Psalm 23

 When I was the teacher for the 3-year old class at an evening Bible program, the kids would have a scripture passage that they would spend the semester memorizing. It didn’t matter if you were 3 or 13, you memorized the same verses. Each week, you would receive a sticker for having that week’s portion memorized, and at the end of the semester, if you could recite the whole passage, you received a prize.

I don’t remember anything about that prize, but I do remember the beaming smiles of pride the kiddos had when they were able to recite from beginning to end, Psalm 23.

This Psalm isn’t just one that kids have memorized. It’s also one that has been recited at countless funerals, bringing words of comfort and hope to those who are grieving. But there are times when we can become so familiar with the words that we have in our heads that they become rote, and we fail to let them capture the attention of our hearts. In other words, sometimes scriptures as powerful, but as well known as this one, can become ones that we simply gloss over.

Sometimes when words are familiar I like to read them from a different translation of scripture, simply to see what stirs my spirit. Perhaps that happened for you this morning as we heard these words read from the New Revised Standard Version of Scripture instead of the King James that this passage is so well known in. 

A few months ago, I was reading this scripture in my personal Bible, which is the New Living Translation, and one of the first things that jumped out at me was the phrase “I have no needs.” 

Stop and think about that. Sometimes we get wants and needs confused in our heads. We think that our wants and desires are actually necessities, when really they are just further good gifts from the hand of the Lord. 

But who provides what we need? The Shepherd. Our Lord. 

When I was studying abroad in Australia, one of our class trips was to a sheep farm. It was in the middle of sheering season and the modern-day shepherds were trying to corral the sheep in to have their wool taken off. It was nearing the point of summer where the days would quickly and consistently be over 100 degrees. But even though the sheep were surely uncomfortable under all of that wool, they were not eager to be sheered by any means.

But the shepherds knew what they needed. Just like they knew what type of nourishment - food and water - they needed. What type of shelter.

Whenever I hear this Psalm as well as other scriptures about sheep and shepherds, those images from Australia keep coming to mind. If we are like the sheep, and Jesus is the Good and perfect shepherd, then this Psalm starts out reminding us that he is going to provide for us what we need - even if it is not always what we want at the time.

One of those things that we need, but don’t always want, is rest. Divine rest. Now, we live in a culture that moves at a pace, where we may say that we want rest - but what we mean is a vacation or a day off. But notice what the Psalmist says here, “he makes me lie down.”

My family is in the season of life where we are thick in the midst of toddlers. Toddler who do not want to miss a single thing. Toddler who don’t want to stop playing. But toddlers who also need a nap. 

Now I don’t know how many of you have memories of those naps for kiddos aged two and three, but they are not always fond memories - especially when it comes to getting them to actually lie down. They know they are tired. You know they are tired. But they are still going to fight it every step of the way.

Friends, sometimes we never outgrow the approach of two and three year olds. We don’t want to miss anything. We know that we are tired - soul tired - but we refuse to stop. And as a result God, who knows exactly what we needs, has to make us lie down. But God also provides a place of refreshment to do so. A place of green, lush pastures. A place beside gentle waters. 

But we can only find refreshment in such a place, because we also trust the shepherd. If we don’t trust God, we could be in the most picturesque place and still not be able to rest - because we are always on high alert. Always thinking that we need to be in control. But here in this place, with the God who provides what we needs, we can fully entrust ourselves over to God, because we know that God is trustworthy - for he has shown it to us again and again throughout the course of our relationship.

And it is the same posture of trust that allows us to lean into the support and love of God, even when things are not as picturesque. When things are difficult. When we walk through the darkest valleys, where it would be really easy to give into the fear of the unknown. It is then that God reminds us of his unrelenting love. The God who leads us to places or rest and restoration is the same God who offers us comfort, if only we are willing to accept it. 

But God isn’t just the Good Shepherd, he is also the perfect host. God is the type of host who doesn’t just prepare a table filled with the finest foods, making sure that your favorites are right there. He isn’t just the type of host that gives you the seat of honor. He is the host who provides this lavishly even in the presence of your enemies. 

Now don’t be fooled, brothers and sisters. The mention of enemies is in this Psalm, because they are still there. But that doesn’t deter God from giving you what you need. It simply gives an even grander opportunity to bear witness to the goodness of our God. 

Why? Because God’s goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives. God’s covenantal love. Not some generic love or wishy-washy understanding of love only based in sentimentality. But life-altering love. The love that led our Great Shepherd to the cross, so God could continue to provide for us what we needed - forgiveness, mercy, and grace. The love of our Savior.

Friends, we cannot hear these words of Psalm 23 and not get swept up in the generosity of our God. God who is both shepherd and host. God who provides mercy for us, even we do not recognize that we need it. 

Sometimes we get so caught up in wanting to go our own way, that we miss out on the right path that God is trying to offer. Let this Psalm both wash over us and guide us this week, as friends of God. Amen.