Psalm 23:1 A Psalm of David. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
While many of the Psalms might very well be unfamiliar to us and blend together nebulously in our minds, Psalm 23 tends to be the exception. We may be more than familiar with it; this may be the one psalm that we have memorized.
Now consider David for a moment. He was known for many things: he defeated Goliath; he was victorious in battle; he danced before the Lord; he had a heart for God. The prophet Samuel even anointed David while he was still a youth. David knew the Lord in many different ways, so consider this:
In the Psalm that so many hold dear –why does David begin by calling the Lord his “shepherd?” Why doesn’t he call God his “King”? Or his “Rock”? His “Redeemer”? Or the “Almighty”? All of these are true – yet he begins by calling him “his shepherd.” …Why do you think that is?
It is an image from his youth. David used to be a shepherd himself. Shepherding would evoke memories full of connection and comfort, images full of peace and serenity. “He maketh me like down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside still waters.” Memories and images that are so life-giving we almost forget he is “walking in the shadow of death.”
The point this morning is this: as we reflect on the character of our God, we have a deep sense of His steadiness. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” And that steadiness is the foundation for us to have peace in all things.
David knew what it meant to be a shepherd. It evoked closeness and relationship. He found peace by calling God his Shepherd.
So what do you call Him?
Father, would You remind us of your constant steady presence as we begin a new week? Would You give us a renewed sense of who You are? For “our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” Amen.
