Psalm23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
3 He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
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 your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
A psalm we all know I am sure but let us look at and reflect on what it means.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
The Living Bible translates it this way: ‘Because the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.’
What are some of the qualities of a good shepherd? They know all about their sheep, they know the problems of their sheep, and they know what their sheep need. You might like to note down some qualities of a good shepherd for yourself. So it is with Jesus, He knows all about us and what is best for us, and as with sheep who respond to their shepherd and trust him for their wellbeing, we can do the same, for in Jesus, we know we will lack no good thing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
These two verses are twofold. The shepherd can be trusted to supply the sheep with food and water and give them rest and refreshment when they need it. The Shepherd brings his sheep to places where they will find grass that is safe to eat and water that is fresh. We are constantly told of the need for a healthy diet. Jesus, as our good Shepherd, has provided the bread of life and rivers of living water, which we find in His word. Or, to put it another way our spiritual food, where we are warned to be careful we do not indulge in things that would be harmful to our spiritual wellbeing. Secondly, by allowing Jesus to lead us He brings us to that place of refreshment and rest; thus preparing us for what lies ahead, guiding us in the way we should go.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Or, in other words, you protect me, and I need not fear. Sheep sometimes do not see the dangers ahead, and if not guided by the shepherd, will wander off on their own. Even when sometimes there are predators around, they know they need not fear because the shepherd is with them. So, with us. Remember when you were a child how bad things could look, and then Mum or Dad said there is no need to fear. I am here. And then all was well. So, for us it is the same. When we put our trust in Jesus, even in the tough times, we can have that assurance all will work out for our good. The shepherd uses the Rod and staff to guide and protect the sheep just as Jesus uses His word to guide us and correct us, by applying His word and being in relationship with Him.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
You provide for me and bless me. The analogy of sheep and Shepherd changes slightly here, for it talks of Jesus providing for us even when all around us is attacking us and of anointing us. Two things to consider here are the oil of healing, which the shepherd would use if a sheep had a wound, and the oil of anointing. Jesus thus brings us healing and anointing that we may serve Him till He comes again. Which leads us nicely to our final verse.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Therefore, one day I will be with Him forever. Just as the shepherd is with his sheep as they live out their life, so Jesus is with us, blessing us along the way, till finally He calls us home to be with Him forever, as Paul said in Philippians 1: 21: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Most people focus on the second half of the verse – “To die is gain” and contemplate the joys of heaven. But we should not overlook what comes before. The importance of the phrase “to live is Christ” cannot be overstated. In all honesty, this phrase should be central to every Christian’s life.
In this statement, the apostle Paul is saying that everything he has tried to be, everything he is, and everything he looks forward to pointed to Christ. From the time of Paul’s conversion until his martyrdom, every move he made was aimed at advancing the knowledge, gospel, and church of Christ. Paul’s singular aim was to bring glory to Jesus.
So it should be for us.