Psalm 23
The All-sufficient God
How would you finish this sentence? “I will be happy when _______.” “...when I start feeling better; when that cost-of-living increase kicks in; when I get a better doctor, or the right med; when the food around here improves; when that neighbor moves out; when my surgery is over; when I get married; when I get divorced.” How would you finish that statement?
The Apostle Paul wrote, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11). The writer of Hebrews advised, “Be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5). Today’s passage gives the source of true contentment. Perhaps we don’t have to be bound to our circumstances. Perhaps we can be fulfilled in God right where we are. Perhaps God can be our all in all.
David’s 23rd Psalm is undoubtedly the most familiar psalm in all the Bible. Yet, with familiarity comes complacency. Let’s examine this image of God as our shepherd. In the phrases of the psalm, I want to suggest ten distinct ways God fulfills us. Consider it God’s own “Top Ten” List! First,
1. God satisfies
1 - “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
I’ve been reading a lot lately on minimalism, how to do more with less stuff. Do I really need 25 pairs of shoes? Where can I reduce clutter in my life, so I can concentrate on the things that really matter? Here the Psalmist makes a bold claim: If I have God, I lack nothing. God is my all in all. He is everything I need.
Do you know that when you crave something to fulfill you, that you are ripe for idolatry? Now don’t misunderstand me; it’s ok to have things, but just make sure they don’t have you. If something or someone in your life becomes more important than your relationship with God, it’s an idol. We like to make fun of the ancient Israelites for their golden calves, but we have our own. It might be our work. It could be our spouse or grandchild. It could be a nice new car or that perfect outfit that will complete us. It could be anything. Make sure you keep God first in your life. Then you will never want for anything. God satisfies, and ...
2. God provides
2 - “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”
Here we see three of the things sheep need most: food, water, and rest. Shepherds would search the fields for these things for their sheep. We learn to be content in God when we realize he meets our deepest needs.
God knows what you need. And he’s promised to meet your needs. To paraphrase Jesus, if God clothes the wildflowers in beautiful splendor and gives the Grackles all the food they need, won’t he take care of you? He summed it up in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
When I hear the phrase, “He maketh me to lie down,” I always think of my own body. If I don’t factor in rest and replenishment, if all I do is go, go, go, then at some point my body conks out. God gives me a migraine to force me to bed and rest. God knows your needs better than you do. God satisfies and God provides. Those two go together. And as God does these things for us, #3,
3. God restores
3 - “He restoreth my soul...”
God brings vitality to my very being. He cleanses me from the inside out. Paul talks about this when he says in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” God renews us. God replenishes us. God restores us. His loving care puts our minds at ease, as we turn over every problem, every burden to him. As I’ve said before, if you know how to worry, you know how to pray. Give God your worries and receive his peace. Allow him to restore you. And #4,
4. God guides
3b - “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”
Ancient shepherds guided their sheep through treacherous paths around the mountainsides. The prophet Jeremiah talked about false prophets and quoted God as saying, “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains” (Jeremiah 50:6). God will never misguide you. Our good shepherd guides us through difficult paths of life. When we follow him, he keeps us on the straight and narrow path. And it all reflects back on his good character: “for his name’s sake.” You can count on God never to lead you into harm but always into good.
God guides in all kinds of ways: it might be a scripture that is meaningful for a decision you have to make. It could be an inner peace that comes through prayer, yielding your will to his. It could be wise counsel from another. It could be circumstances of life, except that you have to be careful, because Satan can mislead. Just because an opportunity arises doesn’t mean it’s from God! Check your circumstances against God’s will in scripture and prayer and counsel. God is not a God of confusion. As he guides, everything will line up. If it’s not yet clear, do the last thing he told you and patiently wait. Yesterday’s “Our Daily Bread” said, “You don’t need to know where you’re going if you know God is leading.” God guides, and ...
5. God protects
4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me...”
Last Monday night we graduated 35 Veterans and family members from our 12-week Reboot Combat Recovery Course. As one of them came up to receive his certificate, he positioned his fiancée on one side of him, his chaplain (representing God) on another side, and a fellow Reboot graduate (representing other Veterans) on another side. He was trying to show how God has our back, sometimes directly and sometimes through other people in our lives. God has your back. God’s got your 360. God is your ultimate security.
