Entering 2026 With The Wonderful Shepherd

Introduction: According to Gallup International, globally, 37% of respondents believe that 2026 will be a better year than 2025, while 25% expect it to be worse and 31% expect no major changes. Are you optimistic or pessimistic entering this year? We don't know if this year will be easier on our lives. No one can guarantee that we will still have a job, that our families will be healthy, and that there will be no major problems in our lives. However, God wants us to be optimistic and have hope. Not because we expect the situation this year to be better economically, politically, and socially. Nor is it because we have a good job or because we have millions of dollars in savings or because we have the ability to solve problems. We should be optimistic because we have a God who loves us and is able to help us through any situation in our lives. Therefore, even if our life situations and conditions are the same or even worse this year, we know and believe that with God's help, we will be able to face them.

Let's read Psalm 23.

Of all 150 chapters in the Book of Psalms, no Psalm is more quoted, recited, memorized, and written on cards than Psalm 23. Undoubtedly, of all the parts of the Old Testament, this is the most famous Old Testament passage. Augustine called it "the hymn of the martyrs" because many Christian martyrs recited Psalm 23 when they faced death while being tortured for Christ. Abraham Lincoln often referred to this hymn during his times of deep depression during the Civil War. This Psalm has brought comfort to millions of God's people.

If we look closer, this Psalm is not just about sheep and a shepherd. It encompasses much more. For example, at the beginning, David refers to God in the third person: "He" - He makes me lie down; He guides me; He refreshes my soul; He leads me. But then in verses 4 and 5, David now speaks directly to God. He refers to God with the word "You" - You are with me; Your rod and Your staff; You prepare a table for me; You anoint my head. This shows that David had a personal relationship with God. That's why David could say: "The Lord is my shepherd," not, "The Lord is a Shepherd."

We also see a change of location. At the beginning of this Psalm, David talks about God's provision in green pastures; then in verse 4, it shifts to the valley, and in verse 5, it shifts to a tent or a house: "You prepare a table for me." And this Psalm ends with a location that is no longer on earth; in verse 6, David says: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." In other words, David declares God's provision always, at any time, and wherever we are. The pasture describes when our lives are going well; we are healthy, have enough of everything, and our family is harmonious. The valley, on the other hand, describes a difficult life situation; when we experience illness, being in need, and facing many problems. The pasture and the valley describe our lives while in this world. The house of the Lord, on the other hand, describes our lives after we leave this world. Let's look at this Psalm further.

Verse 1a – “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd.” David himself was a shepherd in Bethlehem. He was tending his sheep when he was chosen to be the second king of Israel. The idea of God as our Shepherd is one of the most beautiful and comforting metaphors in the entire Bible. Psalm 23 implies that we have a Shepherd who cares for us, His sheep. Did you know that sheep cannot take care of themselves very well? They need more careful care and attention than other types of livestock. So, it's not surprising that the Bible refers to us as sheep more than 200 times because we cannot live righteously and have a good life without God. Isaiah 53 says that we are all like lost sheep; we have all gone our own way.

Illustration: In 2005, in eastern Turkey, 1500 sheep gathered in one place. There were several flocks with several shepherds who all gathered and placed their flocks in one place. While the shepherds went and had breakfast together, so no one was watching the sheep, suddenly one little lamb had an idea, which was, "I'm going to jump off that cliff," and he did. Seeing what the little lamb did, all other sheep followed him, jumping off the cliff, and 450 died. The loss was estimated at $74,000. Thankfully, we have a God who cares for and always watches over us!