Lately I’ve been revisiting Psalm 23 which I had memorized as a little boy. It’s such a beautiful illustration of God’s grace and care and our proper response to Him:
The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want,
He maketh me to lie down green pastures,
He leadeth me beside the still waters,
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness,
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil, for thou are with me.
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies,
Thou anoitest my head with oil,
My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23
Psalm 23 is about the goodness of God – the Good Shepherd. The Shepherd that supplies all our needs, not just physical, but also spiritual. David says that God, not man, is the one that restores our souls back to health.
He says that God guides him for His name’s sake. God is careful to ensure that His name is honored and respected. For us to be identified with His name is a great honor and also a great responsibility. We should be careful to not impugn His name by our behavior, our attitudes, or actions. His name is glorified when we walk in the paths of righteousness.
David says that in the presence of his enemies, he found a table prepared for him. That even when he was in the presence of those who hated him, the Lord nourished him spiritually. That’s a high level of care.
He says that his cup is not half-full or full, but that it is overflowing with the blessings of God. He concludes expressing personal faith in the Good Shepherd, that God will always come through and his response is to abide in the house of the Lord. That is, his loyalty was to the Lord.
I believe what David expresses in this psalm, in a way, can be a round-about illustration of Heb. 11:6:
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
To believe existence is not simply enough, you must believe that God is a rewarder – that he is good as well. Faith means both. And, it follows that this kind of faith implies loyalty. The natural progression is that if you believe something is good, then you will cherish it and, when it comes down to it, there is where your loyalty will lie (Matt. 6:21).
Painting: Thomas Cooper “Shepherd with Sheep, 1868
