A few thoughts on a beloved Psalm as I sit at a campsite.
1a The Lord is my shepherd;
I have a shepherd, therefore I am a sheep. Like a sheep, I tend to go astray. Like a sheep, I have no defenses; I’m prey not predator. Sheep need shepherds, and I have one. But not only do I have a shepherd, but just look at WHO my shepherd is – it is The Lord. Yahweh. Creator and sustainer of all that is. HE, God himself, is my shepherd. Amazing.
1b I shall not want.
With an all-sufficient, all-providing GOD as my shepherd, then I should have no wants. I should be content with where that all-sufficient, all-knowing shepherd has me. If there were a better place just over the hill, that’s where this shepherd would lead me. Knowing the character of my shepherd, I should rest, I should not be constantly wanting.
2a He makes me lie down in green pastures.
I need pasture for sustenance, my shepherd takes me there. Green pastures, good food for my soul. I notice this, and I know it’s true – He “makes” me “lie down” there. Why am I so restless and discontent such that the shepherd has to MAKE me lie down? I must be blind to the green pastures, blinded by ideas of ever greener pastures. But He makes me lie down to feed my soul with things such as this very psalm.
2b He leads me beside still waters.
I not only need food, I need water. Water to quench all my thirsts. He leads me not to wild, rushing, flooding waters that endanger all that come near it, but to still water. He leads me to satisfy my thirsts there, at the place He takes me.
3a He restores my soul.
My soul, my inner being, my mind, my emotions, my will. These are buffeted by the world in a million ways a day. Beat up. Bruised. Some by the world’s actions against me, but honestly many by my own choosing. When I won’t “lie down” in green pastures. When I want what I shouldn’t have. BUT, He restores my soul. Brings me back, brings me to repent, brings me back to himself as shepherd. His theme is every time you wander…I will restore. We do not deserve such a good shepherd.
3b He leads me in the paths of righteousness
When He walks on a path and leads his sheep, he always and only picks the right and best path. I notice it doesn’t say the flattest, quickest, easiest path. It is always the righteous path He leads us on. One of those “wants” I shouldn’t have is this – I’d like that flat, easy, broad path. But He’s warned me that path is certainly there, but it leads to destruction. Most other sheep that are not his are on it since it is easy. Be He leads me on the “right” path, though it’s very narrow, but my shepherd knows where it leads and he wants the destination for me. He knows, and he told me, there are few on this path of righteousness, but he knows the good of the destination.
3c for his name’s sake.
Why? Why? Why does He do all this? Why does he bother himself to lead to pastures and water, to make me lie down, to be a shepherd of this dirty sheep? It is not because the sheep inherently deserve it. We sheep like to go astray, wander off, want more than the shepherd has provided. The answer to the why question is this: For his name’s sake. Because of who He is. Because of the glory of who He is. To display to all creation who He is. His name represents all that He is and its for the sake of His name. The great “I AM”. He is a God of mercy and grace and displays the glory of all His perfect attributes on undeserving sheep in order to proclaim the truth of his name.
4a Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
Now hold on – I thought he only led me to green pastures and still waters. Nice and peaceful stuff. I like that. What’s this about valleys; valleys of death? Well, I know life isn’t all nice green pastures and nice ponds of still waters. Wish it was, but it’s not. There are wolves and all sorts of dangers bent on killing me. Death itself is a stalking enemy. So this is real, its not hiding anything, its not wearing rose-colored glasses – there are times when we walk through valleys. The paths he leads on are not nice and flat.
4b I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
So if I’m understanding and recognizing who my shepherd is, and that He is WITH ME, not only will I not want, but I won’t fear. Though evil is all around, prowling, wanting to consume all we hold dear, we won’t fear it IF we recognize the closeness of our shepherd. Admittedly, easier said than done when we are in the thick of it and is thus one of, if not the most repeated command to us sheep – do not fear.
4c Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Rods and staffs don’t seem to be instruments of “comfort”. At first glance, they seem the opposite of comfort. “Rod of correction” or “rod of iron” come to mind. But upon reflection, and knowing the character of the wielder of such, they do strangely become a comfort because you know they will be used for your good. The shepherd not only uses them in defense, beating back the enemies, but as correction for straying sheep who want to wander over to the broad, easy path – the one that is not the “path of righteousness”. I can view a fence as stifling my freedom, hemming me in, until I see the enemies outside salivating, wanting to devour me as a defenseless sheep. Then I love the fence. So your rod and your staff, now that I see, are comforts to me.
5a You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Wow. My shepherd prepares a feast table…for me. Again, I’m reminded it’s for His name’s sake – to show his extravagant, almost scandalous nature as a giver to his sheep. The attention should not be on the sheep, but on this shepherd who sets a table for the sheep. And where does he do this? Right there in the presence of those who would devour the sheep. He is so not threatened by them. The one in control of every molecule of the universe is not threatened by any enemy. All bow to His command, all are doing their part in His plan. If I’m ever to “not fear”, it will be because I understand this and Him. He can set a feast right in the middle of enemies.
5b You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Anointing someone’s head with oil – that happens to kings! Why is he anointing me? This shepherd tells me, and this is incredible, that I will reign with Him! Just something I can’t imagine at this point. What shepherd does this?!? Answer: ours. He pours out goodness such that we can’t contain it, any cup we have overflows.
5c Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
Because of who this shepherd is, and only that, goodness will be mine. Mercy shall be mine. And what is mercy? Not getting what I deserve. A sheep that doesn’t want this shepherd is left to his own devices and reaps death. That’s what I deserve for all my desire to stray, my fearing, my “wants”, my discontent, a heart that He has to “make lie down” even in green pastures. I do not receive what all that deserves; I instead receive mercy. Not just mercy which would get me back to zero, but goodness. He wipes away what I deserve and then gives what I need. I notice this is not a one time thing, he will do this all the days of my life. What a shepherd!
5d and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
So though He leads me down this narrow path, through tough valleys, in the shadow of eventual death, He knows where the path leads – His own house. That’s where He’s leading me (with goodness and mercy all along the way). Once we get there, we don’t pack up supplies and head out again, no we DWELL there – forever. An eternal home. No more wandering on paths; we’re home. Home with our eternal shepherd.
Forever.