When Morgan was three he tore a page out of my bible. Going on two years later this page sticks out awkwardly and is the default place my bible falls open. Honestly I kind of love it, being reminded almost every day of the baby hands that turned the pages of my bible. I also love the particular page he tore out:
And speak of the page ripper outer. There he is playing at my feet today.
The page my boy tore out is John 10. It says this:
11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
John 10
Jesus is speaking here and He’s saying something fairly incredible to the people listening to Him. He’s stating that He’s the Shepherd David was speaking about all those years ago in the Psalm we’re focusing on today. Jesus is saying “I’m here! It’s me! All those things David told you about - you’ll find all those things in me.”
So let’s look today at the 23rd Psalm. Arguably the most famous Psalm, I pray today that new life will be breathed into it. That this Psalm will be rejuvenated inside of us.
The LORD, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I 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 have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
We’re going to take a look at David’s words line by line, but first let’s look at David himself. David was a great king of Israel, a flawed man who loved God deeply, but also knew how much God loved him. The Savior of all of mankind was promised to come through the lineage of David. But before all of this grandeur David was simply a shepherd boy who loved music. David was strong and good and handsome. He was devoted to his job as shepherd and had killed many wild animals to keep his sheep safe. So when he was given the words to what we know as Psalm 23 this topic of shepherding was close to his heart. He knew the cost and devotion of caring for sheep.
When Jesus makes the claim that He is this Shepherd described in Psalm 23 he surpassed David, a huge claim to make in front of devout Jews of the time. Jesus tells them while David simply risked his life for his sheep Jesus would give His life for His sheep.
Let’s lean in now and listen to these words from our Savior, Jesus. Let these words fall on new ears and fresh heart.
The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want
Jesus Himself is my caregiver. He guards me and meets all of my needs.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters
He gives me life! Full, lush, green, abundant life! Here there is joy, and there is also deep peace.
He restores my soul
We were headed for death and destruction, but Jesus, through His death and resurrection, returns our life to us.
He guides me in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake
Those who follow Jesus have been washed in righteousness. We are heirs to heaven because He gifted us very own perfection - His righteousness.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me
The valleys in the desert of Judah are filled with deep shadows, places perfect for bandits to hide or wild animals to sit in wait. In these valleys flash floods occur in the dry stream beds. But even in such places filled with danger and fear and unknown circumstances Jesus is with us and we have no reason to be afraid. He sees it all.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me
A rod and staff were meant to bring sheep back into the fold. This discipline may seem uncomfortable, but it’s for our good. Jesus will gladly sacrifice our comfort for our spiritual safety.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
When you belong to Him, you are cared for. Even when we’re attacked, Jesus is near. He not only will provide in your time of trouble, but He will give you a feast. A time of celebration in the middle of an attack where the faithful are given blessing and abundance. Jesus is showing your enemies to be powerless.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life
David knows that God is faithful. Since He has shown goodness and lovingkindess in the past, David believes these things will follow the faithful throughout their lives.
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
For a non-priest to hear this, that the average person could have direct access to God, is wonderful news. When we have Jesus we have full access to God and we daily dwell with His presence inside us.
So when I put it all together, the 23rd Psalm could read something like this:
Jesus is your Caregiver.
In Him you have everything you need.
You have life!
You have peace.
You are covered in His righteousness.
This righteousness has saved your soul.
Even when things seems scary, there’s no need to be afraid.
Jesus is near.
When we need correction, it can be uncomfortable, but Jesus is doing it for our good.
The enemy has no power over us because Jesus is the ultimate power.
He has been faithful before and He will be faithful always.
Because of the goodness of Jesus we get to dwell with the presence of God everyday and always.
These promises are yours for the taking, beloved. Never doubt that you are the one sheep for whom Jesus left the ninety-nine. He is entirely devoted to you and your well-being. All needs are met in this Good Shepherd, the Heir of David’s throne.
But let's be mindful these promises are contingent on us being the sheep. Sheep that trust the Shepherd. Sheep that are willing to be guided. Sheep that are faithful to the Shepherd. We cannot be given the fullness of God's promises if we continually take ourselves away from His sovereignty and protection.
This Psalm says it all - where we go to for salvation, care, and love. This Psalm is too good to not hide in our hearts. Let’s make a pact today to memorize it and recite it to ourselves when things are sad or scary or uncertain. Or even better, let's recite it in honor and praise to a very Good Shepherd. Let it be the default page to which our hearts open when we need to remember we are loved beyond measure.
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