When we first think of Psalm 23, phrases like these come to mind: green pastures, still waters, restores my soul and they comfort me. This may give the impression that the chapter is focused on a peaceful situation. In reality, the chapter is filled with dangers.
Recently, I spoke with someone that had been having increasing anxiety. As he had approached adulthood, he became more aware of the dangers and deception in the world and was not able to process it. I spoke with him about Psalm 23.
The phrase “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” stood out. This person had been wishing for the bad thoughts to go away, but God does not provide us a life free from evil, hard and scary things around us. Instead, He is our protector as we walk through them. He is our Shepherd if we let Him be. A shepherd watches out for danger and guards the sheep from very real threats to them.
When my daughter was young, she was afraid of storms, while my boys slept right through them. I realized that the same house is protecting all of my kids. Some realize they are being protected, and others don’t. Sheep who trust the shepherd, “lie down in green pastures,” where sheep that look with an untrained eye are afraid of every rock that looks like a wolf.
The wolves and mountain lions live in the green pastures and by still waters too. That is where they try to eat the sheep. The sheep that trust in the shepherd lie down in peace, not because there is no danger, but instead because they know they are protected from it.
Jesus showed us the same. He was sleeping peacefully in the boat, when the disciples came to Him in a panic thinking the ship was about to sink before He got up and calmed the storm (Matthew 8:23-27).
For us to really recognize the peace that comes with Psalm 23, we must anchor ourselves in the first verse, “The Lord is my shepherd…” If the Lord is our shepherd, we know we can trust him. In John 10 verse 11, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” In verse 27 He goes onto say, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” When we know the voice of Jesus (understand the will of God), we can learn to trust Him as our protector in this life and He gives us a new perspective.
King David wrote Psalm 23. In the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, we see that David actually lived a very tough life. He was made fun of by his brothers. A giant, his king, and his son all tried to kill him, and another son died as a consequence to his own sin. David was unique though among others. He kept a perspective that God was in control.
The story of David and Goliath paints this picture beautifully. When you see pictures of “David and Goliath” it is normally with a great big soldier standing over a little boy. Everyone on the battlefield saw it from this perspective except one. “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”(1 Samuel 17:45) David had the true picture. Everyone else thought it was an unfair fight between a little boy and a trained soldier, but David knew that it was an unfair fight in the other direction. The God who created the universe was fighting against a person. The true image is not a giant standing over a boy, but rather a satellite image of the whole earth where God is finding the tiny spec of resistance. To God it did not matter if it was a giant or an army of 1,000. From that perspective, it all looks the same.
Like Jesus, Paul endured a dangerous situation in a boat that actually resulted in a shipwreck (Acts 27). When everyone else was in a panic, Paul knew so well that God had a purpose for him, that he could calmly lead them through a very scary circumstance.
When we are in tune with the voice of God (understanding what He desires for us), then we know who our Shepherd really is. We will realize problems that are too big for us are easily handled by our Shepherd. Then “goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” no matter our circumstances.
Psalm 23
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will 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 anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
