"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 the path 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 will follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."- Psalm 23
King David knew what it was like to be a shepherd. He knew how the sheep needed someone to protect them from the wolves and lions that came to try and thin the herd. He understood the similarities between sheep and human, in regards to how we respond to dangerous situations. In times of fear, we run to a place of solace, a safe place where we feel secure. As Christians, this should be in the arms of the Great Shepherd, God the Father. He knows how to comfort us, what to provide and when to give this provision. With God, we have everything we need right when we need it. But then David continues by saying that He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters. Besides having all that we need under the protection of the shepherd, we are made to lie down and rest. God knows how to fight our battles and will use his rod and staff to keep at bay the evil around us.
Like any good shepherd, God knows where to lead us so that we can feed on green pastures, but he also leads us along the righteous path. He will guide us in the way we will go, we just need to be willing sheep who will go along with whatever and wherever the Lord directs.
"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." Sometimes, our righteous path has some dark places. Trials of this life and tribulation in the journey that are important to our walk. But, because the shepherd is always there to guide and protect us, we know we will make it to the other side and stand again on the mountaintop. In Israel, there is a physical valley called the valley of the shadow of death, and it is believed that David was in fact loosely referring to this valley. It is a dangerous passageway, that if you traversed it unprepared, you could easily fall from the path, as well as this was a popular place for robbers to hide out and attack unsuspecting travelers. David is assuring believers that even down the rough patches of life, God is still in command and has full control. Our shepherd will guide us through every rocky road life has to offer.
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" David is reminding us that even though there will be valleys of hardships, we will be victorious, and we we emerge on the other side, there will a table full of provision, abundance and the love of the Father. Are the enemies from death valley gone? Not usually, but we can sit at God's table with the assurance that Satan knows, despite his efforts, we came out victorious and are know resting in the Father's goodness and mercy.
David affirms this point with the last verse of this beloved psalm. "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." we have victory through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, and because of that victory, nothing we walk through has the power to knock us from the trail as long as we trust the Shepherd to lead us through the journey.
Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Mission from God.
*photo credit- Catlins Green Pasture Photography-pixel.com
