The Lord is my Shepherd

By Tyler Tankersley

If you grow up in a Baptist church, the first piece of Scripture you are asked to memorize is John 3:16, but the second has to be Psalm 23. Like a lot of the psalter, Psalm 23 has a rhythmic quality, and its tranquil images provide us with a message of comfort, peace, and security.

It begins with the phrase, "The Lord is my shepherd" (v. 1). In the ancient Near East, a shepherd served as a literary metaphor for a king. It was the king's job to protect and provide for the subjects of the realm. The psalmist is filled with confidence and hope that God will act as a leader and provide the psalmist with everything they need to be sustained in this life ("green pastures" and "still waters").

And the writer is in need of comfort because they are currently in a midst through the "valley of the shadow of the death" (v. 4). Perhaps the heart of the message of Psalm 23 is the dual presences of both the Lord and the valley of deep darkness. Oftentimes what we want out of God is to be rescued out of hardship; that is not the prayer in this psalm. Instead, this psalmist is not seeking to avoid the valley, but is able to journey through it because of God's presence. The psalmist can say, "I fear no evil; for you are with me" (v. 4).

In verses 5-6 the metaphor for God switches from a shepherd-king to that of a gracious and hospitable host. The psalmist writes that God has provided a table spread fit for a Thanksgiving meal, has made cleansing oil available for God's guests, and keeps filling up the guests' cups to the brim. The psalmist then writes that God's "goodness and mercy shall follow" them the rest of their days as they enjoy God's hospitality. The Hebrew word used for "follow" is the word radap and it doesn't mean to calmly trail; it means to wildly chase! The psalmist has such hope in God's grace and kindness that he knows he will be run down by God's love.

At some point in each of our lives, we will find ourselves in some sort of dark valley. Perhaps it will be loss, depression, addiction, or our own mortality. Those kinds of experiences can often feel isolating and lonely. Perhaps the most important message we can learn from Psalm 23 is that when we find ourselves in the midst of a season of darkness, we ought not to buy into the self-inflicted myth that we journey into the crevasse alone. God who is our good and merciful shepherd is with us, chasing us with love and mercy.