Devo 25: The Lord is my Shepherd

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.

Yea, 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 midst of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord. Forever.

Psalm 23

Imagine David writing this psalm as he was sitting on the hills of Bethlehem. Perhaps, it was the day the lion or the bear attacked him. He actually had to walk through a literal valley in Israel called “The Valley of the Shadow of Death”—named thus because it was a dangerous place. This song was probably written while he was in a place of danger. He probably sang it while he felt loneliness and emptiness. Yet, David begins the song by stating the nature of who God is—The Lord is my shepherd.

Jesus also used this title of the shepherd. He said, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for His sheep…” He goes on to say that the shepherd protects the sheep from the wolves and lays down His life for His sheep. He knows them and they know His voice.

As Jesus knelt in the garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, I imagine this psalm was on His mind, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…Your rod and staff, they comfort me…” The rod and staff of the Lord are His guidance, His leading. They were comforting to Jesus even though He said, “Let this cup pass from Me;” yet, He still prayed “not my will but Yours be done (Luke 22:42).”

Both Jesus and David were able to pray these prayers, not because everything was going well, but because they knew who the Father was. He is the Good Shepherd. He knows how to lead us, and His leadership is perfect.

One key element in this passage is when David says, “I will fear no evil.” Imagine that statement coming from a teenage boy in the middle of the wilderness where bandits, bears, lions, wolves, etc. are prowling around waiting to take his life. It is in this place that the Lord sets up a table in the midst of his enemies. We can put our trust in that same Good Shepherd who loves us and His perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18); however, even like David, we have to tell ourselves these things and speak them to our spirits, so that we begin to believe them and truly trust Him.

Not only did this psalm come out of David’s revelation of who God is, but it also came from a revelation of his future hope. He said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” David saw his future hope of dwelling in the house of the Lord, gazing upon his beauty (Psalm 27:4). The writer of Hebrews mentions this future hope in reference to Abraham who set His eyes on the invisible city whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:8-10).

Like the heroes of the faith, we must set our eyes on the nature of God and on our future hope. No matter the circumstances, we can trust His leadership and He will deliver us from fear.

This week, set aside 20 minutes a day and pray different phrases of this psalm. Meditate on them by singing them, writing them, saying them out loud while emphasizing different words in the sentence. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you as the Good Shepherd. Ask Him to build your trust and faith in Him. Ask Him to restore your soul and deliver you from fear. Ask Him to show you your hope for living with Him in eternity. Look at difficult circumstances in your life and imagine the Lord setting up a table for you right in the midst of your enemies.

Lord, I pray You would reveal Yourself to us as the Good Shepherd. Teach us to trust your leadership and deliver us from fear. Fill us with your perfect love and restore our souls. Teach us about our future hope of dwelling in your house for all eternity.

Blessings,

Amanda

Copyright © 2010, Amanda Rich, All Rights Reserved