Psalm 23

“Some want to live within the sound of Church or chapel bells; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.” - - C.T Studd 

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2     He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.[a]

3     He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]

    for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c]

    I will fear no evil,

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 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me

    all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord

    forever.[g]

The 23rd Psalm is probably the most circulated and known Psalm in the world. The usage of this Psalm is often abused by the world with the focus being on man making his way through the valley as if his strength and his courage is his own. But as we look at this Psalm carefully, we begin to understand the true relationship of our God to His people.

As the first three verses show us, we are sustained by our “Shephard” in green pastures and still waters. Our God not only provides for our physical needs, but restores our souls as we are led by Him. Our God is not some distant creator as modern deist state, disconnected from His creation. The language used here with restoration of a soul is the reality that God knows the state of every man’s heart, He knows us better then we know ourselves.

-Jeremiah 17:10- “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Not only through knowledge but we see by action is our God involved with our lives;

-“He makes me lie down,”

-“He leads me beside..”

-“He restores…”

-“He leads me in…”

This Providence of God with His people is not only in the green pastures and still waters, but also the trials that this fallen world brings with our pilgrimage through it, but we are not alone. We do not fear because of our own strength and courage, but because He is with us. The comfort of a rod and a staff comes with an understanding that a shepherd not only defends his sheep with a staff, but also disciplines them with it. Discipline comes with love that is based in knowledge of knowing a chief end and correcting accordingly. - Revelation 3:19- “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”

We take confidence in the valley because it is described as a “shadow of death.” Shadows are only a casting of darkness, and outside of that shadow is a light source. Our Shephard that is walking stride for stride with us through the Valley is also the Light source that the shadow cannot overtake. In His ministry Jesus stated, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” In Revelation it is prophesied that one day Christ will be the all sustaining light of the world, Revelation 22:5-”And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

Many time’s we do not understand the valleys the Lords leads us into. Our comfort is that we do not lean on our own understanding but the One who sees all things- (Proverbs 3:5- Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Sometimes those straight paths are into these valleys, but that is our calling. Those of us who call Him Lord have been restored by His light and our identity is “sons of day.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:5 “For you are all sons of the light, sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.” This reality, especially for us as first responders, is that as we go into these scenes of darkness, we carry His light and His kingdom is moved. With every valley He leads us into by His defense over us and His discipline we are conformed more and more to the image of Him. – Romans 5:3-4- “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

The beauty of this Psalm is that it does not end in the Valley. Every Valley has a beginning and an end. And as we find rest and contentment as we lay the scars and burdens of each valley at the feet of our King and Shephard, knowing that He is a God of mercy that prepares a place for us even now. And that one day we are promised eternal rest in His house forever.

-James Doyle