Our Good Shepherd
Ryan Ward
God is likened to or compared to many things in the Bible. He is a “Lion” (Hosea 13:7), an “Eagle” (Deuteronomy 32:11), a “Hiding Place” (Psalm 32:7), a “Warrior” (Exodus 15:3), and the King of Heaven (Daniel 4:37). In David’s trilogy of Psalms (22, 23, and 24) we are introduced to the suffering king (via Jesus quoting this text on the cross), our sovereign king in Psalm 24, and our shepherd-king in Psalm 23. We learn through Psalm 23 that God provides for His sheep, He is our refuge, and we can hold on to His promises.
Psalm 23:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 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.”
Sheepishly, I have always read the first few verses with a European spa in my mind: Green grass, towering alps on all sides, a quiet stream to lay by and look up at the clouds. I think that David’s point is that if God is our Shepherd, then we (I) am a sheep - so yeah, the pun was intended in the last sentence. David was trying to make the point that lush fields of green and quiet waters are how the sheep find nourishment. God wants to do the same for us by nourishing our soul (verse 3) through His spiritual provisions (The Word, Fellowship, Prayer, Serving, Worship…) and rest.
However, something is working against us to find that nourishment. We can call it the antithesis of Psalm 23. In her poem on the subject (Psalm 23, Antithesis), Marcia Hornok wrote:
The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest.
It makes me lie down only when exhausted.
It leads me to deep depression.
It hounds my soul.
It leads me in circles of frenzy for activity’s sake.
Even though I run frantically from task to task,
I will never get it all done.
For my “ideal” is with me.
Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me.
They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule.
They anoint my head with migraines.
My in-basket overflows.
Surely fatigue and time pressure shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the bonds of frustration forever.
This is the world we live in. We need to find green fields, and we need the Good Shepherd to guide us for His namesake into things that will feed our soul and give us life.
In verses 4-5, we see that God provides and is our refuge when the topography of life has changed. Did you also notice that the language has changed? David addresses God as “You” instead of “He”, and speaks of how His Shepherd protects and provides. One of the lessons we can draw from this name change is that it is important for us to not only have a knowledge of God, but to know Him intimately. He is our provider in our life’s valleys. He did not leave us beside the quiet waters and green pastures, He guided us along into the valley as well (see verse 3). Thus, we have a Shepherd who is always with us, watching over us and providing even when life seems impossible to bear.
My encouragement for you this week is to rest in the only One who can nourish your soul. To know Him more deeply than you did yesterday. Slow down and let “His goodness and love” that is following you, catch up to you.