Today’s reading contains many famous Psalms! Psalm 1 describes the blessed person. Psalm 2 calms the soul through God’s sovereignty over all the nations and their plans to overthrow Him. Psalm 22 is prophetic, foretelling Christ’s crucifixion. Psalms 23 and 24 are the Psalms of the Great Shepherd and the Great King! And Psalm 68 is a Psalm of praise retracing the goodness of God in Israel’s history!
Psalm 23 stood out to me this morning. The stillness (vs. 1-3), security (vs. 4-5), and satisfaction (v. 6) spoken of in this Psalm—how it has resonated with saints for millennia!
When I think of Psalm 23’s stillness, I see a massive clash with the culture of the West. Here in America, we have known prosperity and wealth on such a scale that our poorest would be considered wealthy in many other parts of the world. Yet, our want has out-multiplied our wealth. There is no stillness in our culture. Our culture’s extreme want has frenzied us with stress and anxiety, fueling a market that offers the promise of synthetic stillness. Yet, for all the prescriptions, we continue to spiral out of control. There is no substitute for the Great Shepherd! Notice the Bible’s prescription.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:1–3, KJV)
When I think of Psalm 23’s security, I see a sound mind and soul that is unafraid! Yet, in our Western culture, fear-mongering abounds. There’s always some new, secret formula to living longer, and you must have it! Oh, it can be yours for a small subscription fee. Conspiracy theories abound, from wormholes to aliens. Oh, and the world was supposed to end two years ago! And for all the so-called progress of our society, we can’t let our kids walk down the street—for that matter—we don’t dare walk down the street! Again, there is no substitute for the Great Shepherd!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (Psalm 23:4–5, KJV)
When I think of Psalm 23’s satisfaction, I don’t see any of the virtues the world promotes. There is no mention of progress, wealth, health, or longevity. Those things are no substitute for the Great Shepherd’s goodness and mercy! The Psalmist was satisfied with God’s goodness and mercy in this life and the anticipation of dwelling with the Great Shepherd in His house in the life to come. Notice what he says.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Psalm 23:6, KJV)
Child of God, let the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, shepherd your soul! In Him, we will find a supernatural stillness, a security that will keep our hearts and minds from fragmenting, and a satisfaction that surpasses all understanding!
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Psalms 1-2; 15; 22-24; 47; 68.