“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1
January 25, 2023
Psalm 23 has been called “The Pearl of the Psalms.” It is a psalm for those experiencing a major upheaval in life; Children rebelling, home in turmoil, work a very hostile place, a long-standing relationship breaking up, shadows of death over the path. Psalm 23 was written by David. When in his life we don’t know, but it could have been during the rebellion of Absalom, possibly as David was hunted and hounded by his enemies. David had been a shepherd. He knew sheep and had been called to shepherd the LORD’S people, Israel. His first thought is that of the LORD as his Shepherd, inspiring awe and guaranteeing intimacy, timelessness and self-sufficiency. This is our Shepherd. We, as David did, are to repose ourselves in the LORD who doesn’t need or lack anything. He needs no wisdom from anyone else. God is not a needy person. We are. He is not. It should come to mind that Jesus spoke of Himself as the “good shepherd” who laid down His life for the sheep” (Jn. 10:11). There is no verb in the Hebrew, “The LORD (is) my shepherd.” The “my” tells us that ours is a close relationship to our Shepherd. Pillow your head on the commitment of the Shepherd to His flock. Do you belong to the Shepherd? Are you His by faith in Christ? If so, then let you mind rest in the sublime truth that He is looking out for you.
H
“O God! Thou hast made us for Thyself and our souls are restless, searching, ‘til they find their rest in Thee.” Augustine