Happy Wednesday, folks! Today we continue in our month of Psalms devotion with a look at Psalms 23. I am excited for our devotion today because we have a guest blogger with us. One of my students and close friends, Ms. Laura Duncan has written the devotion for today, so sit back, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy.
‘Tis the season for thanksgiving! But shouldn’t we be thankful all year? Shouldn’t we focus more on thanksgiving even when it’s not close to Thanksgiving Day? Sure, we all know we’re supposed to be thankful, especially when we have things about which to be thankful. But… don’t we always? It’s easy to think of things to be thankful for when we’re on the mountain top, full of joy and prospering. But what about when we’re in the valley, the darkest valley? Guess what! We still have plenty to be thankful for even in the valleys!
Psalm 23 was written by David in a time of exile. He was fleeing King Saul and constantly under the threat of losing his life. Rather than being a Psalm of lament, as me might expect from this period of his life, David praised the Lord and expressed his confidence in God’s power and protection!
“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. 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.” (Psalm 23, HCSB)
David begins this Psalm by asserting that the Lord is his shepherd. David himself used to be a shepherd! David was the youngest of Jesse’s sons. He tended his father’s flock of sheep in Bethlehem. He, with God’s strength and courage and defensive talents he learned as a shepherd, defeated Goliath. David understood what it meant to be a shepherd. It meant tending to the sheep, watching them, keeping count of them, leading them in the right direction, providing for them, and protecting them from predators.
So, when David said the Lord is his shepherd, he was saying that the Lord watches over him, leads him, provides for him, and protects him. Immediately after stating that the Lord is his shepherd – and stating in such a resolute way, making it clear that David believed it – he said, “There is nothing I lack,” further proving his trust that God would provide for his every need. Remember that David said this in a time of great distress as he was fleeing from Saul who was envious of God’s favor with David. David’s life was on the line, and he was running from an angry and envious king. Yet he praised God for being his shepherd and providing everything he needed.
In verse two, David wrote, “He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.” Sheep aren’t incredibly intelligent animals, which is why they need a shepherd. A good shepherd will know what his sheep need. David described the working of the Lord in regular shepherding terms. A good shepherd will lead his sheep to green pastures where they will be able to rest and graze on healthy plants. A good shepherd will lead his sheep beside quiet waters. Notice the wording here: beside quiet waters. It would be difficult for sheep to drink from roaring rapids… They might even fall in! The shepherd knows that his sheep need a water source from which they are able to drink, such as a stream or a creek. Quiet waters! In the same way, God will provide places and things from which we can sustain ourselves physically and spiritually, which would be our own kind of green pastures and quiet waters. We should always be thankful for God’s provision and that He knows exactly what we need.
David wrote in verse three, “He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.” We can have renewed life from no one and no where else but God, our Creator. He gave us life and He alone can renew it (2 Corinthians 4:16). He renews our life physically by leading us to those green pastures and quiet waters mentioned earlier, and by spiritually guiding and correcting us as David mentions later in this Psalm.
God leads us “along right paths” or “paths of righteousness.” Our purpose on this earth is to glorify God, and to do that we must follow and obey His commands. As Christians, we all have the same command, to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). We are commanded to make disciples. Our callings are more specific and individual ways God desires us for us to make disciples. This command and these callings are the paths on which our Good Shepherd leads us. And it is for His name’s sake that we obey Him and follow where He leads us. It is for His name’s sake, meaning for His glory alone – not for our own pleasure or fulfillment, but for the glory of our Father. However, we may find pleasure and fulfillment in following God’s command and call on our lives when the desires of our hearts align with His will. “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires” (Psalm 37:4).
Verse four, one of my favorite verses, begins, “Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me.” In a battle, a valley is the last place we want to be. Being at the lowest point puts us at a great disadvantage. Enemies will surround us from above, trapping us below. It’s a lot harder to fight going uphill than it is to fight going downhill. We’re in a spiritual battle every single day. Some days we are in the valley. But our Good Shepherd is there with us! Even in the darkest valley, He is with us. And because He’s the God and Creator of the universe, He is also above the valley. He knows where every enemy is. He knows every inch of the mountains and the valleys because He made them. God is with us in the valleys, and we know He will sustain us and provide for our every need, so we have no reason to fear.
David showed this in his life. Even though he was being threatened by Saul and running for his life, he praised God, knowing he was going through the darkest valley. But he had no reason to fear because God was with him. Let’s be thankful knowing the same is true for us!
David continued verse four by saying, “Your rod and Your staff – they comfort me.” How can a rod and staff be comforting? First, we have to see why the rod and staff were used. A shepherd carried a rod to protect his sheep. The rod was his weapon to fight off wolves and other predators. He carried a staff to correct his sheep. He could guide them along quiet waters or keep them from the edge of a cliff. David used this imagery to describe God’s protecting and correcting hand. God protects us from dangers, and He has provided the ultimate protection from hell by sending His only Son to die and take the punishment for our sins. We can surrender our lives to Christ and accept that perfect gift. God corrects us by filling us with the Holy Spirit and convicting us when we sin. We should view our convictions as an act of grace from God because He allows us to recognize our sin and turn from it, rather than letting us live blindly in our sin.
Verse five says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” God is gracious enough to prepare a symbolic banquet for us, showing His goodness and mercy in giving us more than we deserve. Historically, a gracious host would anoint his guest’s head with oil as a symbol of honor, an honor we may receive if we are covered by the precious and righteous blood of Christ! David describes his cup as overflowing, signifying that God has provided an abundance for him.
David ended the Psalm with verse six, which says, “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.” David paints a blissful picture in this last verse. He understands that God, who is the definition of goodness and faithful love, has prepared a dwelling place for His children, for believers.
We can be encouraged through David’s assurance that, even as he went through the dark valley of fleeing for his life, God was his Good Shepherd, protecting, guiding, correcting, and sustaining him through all of it. Just as David was, so should we be thankful for God’s daily protection, guidance, correction, and provision on every mountain and in every valley.
You can follow Laura on her blog post Pleasure in a Good Novel where she blogs about God, the Bible, and books. She is an active reader, blogger and photographer. You can follow her photography business at Laura Beth Inventum Photography.
Thanks for reading and have a blessed Wednesday.
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