Dr. Roger W. Thomas, Preaching Minister
First Christian Church, Vandalia, MO
Family Classics Series
The Blessings of A Long Life
Psalm 23
Introduction: The 23rd Psalm is one of the most beloved in all of Scriptures, especially of those with a few miles on the odometer of life. I suspect that the older a person gets the more he falls in love with the psalm. I think I know why!
There are some things in life that are only fully appreciated with a few years under your belt. Longfellow, the poet, expressed it like this:
Age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress
And as the evening twilight fades away, The sky is filled with stars invisible by day.
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 4.)
Though one’s eyes may dim with the years, some things become clearer. That’s part of the reason Scripture can say that “gray hair is a crown of splendor” (Prov. 16:31). Or why the Lord would tell Abraham that he would live to a “good old age” (Gen 15:15)
The words were written by David, the second king of ancient Israel and the greatest of that nation’s leaders. All future leaders would be measured by the standard of David. He was a shepherd, warrior, and musician. Bible students speculate about when David might have penned these immortal words. Perhaps, he composed the words as a young shepherd, watching his father’s flocks. He could have written the poem as a musician serving in the court of King Saul. Maybe they reflected his sense of gratitude for the Lord’s protection during one of the difficult periods of his life. He had many. Early in his life, David became a wanted man when the King became jealous of his popularity. Later while he was king, his own son launched a rebellion that forced David to flee for his life.
But I tend to think that David wrote these words much later—in old age. He died in his eighties after a prolonged period of infirmity. I tend to think that because the words express some of the lessons that only those who lived a long life can really know and know well.
These words are a poem or song. Ancient Hebrew poems were shaped a bit different than what we are familiar with. But it does have a definite poetic form. I think it is written in style common to many Bible poems. The six simple verses form an intentional repeated pattern. The first and the last verses express parallel ideas as do the second and the next to the last. The heart of the poem comes in the middle verses. The ideas of the song go 1-2-3-3-2-1. It ends where it began.
The Psalm talks of sheep and shepherds. But it is obviously about something more profound. It is about a God who knows us, cares about us, and never, ever abandons us, no matter what! Most of all, I think these words express what those who have lived long and well know by personal experience—what the years teach us about God. God is faithful all the time! In His Presence; In his Provision; and In his Protection.
Note how verses 1 and 6 express this. “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. … 6Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” God is faithful in his presence!
God will never abandon us, no matter what. It takes years to learn that. Only a man or woman who has been through some hard times really understands that. Before that we are tempted to think that God might not be capable of seeing us through hard times. Younger folk are more prone to give up on faith when difficulty comes, but most older folk have learned better.
James probably had some gray hair when he wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brother when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (1:1-4).
Isaiah 46:4 says, "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
No matter your age, you deserve to know—God is faithful and dependable. God is faithful when I need him; when I know I need him and even when I don’t know how much I need him.
Listen to how the second and next to the last sections express it. “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. …5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” God is faithful in his provision.
These sections seem to change word pictures, but I think they are talking about the same thing. The first pictures provision—not just food for the body, but rest and security for the soul as well. The fifth verse speaks of food and refreshment in abundance. It is provision and security even in the face of difficulty!
Another psalm speaks of the confidence in God’s provision, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. (Psa. 37:25). Does that mean that good people never have problems or have reason to worry about the things of life? No, not at all.
But years can teach us that God takes care of the problems of life. And he does a good job. Paul spoke from this experience later, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:11-13).
God is faithful in the toughest times of life, even in the face of death itself. Listen to the central part of the psalm: He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. God is faithful in his protection.
The most emotionally gripping phrase in the Psalm comes in this central section—though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. That’s an appropriate image. The descent into a valley can be pretty scary. I remember driving up Mt. Evans west of Denver several years ago. I thought the trip up was bad, but down was worse. I rode the brakes the entire descent. Not the best thing to do. I felt out of control.
But one of the big problems about a valley for a flatlander is the limited vision. In the valley, you can’t see much. I grew up on the prairie where you could see for miles on a clear day. In the valley, the mountains surround you. Your vision is limited at best. Of course, the valley is also the place where the fog collects first. The deeper the valley, the denser the fog. And then there are the shadows. The sun rises late and sets early on the valley floor. Valleys are like that, especially the valley of the shadow of death.
There is another fact. The climb out of a valley can be hard work. The quick descent can be scary, but the trip back up is hard work and a lot slower. Grief and sorrow is natural. And never easy!
For all of the negative things we can say about a mountain valley, there is another side. In the valley is where things grow. Mountains provide beautiful vistas and a sense of freedom, but that’s not where the tallest trees and the best fruit grow. The valley can make you stronger and better. Valleys are like that.
If you are one who already knows of the grace God found in Jesus Christ, you know God will be faithful to you even in the valley. He will comfort you. He will be faithful to you every step of the journey. He will grow your faith in this valley. That’s the good news—it is in the darkest of times that God does some of his great work in our lives. That’s good to know and remember.
If you are one who is still trying to find God and his purposes, if you are not yet sure if all this talk about Jesus Christ and his promises can be trusted or if they are for you or not, times in the valley provide good times to think and re-evaluate where you are and where your life is headed. Be assured of this, even if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ yet, he believes in you. He is loving and caring and providing and waiting for you. Right now, he is reaching out to you and waiting for you to reach back. That’s a promise!
Donald Barnhouse was the pastor of Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church when his wife died. He was left with young daughters to raise alone. He did something that I could never do. He preached his own wife’s funeral. It was while driving to that funeral that he realized that he had to say something to comfort his girls.
They stopped at a traffic light while driving to the funeral. It was a bright day, and the sun was streaming into the car and warming it. A truck pulled up next to them, and the shadow that came with the truck darkened the inside of the car. It was then that he turned to his daughters and asked, "Would you rather be hit by the shadow or by the truck?"
One of them responded, "Oh, Daddy, that’s a silly question! The shadow can’t hurt you. I would rather be hit by the shadow than by a truck."
It was then that he tried to explain to them that their mother had died and that it was as if she had been hit by a shadow. It was as if Jesus had stepped in the way in her place, and it was he who had been hit by the truck. He quoted the familiar words of Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." (Leith Anderson, "Valley of Death’s Shadow," Preaching Today, Tape No. 131.)
Conclusion: God is faithful: In his presence; in his provision; in his protection.
The poet was right.
Age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress
And as the evening twilight fades away, The sky is filled with stars invisible by day.
Some things do become clearer with age.
The beginning for the 23rd Psalm is important. The Lord is MY shepherd. The comfort and strength of God in the valley of the shadow of death happens as we call upon the Lord and personally seek him as our guide and comfort.
This kind of faith doesn’t come second-hand. You can’t inherit. You can’t just sit back and observe it from afar. You can only know it when you can truly say, “The Lord is MY shepherd.”
I pray that is your experience today.
***Dr. Roger W. Thomas is the preaching minister at First Christian Church, 205 W. Park St., Vandalia, MO 63382 and an adjunct professor of Bible and Preaching at Central Christian College of the Bible, 911 E. Urbandale, Moberly, MO. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian College (BA) and Lincoln Christian Seminary (MA, MDiv), and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin).
