The Lord is my shepherd…
Psalm 23a (NIV)
As we move through this well-known psalm it’s interesting to track what we – as God’s children – are doing, and what God is up to. It’s clear that God is doing the heavy lifting.
You and me – we’re lying down in green pastures (these patches of grass were not always easy for shepherds to find in the desert). We are beside quiet waters – a place of peace and to be revived. We are walking along the right paths. We are walking through the darkest valley – without fear. We are receiving comfort. We are sitting at a table prepared by the Lord. We are being followed by goodness and love.
What a beautiful picture of love. In a handful of verses, God assures us that in him we can find refreshing, calmness, fearlessness and provision and abundance. It feels like a sense of being cushioned in the care of God, whether it’s during times of weariness, darkness or abundance. When God is your shepherd, you will be OK because he has gone ahead of you (he guides me along the rights paths); he is with you now (I will fear no evil for you are with me) and he’s behind you (Surely your goodness and love will follow me). You’re surrounded and cocooned by God.
It’s also encouraging to look at all the things God is doing in this psalm:
- He makes us lie down in green pastures
- He leads us beside quiet waters
- He guides us along the right paths for his name’s sake
- He comforts us in the darkest valleys with his rod and staff
- He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies
- He anoints our heads with oil
- His goodness and love are following us
God, our Shepherd, is looking after us. As we reflect on his activity, we are assured of a sense of safety, where we can follow God’s leading – whether it’s through the luscious green pastures or the depths of the valleys – and know that we are heading for a place of victory and anointing because the Most High God is with us. He is carving out a path for our feet, giving us rest at the right times and chasing us with good things.
We have a part to play in the arc of our lives and the fulfilment of God’s purpose, but let’s always remember that we are never doing life by ourselves. Our loving Father is right there with us. So, take time to hear his voice calling you to lie down and rest in the quiet; delve into his word to know the right paths to take. Fall into his arms of comfort when the gloom of the valleys feels like it will overwhelm you. Take your rightful place at the table as a son and daughter of God, free of condemnation and the guilt the enemy is trying to press down on you. Receive the anointing oil so you are refreshed and pour some out onto others. Look behind you and see Goodness and Love pursuing you.
Pause: The Lord is my shepherd. Replace ‘my’ with your name and say the sentence out loud. Leave some time to think about what this really means to you.
Reflect: Review the list of points of what God is doing in this psalm – what do you need him to do most for you right now?
Rise: Write a verse or verses from Psalm 23 on a post-it note or card and place it somewhere where you will see it regularly – look at it often to remind yourself how much God loves and cares for you.
All italics added.