Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar and beloved passages in all the Bible. And for good reason. It is has brought comfort and encouragement to generation after generation. It reminds me I have all that I need. Psalm 23 is Bob the bloodhound’s favorite Scripture. He loves curling up in front of the fireplace and listening to me read it in all the various versions of the Bible. Here it is in the New Living Translation:
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
Shepherds and Sheep
I once had a neighbor named Art. Art was a shepherd. He spent a good chunk of his day, every day, leading his sheep around his five acres of property across the road from me. On occasion, Art would politely ask if some of his sheep could come to my backyard and feed on some of the wild plants that were in abundance. I was amazed how “artfully” he cared for his sheep.
It seems to me that sheep get a bad rap. I typically hear them referred to as stupid. Having grown up in rural Iowa, I realize there are animals that are not so bright. Sheep aren’t one of them. Cows, however, are. I think when God created cows the raccoons came along and stole some of their brains. There’s a reason sheep possess the reputation of lacking smarts – sheep are prone to being afraid.
Sheep are easily spooked and upset. And, in their skittishness and fear, they tend to panic. More than once I’ve seen a flock of sheep run full-steam head-first into a stone wall. If you don’t know much about sheep and come along and see this, they most certainly appear to be downright stupid. Yet, sheep are really, quite intelligent. It’s just when fear overcomes them, they can do some nonsensical things.
The presence of a faithful shepherd makes all the difference. Sheep become familiar with their shepherd and learn to depend on them. There were times Art left the sheep alone and I did a sort of babysit with them. Around me the sheep were cautious and had their guard up. The presence of anxiety was clear. When Art showed up, he didn’t have to say a word. I could feel and observe the flock collectively relaxing.
God is the ultimate shepherd of the sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. When we sense the presence of God’s Spirit, there is faith, trust, and confidence. Which brings to us a settled conviction of calm and comfort. When that sense is absent, we do things like buy two pallets of toilet paper and try to bring it home in a compact car. It’s non-sense.
Psalm 23 is a beloved portion of Scripture for a reason. This psalm helps us as sheep to settle down and trust, even in the middle of uncertainty and anxiety. Presence + Provision + Protection = God’s providential care.
God’s presence is constant, not sporadic.
The Lord’s provision is enough, not stingy.
Divine protection is total, not partial.
Experientially knowing and feeling that God is present, watching over us and giving generously to us is the balm we need. Psalm 23 melts our fear in the face of pandemics and poverty; helps us relax in a deteriorating economic climate; and inoculates us from believing the sky is falling. Our courage and confidence cannot be ginned-up through sheer willpower; it comes as we get to know the great shepherd of the sheep standing there watching over us.
God Provides Me with All That I Need
The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. God is personal, not generic. God is the great I AM, the God who is. The Lord is my shepherd, not was, or will be – is. God is not just somebody else’s God and shepherd, but my shepherd. Shepherd is an apt term because a shepherd cares for the sheep – watches over them, is present with them, protects them, and provides whatever they need to both survive and thrive.
God enables me to lie down in green pastures. God leads me beside quiet waters. God restores my soul. God guides me in paths of righteousness. God benevolently leads us. God always acts consistent with his character and attributes. If we believe this about the I AM, then worry and anxiety begins to diminish.
Too many of us suffer from the heebie-jeebies because we don’t see the shepherd standing in the field watching over us. The answer to our worry is not to keep telling ourselves to stop being anxious. With God on the job as shepherd I shall not be in want, period.
Ever since the fall of humanity into sin and disobedience, we are living in troubled times. Fear can grab hold and prevent us from living with settled and reasonable intention with a plan toward the future. Every day we see folks running headlong into a stone wall. It’s okay to be afraid; it is not okay to let fear rule our lives. The solution is to speak, despite your fear; to act, despite your worry; to live, knowing God has your back.
The past year of pandemic with many people spending time at home and away from others is a kind of forced monastic life. It is an opportunity to let our souls be restored. The world is getting the chance to discover the spirituality that has always been within them. Perhaps, by the grace of a good God, there will be a great personal and systemic spiritual healing within the lives of millions.
God Is Present with Me
Within much of Hebrew poetry, the focus of the writing is found smack in the middle. Everything before it builds toward it; everything after it points back. And what is in the middle of Psalm 23 is that God is with us, close beside me.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even though it may seem everything is bleak, and all things are against me – God is present with me, which is why I do not succumb to fear. We walk through the valley, not around it. That is, God is with us right smack in the middle of our trouble.
God does not cause us to avoid unpleasant circumstances. Instead, God promises to be with us through them. The way to deliverance is to confront our fears and walk with God, rather than expecting God to take away everything unpleasant that we don’t like.
God’s rod and staff comfort me. My neighbor Art had a shepherd’s crook. He mostly used it as a walking stick. Yet, I did see times when he fended-off predators seeking to get to the sheep. More often, Art used his shepherd’s crook as a way of guiding the sheep where they could feed and be protected.
The discovery of God’s guidance comes from movement and creativity. We aren’t going to experience the leading we want apart from embracing the uncomfortable in the confidence that God provides and protects through the trouble, and not apart from it.
God Protects Me
God prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies. Even with the enemy of disease, death, and disorder surrounding us, God’s presence is such that his protection and provision are providentially working to create blessing in the middle of trouble.
Whereas fear and panic believe in a culture of scarcity, a culture of abundance discerns there is plenty for all and will thus work toward equitable distribution and fostering an egalitarian spirit.
God anoints my head with oil. This is an act of refreshment and encouragement. In this past year, it was necessary for me to be out and about because of what I do. I witnessed many instances of basic human kindness and thoughtfulness – deeds done with the other in mind.
Such kindness from God and others causes my cup to overflow. Blessings are abundant – even within troubled times. God’s provision is right here, amidst the worst of circumstances. We don’t have to pick a fight with someone in the Costco parking lot who has what I want to get the things we need.
God’s protection leads me to the conviction that, surely, goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. Its easy to believe that God’s goodness and love will follow me when my health is good, my income is solid, and I have plenty of friends around me. Oh my, it is another thing to have an awareness of that goodness in dark days. Yet, God’s love and goodness hasn’t sequestered itself. God providentially uses each life situation and bends it to redemptive purposes.
Experientially knowing God brings contentment and confidence. The radical nature of Psalm 23 is that peace is realized and experienced while chaos and uncertainty is all around us. Establishing spiritual practices that reinforce our sense of security can aid us through difficulty and hardship. With the settled conviction that God indeed has our backs and stands as the divine sentinel watching over the beloved sheep, we find the ability to relax and trust that all is well with my soul.
Lord, help me to relax.
Take from me the tension
that makes peace impossible.
Take from me the fears
that do not allow me to venture.
Take from me the worries
that blind my sight.
Take from me the distress
that hides your joy.
Help me to know
that I am with you,
that I am in your care,
that I am in your love,
that you and I are one,
Through the mighty name of Jesus,
In the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
See you on the trail!
