Let's all read Psalms 23 together:
The Good Shepherd
1 The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name's sake.
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff-they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
The 23rd Psalms is one of the most widely known chapters in the Book of Psalms, if not the entire Old Testament. Now, I am sure that many of you have heard the 23rd Psalms either preached in church, spoken at the bedside of a dying loved one or read as part of a eulogy at a funeral for someone that you knew. Psalms 23 is not just a psalm of David that is shared with someone during times of grief or when comfort is needed. It is so much more. And we will see why here in a moment. First though, let me give you an overall illustrative view into what David described in Psalms 23.
David talks about two different shepherds. The first one is himself who's working as a shepherd watching over and caring for a large flock of sheep. The 2nd shepherd that is mentioned is God which He depicts as being a Heavenly Shepherd watching over, caring for, and protecting His flock of sheep which is us. David had a very special bond with God. He considered God as his own personal Shepard. In verse 1 David even calls God “my Shepherd.”
As I mentioned earlier, David didn’t write the 23rd Psalm from a “comfort only perspective”. David wrote describing how God satisfied many of his other needs which after that he wrote, that He “lacked nothing.” Now, there were a total of 5 necessities or needs that God satisfied. So, let me describe each one.
Spiritual Needs - in verse 2 - God satisfied David’s spiritual needs. A shepherd will sometimes stop to allow his sheep to rest in lush green pastures and refreshes them with nice cool water to drink from a nearby bubbling stream. God did the same for David, He provided David with calm and peace away from his enemies and his troubles. Regarding our daily lives, the difficulties and struggles of our modern world can leave us tired and weary. We need to fully rely on God and allow Him to give us rest through spiritual refreshment and restoration.
Directional Needs - in verse 3 - God met David’s directional needs. Sheep can wander off and become lost. Sheep need guidance and direction. That’s what shepherds are for - to keep the flock together so that they all go in one direction together. God does the same for us through his Written Word and through the Holy Spirit to help lead us along the right paths in life. God guides us back to the right path wherever we wander off and get lost.
Emotional Needs - in verse 4 - God fulfilled David’s emotional needs. Whenever danger lurks near, the sheep don’t have to feel fear because they have their shepherd nearby to protect them. The shepherd also has his rod and staff to use to fight off any predators that are nearby and to pull the sheep away by the neck from any harm. Whenever we go through dark times in life we don’t have to fear because our divine Shepherd, who is our Heavenly Father, is right there to give us consolation and protection.
Physical Needs - in verse 5 - God fulfilled David’s physical needs. God fed David whenever he got hungry. God also provided anointing oil for whenever David needed healing. God is right there along with us to provide us with the proper care to heal our physical well-being. God provides us with highly trained doctors, specialists, and nurses to help us get well and to help us get back on our feet again.
Eternal Needs - in verse 6 - God satisfied David’s eternal needs. David ends Psalms 23 by describing how God’s goodness and love will follow him for the rest of his life. But the goodness of God isn’t just for this life, David also writes that he shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. This picture is one of David enjoying full eternal and unrestrained fellowship with God, a relationship that will never end. God provides for our eternal needs through our Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. God grants us eternal life through Jesus right after we put our faith and belief in Him. Just like an earthly shepherd that would put his own life in harm's way to protect his flock of sheep. Jesus did the same act for us. He laid down His life and shed His own blood for us so that we could have eternal life. And through that ultimate sacrifice, Jesus provided the way for us to not only have eternal life but to also have unrestricted fellowship with God in heaven.
So the next time that you read or hear Psalms 23 don’t just think of this chapter as a source for comfort to only be read at funerals. Look at it from this perspective, think of the many other ways that God provides for our (spiritual, directional, emotional, physical, and eternal) well-being. Psalms 23 should be our daily reminder of how God works and satisfies every need that we have and desire in our daily lives. AMEN
