There's something about Psalm 23. It is beloved by many, a source of hope, rich with pastoral imagery and the promise of God’s comfort throughout life. This is a Psalm I like to linger over whenever I read it; it cries out to be savoured, meditated on, and cherished. Psalm 23 is not to be rushed through. I’ve sensed lately a call to revisit this Psalm afresh, not only for me personally but for the church as a whole. ( Scroll to the end for more resources on Psalm 23!).
There are times when God seems to be turning the volume up in certain areas of our lives, when He wants us to pay attention to a particular verse or passage of scripture. The emphasis can change from season to season. In His grace I believe God often gives us a word in due season, a Spirit filled nudge in the right direction.
I take notice when the same passage of scripture keeps popping up in the books I read or in my devotional times. When a friend prays the same scripture over me, when a new book based on that scripture or theme is released that I desperately want to dive into, and when a podcast episode (or 3) just happens to- you guessed it- focus on that same scripture. I love when God does this. I love that God is intentional with everything He does and everything He says. His word is living and active. At these times this refrain from Jesus comes to mind “He who has ears to hear let him hear”.
Psalm 23 has been popping up all over the place lately, so lets pay attention with an open heart and an ear to hear together…
Psalm 23 The Good Shepherd
A psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have what I need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life;
he leads me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
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.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live. (1-6 CSB)
From the outset the Psalm counteracts the spirit of this age by firmly declaring the Lord as our Shepherd. He is Lord, we are not. We follow Him, not our own desires, nor our own needs and plans for self actualisation. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit will lead, guide and protect us from every evil. Our deepest need for love, forgiveness and eternal security have been met in Christ. We have all we really need when we know Him.
He lets us lie down. God almighty lets us rest. There is no need for us to carry our own burdens any longer. We have been given permission to cast our burdens upon Jesus. Why? because He cares for us. Christ declares this to be a good enough reason to take our burdens; but its so simple to us that we fail to truly grasp it. God in His mercy will sustain us. We have done absolutely nothing to deserve this burden free life, but nevertheless it is ours if we will follow His lead to the quiet waters, taking up His easy yoke and light burden instead.
For me this looks like leading a quiet life, minding my own business ( not comparing and contrasting my life with anyone else's), and working with my own hands (writing, homemaking, volunteering and serving in my local church).
He renews our lives. When we believed in Him we became new creations, not conforming to this demanding world but being transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we might prove to the world the unsurpassed goodness of His will. We are not simply called to consume God’s word but to process it. We need still waters and quietness in our lives to process and reflect on the scriptures, to chew the proverbial cud.
God will keep us on the right path for His name and for His glory. We’ll have our moment in the spotlight so that others might see our good works and glorify not us, but our Father in heaven. He is the one who began a good work in us and He will be faithful to complete it.
Dark times will come, and are here for many of us. But the flood waters of crisis and uncertainty will not drown us, His perfect love will drive out fear. He will comfort us, He will help us, He will be a very present help in our time of need.
He has prepared a place for us. We have a home and this broken earth is not it. We look forward to living in the glorious city that has solid foundations, built and made by the master Architect. He will restore us and conserve us for that time. He has a plan and a divine purpose for our existence. We can sit in the Lord’s presence with increasing joy and contentment as we pray for our enemies, bless those who persecute us and seek to overcome evil with good.
If David could see past the gruelling years of pursuit by an insane king Saul to acknowledge the pursuit of God in his life, then we can too. If we can honestly confess that we belong to Christ, that we know Him, that we are trusting in Him; then that is evidence of goodness and faithful love pursuing us. He loved us first. He initiated the whole thing. For God so loved that He gave, that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life. We are part of the whosoever. We are recipients of the grand pursuit. Goodness and faithfulness have been and will be our lifelong companions in the kingdom of God.
I can think of no other rightful response to being brought out of darkness into His marvellous light than to determine in our hearts that we will follow the Good Shepherd, and dwell in the house of the Lord as long as we live.
Resources on Psalm 23:
I have a name for that repetition in my life - I call them ‘God Winks’. The “coincidences” that are God placed and not really coincidence at all.
I love when God uses repetition to garner our attention. It's always something so very needed and timely. Thank you for this reminder.