Day 129 · Year 1 · The Story of Scripture
The Lord is my shepherd
A king who had been a shepherd writes about a Shepherd-King.
Today's passage
Psalm 23:1-6
1A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
3He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.
4Even 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.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Berean Standard Bible · public domain
Reflection
Psalm 23 is famous because it is honest. David does not pretend the valley of the shadow does not exist; he insists that the shepherd walks through it with him. Notice the verbs God does: leads, restores, walks with, prepares, anoints, follows after. The sheep's job is to be led. You may be in a season where you cannot see the green pastures. That does not mean the Shepherd is gone. It usually means the path runs through the valley today.
From the great tradition · paraphrased
Charles Spurgeon · Puritans & Post-Reformation · 19th c. · England
Spurgeon called this the 'pearl of the Psalms' and returned to it often in his own dark seasons, reminding suffering believers that the Shepherd's rod and staff exist precisely for the valley, not the meadow.
Paraphrase only. Scripture, not any teacher, is the authority.
Think it through
- List every action the shepherd does for the sheep in this psalm.
- Why does David shift from 'he' to 'you' in verse 4?
- Where do you most need to be led right now?
A prayer to pray
Tell the Shepherd where you are in the path today, and ask him to be near in the way Psalm 23 promises.