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One of the most famous and most appealing Psalms
is Psalm 23:
“The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides
me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort
me. You prepare a table before me in
the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup
overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days
of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
With the image of the shepherd, King David – who is the author
of this Psalm – meditates the good deeds of God. The nourishment
for the sheep is a major task for the shepherd who takes care of
food and water. God wants to be the one who provides for us. Of
course we are not talking about just physical food. Instead God
wants to feed the hunger and thirst of our souls! Every human
being longs for unconditional love, for genuine safety, and
authentic appreciation.
God as the good Shepherd wants to give us his love and guidance,
restoration and refreshment, peace and joy for our inner being.
King David recognized that the loving God will accompany him in
faithfulness. That is why he decided to remain in God’s presence
and to stay under his protection his whole life. David wanted to
stay in communion with his Shepherd.
Dear reader, I believe, that Psalm 23 wants to remind us to
consider and appreciate the blessings of God in our lives. And
on the same token we are called to make the decision to stay
with Jesus for a lifetime and let him shape our future.
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