One of the most comforting chapters in the Bible, Psalm 23, was written by King David.
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.
Though most folks are just familiar with this chapter as being the most read at funerals, indeed it is most useful to us prior to that event. In these tumultuous chaotic times of war and threats of war, power hungry politicians, and uncertainty we can take comfort in God’s word, especially this passage. In it our Father reassures us that he is the Good Shepherd, and nothing will separate us from Him, not on this earth or thereafter.
“The Lord is my shepherd.” With these words, believers are taught that we are in the care of the great Pastor of the Universe, the Redeemer and Preserver of men. With joy David reflects that he has a shepherd, and that shepherd is God.
David had been a shepherd in his youth and was very familiar with the duties that came with it. Bears and wolves were a constant threat to the flock of sheep and the need for water and pastures was of paramount importance. Essentially without the shepherd the sheep could not survive. David compares Believers to a flock of sheep being protected by a loving shepherd who leads them to lush green pastures. A picture is painted here of Christ’s church with sheep, gentle and harmless, peacefully feeding under the watchful care of our tender shepherd Jesus Christ. It reminds me of several whitetail deer that were feeding on acorns in my front yard yesterday evening. A spotted fawn was with them and went over and began to suckle its mother while my wife and I gleefully watched the splendor of God’s creation. It was a peaceful scene and I thought of how God watches over even the least of His creation with tenderness and love and how much more so He must be watching over us. It was far removed from the societal woes that we read about or watch on the news.
The wicked relish only in what pleases the senses, which yields a never-ending longing for more. Their lives reflect the opposite of peaceful contentment and safety. But those of us made righteous through Christ choose faith which enables us to taste and enjoy the goodness of God’s quiet and contentment of the mind and even though one might have but little of what the world has to offer, it is a lush pasture to those of us who believe and love Christ.
He leads me beside still waters. It’s interesting to note the most important thing for sheep is water and not just water, but clean water. Sheep will not drink from water that is fast moving. The water must be still to alleviate their fear that they may drink of it. (Water in the Bible often refers to the Holy Spirit.) The most important thing to a believer is the Holy Spirit. In John 4:13-14 Jesus says to the woman at the well: “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” He refers to the Holy Spirit in this verse. The comforts that the Holy Spirit provides are the peaceful still waters by which the saints are led; the streams which flow from the Fountain of living waters, God Himself. Only those who walk in the paths of righteousness are led by the still waters of comfort. Incidentally you can take it from me, someone who has tried just about everything, including the good, bad, and ugly in life, it is truly the only pleasant way to traverse this world. Take the path of life and you will never regret it; choose the other path at your own peril.
The valley of the shadow of death denotes the part of God’s flock that currently exist on earth and those that have gone to heaven, death lies like a dark valley that must be passed when going from one to the other. We should not be terrorized by it, as a shadow is harmless and runs from the light. Our Shepherd is the light. It is but the shadow of death: the shadow of a snake will not bite, nor the shadow of a sword kill. While it is true that death is a valley, deep indeed, and dark, and miry; but valleys are often fruitful, and so is death itself, fruitful of everlasting comforts to God’s people. It is a walk through it: they shall not be lost in this valley but arrive safely to the mountain on the other side.
Matthew Henry wrote: “Death is a king of terrors, but not to the sheep of Christ. When they come to die, God will rebuke the enemy; he will guide them with his rod and sustain them with his staff. There is enough in the gospel to comfort the saints when dying, and underneath them are the everlasting arms. The Lord’s people feast at his table, upon the provisions of his love. Satan and wicked men are not able to destroy their comforts, because God’s people are anointed with the Holy Spirit, and drink of the cup of salvation which is never empty. The Bible assures believers to trust that the goodness and mercy of God will follow them all the days of their lives. It should be everyone’s desire and determination, to seek their happiness in the service of God while living here in this hostile environment and look forward to enjoying God’s love forever in heaven. While here, the Lord can make any situation pleasant, through His Spirit and the joys of salvation. But those that would be satisfied with the blessings of his house, must keep close to the duties of it.
1 Cor. 2:10
Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.