Reflections on Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is very familiar to many of us. Perhaps to some of us, it’s almost too familiar, we know it by heart, so we hardly think about it. There are a few lines of the Psalm that we remember for certain occasions; for example, we use the term “the valley of the shadow of death” when someone is ill and near death, we like to think that our life is about God “leading us beside quiet waters”, and we may put the words “the Lord is my shepherd” on a loved one’s headstone. Many of us also remember the characteristic picture associated with Psalm 23, one of Jesus in a meadow with a flock of sheep beside a stream, with a lamb in his arms.

Psalm 23 must actually be read and understood in its entirety, not simply taking a few lines or verses out of context. Each verse builds on the previous one. The entire Psalm is a declaration of what it means to be God’s child – or the sheep belonging to the shepherd. It is a Psalm of what it truly means to be alive.

In verse 1, we begin with “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” We acknowledge that the God who created and sustains all things, who holds us in the palm of his hand, who loved us so much that he offered his own son to die so that we may live, is in control of our life. We accept this, because we acknowledge that he sees the bigger picture just as a sheep doesn’t really understand its purpose for living.

Verse 2 is the verse of comfort, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”  All of us have been affected by the brokenness in this world, and for most of us, it has affected us personally. Recently, the director of IJM in Mumbai stated: “we are weak in the face of overwhelming injustice” For some of us, injustice has been done to us, which has affected our physical, emotional and mental health. We also see injustice around us. Sometimes the injustice to ourselves or to others around us paralyzes us.

Our heavenly father runs to welcome us (Luke 15:20), he wants to restore our souls, he wants to heal our hurts, to restore us to wholeness. Restoring our soul also means restoring the connection between us and God that God originally intended. Part of restoring our soul means connecting with God and allowing God to show us some of his heart for his creation and all people that he created in his image.

After he restores our soul – “he leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake”. In restoring our soul, he is showing us some of his heart for his people and his creation, and then invites and leads us to be his hands and feet in this world. For some of us, where we are in our lives, it means raising our children to love God and teaching them about God’s heart for his creation. For others of us, it simply means praying. And for others, it means asking God to show us how we can participate with him in restoring all things. We all have unique gifts, talents, passion and experience, that God invites us to use in restoring his kingdom. “May your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”  (Matthew 6:10).

In the context of leading me in paths of righteousness, we live in “the valley of the shadow of death”.  None of us know when our physical earthly lives will end, and God calls us to be part of his kingdom, and not the “death” of separation from God even while we yet live. As God guides us along our unique path, where potential “death” surrounds us, we don’t have to be afraid, because God is right there with us directing and encouraging us.

In verse five, we have a graphic example of what this may look like; “you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” A table is always communal. The table eludes to the feast that God prepares for us (See also Luke 14: 15-24). In the presence of our enemies, God extends the invitation of hope and comfort not only to us, but even to those who seek to harm us.

“You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows”  In the presence of those who seek to harm me, as I walk along the path that God leads me on, God clearly demonstrates to all those around me that I am special, that I am protected by God. In addition, my cup of blessing overflows. This is a wonderful image – picture yourself at a communal table, and God’s blessings overflowing your cup, spilling over onto the table, then onto the floor and flowing out to those who seek to harm you.

The last verse of Psalm 23 is a great summary; “surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”. In the book, Pilgrim’s progress, “goodness” and “mercy” were the pilgrim’s helpers, but perhaps this is not what the Psalmist meant. The text says that goodness and love will follow me – which may be more related to the cup of blessing that has overflowed both in space and in time. So as we live, and allow God’s blessings to flow from us to those around us, it has an impact in time as well – surely goodness and love will follow me – will continue to have an effect after I am gone, perhaps even to many generations!

“I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” is a reminder that our life on earth is only the beginning. God is working to restore us, and all of his creation, so that we may enjoy life with him forever, the way that He originally intended when he created us.

Psalm 23 is about what it really means to be alive – alive in the context of God’s summary of the law – to love God above all and our neighbour as ourselves. He leads us through this life on earth, we are his hands and feet, sharing God’s blessing to those around us, so that all of his creation can be restored. See also John 21: 15-17, where Jesus suggests to us that if we love Jesus, we will show it by feeding his sheep – loving our neighbour.

Psalm 23 remains a Psalm of comfort, of God’s unfailing love to us and to those around us as God leads us in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. I had the privilege of sharing this reflection with our daughter before she left to work in the middle east.