” Just think of it: the Great I AM, The God of the universe, the God who is self-existent, holy, powerful, is present with his people (you and me) in a personal way! Just as shepherds are always thinking about how to best care for their sheep, Jesus provides this analogy to tell us how he cares for us.
Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (Matthew 6:25). I shall not want. In other words, I have all I need, because Jesus cares for me.
Verse 2: Rest. “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters.”
This verse reinforces the first one. In other words, the LORD gives us rest. To rest is to be free from worry about where our next meal is coming from, free from worry about our safety, free from worry about tomorrow. When you rest, you are at your best. “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). “Therefore” in verse 34 refers to the command in verse 33 to seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness. In other words, if we seek the LORD as our Master and Shepherd, then He will take care of everything else.
Verse 3: Restoration. “He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
This is so important to us right now. When we feel like we are absolutely poured out and used up, then the Holy Spirit restores what we have spent, whether it be our energy, our stamina, our patience, our compassion, our love. The Word of God renews our mind; makes us whole again.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2).
Verse 4: Protection and comfort. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
My image of this valley is a low spot with steep sides all around, and the only way out is to climb. We will all get in a valley, but we don’t have to stay there. With Jesus at our side, we can walk through, and not find ourselves overwhelmed with the insurmountable. Valleys can have some ominous shadows. These shadows can become our reality, especially when we allow them to control us. Have you ever been freaked out by a shadow? Just remember:
- Shadows are not real; they cannot hurt you, and they can’t fight back.
- Shadows often look bigger than the real thing.
- Shadows only exist when there is light.
Don’t let a shadow stop you from being what God has called you to be. This path you are on has a heavenly purpose.
Back to the analogy of Jesus as our shepherd: a shepherd carries a rod and a staff. The rod was for protection, a club, a symbol of strength, power, and authority over the flock. The Word is our rod. The staff was for direction, a crook or hook to guide the sheep. It is a symbol of Holy Spirit, our comforter and guide.
Verse 5: Abundance. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.”
God loves us so much he set the banquet table with his son and invites us to join in. Back in Biblical times, anointing the head was common courtesy if you could afford it, and it signified prosperity and blessing. It is linked to presence of Holy Spirit in our lives today. Satan is trying his best to bar our way to the banquet, the blessings that God has laid before us. We sometimes struggle to find joy in our troubles; and this is why it is good to remember all the Scriptures where Jesus found time to celebrate and fellowship with his family and friends. Most importantly, don’t miss the opportunity by turning down Jesus’ invitation to the banquet (Luke 14:15-24).
Verse 6: Goodness and mercy. “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
David, the author of this psalm, made some crazy mistakes, yet he was confident of God’s goodness and love leading to his everlasting salvation. Mercy is frequently used to describe God in Scripture; it sums up what Bible is all about. From the time of the Fall, God has been working His plan to redeem us, to reconcile us back to him. It is only by his mercy that He wants to do this for us. But we can’t fully understand how merciful God is unless we understand how vehemently He hates sin. For us to have God’s goodness and love, and for us to dwell in the house of the Lord forever, we must repent of our sin and seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness.
Psalm 23, written by King David (once a shepherd, himself), is fulfilled in Jesus, the Good Shepherd. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).
In Christ,
Judy
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