Here the psalmist uses a phrase, “the valley of the shadow of death.” It simply means the harshest, most uncertain times in life. It could be death approaching. It could be a bout with depression. It could be a heavy season of criticism, or a health challenge, or relationship strife. God doesn’t always remove you from the storms of life, but he will go with you through those storms. You are never alone. And God will bring you out the other side. Next,
6. God comforts
4b - “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
The shepherd would use the rod as a short instrument of protection to ward off predators. The staff would sometimes have a curve at the top, what we associate with the shepherd’s crook. The shepherd would use it to guide the sheep or to pull one out of a creek bed. In God’s protection, rescue, and support, we find comfort. We know the certainty of Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
7. God vindicates
5 - “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies...”
This is a strange verse, as David shifts from a shepherd theme to a host theme: God provides a rich meal before me, even while I’m surrounded by enemies. I see here vindication: when you have been falsely accused, God will take care of all your needs, even as your enemies look on. You are protected, and at some point, vindicated, if not in this life, then in the life to come. We don’t have to defend our name; we just need to follow God. He will take care of the rest.
8. God honors
5b - “Thou anointest my head with oil...”
There are two Hebrew words for anointing in the Bible. One refers to anointing leaders: prophets, priests, and kings. That is NOT the one used here. This word refers to honoring a guest. The host would pour a little perfumed olive oil on the guest’s head to signify the importance of the guest, to fully welcome him or her.
God honors you! God doesn’t just love you; God likes you! God is our gracious host, and we are the guest of honor! If God has a refrigerator, your picture is on it! God cares deeply for you. You are one of his very precious children! When we get this, we feel like David, in part 9:
9. God blesses
5c - “My cup runneth over.”
The image here is a very generous host with more than enough wine for his guest. God lavishly bestows on us more than we could ask for or even imagine (Ephesians 3:20). God doesn’t just meet your minimal needs; God blesses you abundantly. I love a little Timothy Keller book called, “The Prodigal God.” There, Keller refers to a “prodigal” as someone who is reckless, a spendthrift who doesn’t know any limits. We usually associate the term with the younger son of the story in Luke 15. Yet, Keller makes the point that the father of the story is the biggest prodigal of all. His love for each of his sons is extravagant, knowing no bounds. And so it is with God: he loves us with an everlasting love; he spends all of his love and grace on us. He is the Prodigal God. And lastly,
10. God accompanies
6 - Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Wow! God’s goodness and mercy (or “love”), shall follow me, shall follow you. That word “follow” in the Hebrew usually refers to tracking prey. In other words, God hunts you down, but not to harm you; rather, to love you! To extend mercy and goodness and grace to you all the days of your life, and even after that, as you dwell in his house forever!
Sometimes it’s hard to see God’s mercy. When we’re in that “valley of the shadow of death,” we may wonder, “Where are you, God?” But just hang on. When he walks you out the other side, you realize God has been there all along. Thinking of the “Footprints in the Sand” story, it was he who carried you when you only saw one set of prints. You know in hindsight that God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s grace, God’s goodness is always with you. God pursues you. God has a thing for you. And he will not give up. Yield to his abundant love. Find the relationship you were always meant for. Love him in return!
David wrote this psalm speaking of God. He didn’t yet know the name of his Messiah. We do. His name is Jesus. Look at the bottom of the outline how Jesus fulfills Psalm 23 for us. The “New Spirit-filled Life Bible” notes Jesus is our:
1. Redeeming Good Shepherd. In John 10:11 he says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus redeems us through his death on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Secondly, Jesus is our...
2. Resurrected Great Shepherd. The writer of Hebrews begins his closing prayer with these words: “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20). Death could not hold him. And lastly, he is our...
3. Returning Chief Shepherd. Peter writes, in 1 Peter 5:4, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” He is coming again!
Place your faith in the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd. He will never let you down. He is a God who satisfies and provides, who restores and guides, who protects and comforts, who vindicates and honors, who blesses and accompanies us throughout life in this world and into the next. Trust him. Commit your very self to him. You will never regret it. Let us pray:
God, you know we are sheep in desperate need of a shepherd. All too often we think we can be our own shepherd and then we wander off into dangerous trails. Help us to know that Jesus is a much better shepherd than we will ever be. Help us to trust our lives to you and your Son, led and filled by your Holy Spirit, so that we can live the way you designed us to live: in constant relationship with our guide, our provider and protector, the one who restores our soul, in Jesus’ name, amen.
