The Lord Is My Shepherd

The 23rd Psalm begins: 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.

Powerful imagery isn’t it? Even though the realities of shepherding and sheep are far removed from my suburban setting, it still resonates.

I’ve never been to the middle east, but I understand that outside of the fertile valleys, there is a lot of desolate rocky land. And so I can imagine shepherds leading the sheep across the wasteland to find the green pastures for food, and still waters for drink. And I can imagine all the dangers along the way, wild animals, thieves… On top of that, I understand that sheep are notoriously dumb, and are prone to wander off. They need a shepherd.

While the comparison to sheep is not exactly a flattering metaphor, it is apt!

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes find myself in the wilderness. Sometimes I’m there like the stupid sheep – because I’ve wandered off in the wrong direction. I often find myself confused or lost. And other times I’m there in that wilderness by no fault of my own. As life unfolds, we don’t have to travel very far to learn that much of it is completely out of our control. If you’ve spent much time in the ICU of a hospital or had a loved one die too young or come face to face with the diagnosis of cancer, then you know…

One of the things I appreciate about the 23rd Psalm is that it doesn’t deny the reality of the world we live in. Even with the Lord as our shepherd, we still travel through dark valleys, we still face enemies, and we still journey through the wilderness. However, the Psalm is a potent reminder that we do not take this journey alone. 

Thanks be to God.

Let us pray: Loving God, you are our shepherd. We shall not want. You lead us beside still waters, and you have promised to restore our souls. We lay before you now anything stirring within us that is weighing heavy on us… Lead us again on the right paths… Even though we walk through the darkest valley, we trust that you are with us. Help us to see how even in the wilderness, you have anointed us with blessing, and how our cups truly overflow… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell alongside you our whole life long. Amen.