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!
Verse 1b – "I shall not want." We live in a society full of dissatisfaction, always feeling like we lack something. There are people who always get rid of their cell phones every time a new series comes out. Satisfaction doesn't come from what we have; satisfaction comes from who we have! A Sunday school teacher asked her students if any of them could memorize the entire Psalm 23. A little girl, four and a half years old, raised her hand. The little girl came forward, faced the class, and said: "The Lord is my shepherd, that's all I want." Then she sat down. The little girl had captured the essence of David's heart in Psalm 23. If God is our shepherd, that is enough for us. Our good Shepherd will surely provide for and meet our needs so that we will lack nothing.
Verse 2 – "He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters." David declares the Shepherd's provision for his life. His shepherd knows what he needs. God's provision for us is complete! Here David speaks of grass and water. This points to our physical needs. In verse 3, David speaks of "He refreshes my soul." This speaks of our emotional needs. Then David also says, "He leads me in the paths of righteousness." This speaks of our spiritual needs. So, once again, God, our Shepherd, provides for all aspects of our lives.
In this verse, David also says, "He leads me beside still waters." Then in verse 3, David says, "He leads me in the paths of righteousness." Do you know that sheep, unlike many other animals, do not have a good navigation system? For example, salmon have an incredible ability to find their way back to the exact stream where they were born to lay their eggs. Dogs and cats that get lost hundreds of miles away can still return to their owners' homes. There are even birds that can navigate thousands of miles. Sheep need guidance. Application: Remember, we also need guidance from our Shepherd in planning things and making important decisions in our lives!
Verse 4a – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” Sometimes in the Middle East, when the weather is very hot, shepherds would lead their sheep to the valleys, which they call wadis, because it is cooler there, and that is where the water flows at the bottom of the valley.
Application: Sometimes, we experience difficult and very challenging times in our lives. When that happens, remember that we are “walk through ...” not “stay in...” So those difficult times will pass, or we will get through them. Another thing we need to pay attention to is that in some English versions, for example, the ESV, it says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." Can a shadow hurt us? Can a dog's shadow bite us? Can the shadow of a sword wound us? The valley of the shadow of death cannot destroy us! The sting of death, as Paul said, has been broken. Only its shadow remains.
That is why, in verse 4b, David says, "I will fear no evil, for you are with me." When we pass through the valley of darkness or the shadow of death, God is with us because our Shepherd is always with us. He promised in Matthew 28:20b – “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Verse 4c – “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” There are two tools that shepherds usually carried in those days, namely a staff and a rod. The staff was used to guide the sheep. The rod or club was used to protect the sheep from attacks by wild animals. Our Shepherd will also always protect and guard us, “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” as stated in Hebrews 13:6.
Verse 5a – “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” In the spring, after the snow melts, the shepherd would take his sheep to the mountains to find better pastures. But first, he would survey and inspect the area. He wanted to make sure the place was safe, free from poisonous mushrooms and snakes that could harm his sheep.
Application: This verse reminds us of Romans 8:35-36 – “If God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”
Verse 5b – “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” One particular problem faced by sheep is insects. Sheep are greatly bothered by flies that try to land on their noses to lay their eggs in the moist nostrils of the sheep. If successful, the eggs will hatch into small, worm-like larvae. These larvae crawl into the sheep's nose and cause much discomfort. Therefore, at the beginning of the fly season, shepherds would mix a concoction of oil. In Palestine, they used a mixture of olive oil, sulfur, and spices. This mixture was then applied to the sheep's heads. Oil was also used to treat scabies, a highly contagious disease among sheep. This verse shows how God, the Shepherd of King David and also our Shepherd, beautifully protects and cares for His sheep.
Verse 6a – “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” Why did David say that? He said it because that was His Shepherd’s track record: You, Lord, have cared for me, protected me, guided me, and watched over me all my life. I am now confident that in the future You will do the same.
Verse 6b – “and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” David not only believed in God's providence in the present and the future, but he also believed that his good Shepherd would welcome him into His home when he was no longer in this world.
Conclusion: We don't know what will happen to us, our families, our work, our church, or this country in 2026. However, if the Lord Jesus is our Shepherd, we can say: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. I will not fear danger because You, Jesus, are always with me!” Even when our lives come to an end, Jesus has already prepared a home for us in heaven with Him (John 14:1-3). Do you already have the Lord Jesus as your Shepherd? He said: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)
