Psalm 23

https://odb.org/2023/12/04/shadow-and-light

Psalm 23 is perhaps one of the most beautiful of David’s Psalms. It starts off by proclaiming that God is his shepherd, my shepherd, and thus, he immediately establishes a direct relationship with God. It was yet the time of Jesus Christ, and God’s relationship with Israel then was with the nation, the people. It was a corporate relationship and not as individuals. But then David was King, the sovereign and could be said to represent the nation of Israel. Be that as it may, the point is David saw the LORD as his shepherd, and he then backs up that assertion by the attributes of God that some he had probably experienced first hand and some perhaps still aspirational. Scholars believe that he wrote Psalm 23 when he was much older and likely when he was pursued by Absalom, his own son that had executed a coup d’etat to overthrow him although shortlived.

As shepherd, God brings us to places of nourishment, green pastures, and still water, meaning safe and secure places for our daily bread, physical as well as spiritual. Most importantly, we shall not want as we will have no lack in our needs. Jesus assured us that as God takes care of the birds of the air and nature, He will take care of us. As God leads us through valleys of the shadow of death, we fear no evil for his staff and rod comfort us. But more pertinently, in this era of Jesus Christ having died for our sins, our final destination is assured and secured. Our heavenly shepherd will set a table for us in the presence of our enemies (similar in my view to what David did for Mephibosheth earlier) and make sure that our cup overflows (signifies abundant grace). Thus, surely goodness and mercy will follow us the rest of our days, and we dwell in the house of the LORD forever. The latter foretells our days to be lived in eternity with God.

I guess we need to be reminded every now and then that we have a heavenly shepherd caring, protecting, and providing for us each day. Even if we have to go through valleys of the shadow of death, we are not afraid of evil as the Lord’s covering is upon us. Evil has no hold or power over us anymore. We are able to break free from sin. We have a place at His table, and His blessings and anointing upon us are overflowing. Life and its challenges are unavoidable, but with God as our shepherd, we know that we will overcome and come up tops. We refuse to be cowed down. We are not downcast and will not be defeated. With God as our shepherd, we know that we will emerge victorious whether it is our career, our business, our children, or our health condition. Ultimately, we will win and finish this race as Jesus Christ’s good and faithful servant!