Assistant Editor ~ Faith McCray
Psalm 23 is a Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
There are many cross references, lessons, and stories within Psalm 23. God is described as a caring shepherd in Psalm 23. Yet no one today knows what the job of a “shepherd” is. What exactly is it they do? And why is god depicted as such?
There are many responsibilities of a shepherd; however, a primary responsibility is to guard their flock. Everynight a shepherd has to do a headcount of his sheep to make sure none have gone missing and none have been stolen. Cross reference to Jeremiah 33:13. Not only does a shepherd have to tend to the wounds of their sheep, but when they have been attacked he binds up the injured and strengthens the weak. Cross reference to Ezekiel 34:16.
In scripture, God is depicted as the kind of shepherd who does more than provide food, shelter, and safety; he even blesses his flock. In Ezekiel 34 God is described as the “good shepherd.” God is in fact the good shepherd because he goes out his way to lead, love, protect, and comfort us in the time of need.
This Psalm happens to be my favorite out of all 150 of them. When I first started my battle with mental health, I remember calling my mom to talk to her because I was having a rough time. She told me “open the bible to Psalm 23 and read it outloud.” When I did, I immediately felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy weight was lifted off of my shoulders. When it comes to the rest of the week, I want you to think about how you could apply Psalms 23 to it. I know I will remember that God is always with me, will never leave me, nor forsake me.