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The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (Psalm 23:1, KJV).
As a pastor, I’ve used, and continue to use, Psalm 23 as a go-to chapter at memorial services. A sizable percentage of funeral messages that I’ve heard from other pastors throughout the years have also included Psalm 23.
We experience comfort in the phrase – even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me (v. 4, NASB1995). But Psalm 23 is about more than comfort in death.
This Psalm is about the Lord our Shepherd!
Let’s consider our Lord. The New Testament says…
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him (Colossians 1:16, ESV).
The Author and Creator of the universe, that’s Jesus. That’s our Shepherd.
Psalm 23 was written by David, who was a shepherd before becoming King of Israel.
For us living today, we don’t have a lot of experience gazing at the stars in an open field before falling asleep. David writes this Psalm from the perspective of a shepherd looking at the stars at night.
The Shepherd that David knew (and that he writes about) could renew his strength, save him from enemies, and give him an “overflowing cup” of blessings. When David saw all the stars of the universe at night, with him as a small speck lying in a pasture, he recognized an awesome God.
David writes Psalm 23 from this perspective.
Understanding the greatness of God, David then uses the word “shepherd” to indicate a relationship with Him. The sheep can have a relationship with the God of the universe.
When David says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need,” it implies a profound but practical relationship with God – a relationship of trust and provision.
Why fear anything when God is our Shepherd?
One author writes about Psalm 23:1…
This verse, “The Lord is our shepherd,” links a lump of common clay to divine destiny – it means mere mortal becomes the cherished object of divine intelligence.”
Jesus is not only the Lord of the universe, but He wants to be our shepherd, intimately knowing our strengths and weaknesses and then guiding us in paths of righteousness.
The question remains, “Will we follow Him?”
We came into existence, not of our own doing, but we follow Him out of choice. There are two ways to follow Jesus – from obedience or from love.
The tonal quality of Psalm 23 is love.
We are to grow from bleating rebellious sheep to followers who willingly lie down in green pastures. The righteousness and blessings in our lives come by resting with Jesus as we know, listen, and respond to His voice.
We don’t fear Him or perform religious works for Him. We don’t earn our salvation.
We love our Shepherd and obey Him with affection – and we lack nothing!