The beautiful imagery of this psalm hearkens back to David’s time as a shepherd—caring for and even willing to endanger his life to protect his flock, just as our heavenly Shepherd did and does for us.
Verses 1-4
The Lord is my Shepherd. There is nothing I lack.
My first instinct when I read verse 1 is to argue. Yes, the Lord is all I need spiritually, but what of bills, food, a home…and hair products! But when I pause and break down what David is saying, I know he is right.
- THE – The Creator of the universe. The One True God.
- LORD – My Master. My Savior. The One deserving of my life.
- IS – Now and forever and before time began.
- MY – Personal. Connected. Committed to me as His daughter.
- SHEPHERD – Guide. Companion. Protector. Provider. Confidant. Friend.
The good Shepherd is not guiding only my soul, but my entire being. He isn’t going to leave me in want—at least not unless depriving me of my wants or needs is what is best for me.
The first four verses describe a peaceful existence of refreshment, of help in times of trouble, and protection from the enemy. If He cares about all of that, surely He cares about the rest of my concerns as well.
Verses 5-6
These verses don’t paint a life of smooth sailing all the time. David still has enemies. But in the presence of those enemies, God provides. In fact, He provides an abundance of blessing. The last verse in the HCSB is different from the version I memorized as a child.
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 23:6 KJV
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live. – Psalm 23:6 HCSB
The newer translation speaks to me because it takes the focus off me and on to my Shepherd. When I wander away from the flock, His goodness and faithful love chase me down. He will never let me go. His love is an active, possessive love. His forgiveness is deep. His arms open wide. I will be happy to live in His presence forever.
This post is Day 23 of the 31 Days of Journaling through the Psalms series. If you would like to read the first post, Psalm 1: The Wise and the Wicked, click here. The introduction to the series can be found here.
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