Psalm 23 is one of my favourite Psalms.
It's one we've probably all heard,
but what's it all about?
Well, Psalm 23 is both a poem and a prayer.
It's a sort of soulful expression of the writer's feelings.
A heartfelt outpouring towards God.
Well, the Psalm tells the story of God as a caring shepherd and a caring host.
But it's also a prayer that uses beautiful imagery to stir our emotions
and to invite us to bring our lives under God's care.
Now, the poem was written by David,
a key figure in the Bible.
As a young boy,
he was the shepherd who famously killed the giant Goliath and went on to be Israel's king.
Now, David wrote many Psalms which sit right in the middle of the Bible,
and they're still an amazing resource today,
as they capture the different seasons of life
from joy and celebration,
to darkness and pain.
And when writing this Psalm,
David drew on his own experience of following God through challenging times.
His life, like most of ours, had its ups and its downs too.
And in Psalm 23, David drew on his personal experience of caring for sheep.
In his early days as a shepherd boy,
David had an intimate understanding of sheep's behaviour
and the key role a shepherd played in their care.
So, as we see,
sheep are completely dependent on their
shepherd for food, water, guidance and protection.
So, David uses the analogy of
God as a shepherd and us as his sheep,
to describe how God cares for us.
Now, as you read through the Psalm,
I love how you get the feel for David's deep, personal relationship with God.
'The Lord is my shepherd.'
He recalls the good times,
when he takes us to green pastures and still waters.
This is a caring shepherd leading his flock to food and water,
somewhere idyllic and restful,
and if we let God lead us,
he'll take care of us too.
Now, David also recalls the hard times.
Often we go through periods when life is tough.
We can find ourselves in a valley where it's hard and the shadows are scary,
but God is with us.
David confidently says,
'I will not be afraid, for you are with me'.
Though our own strength and courage is often not enough to overcome these hard times,
the Psalm promises that God is the one who can get us through.
And like these sheep here,
God guides us and keeps us
on the path with his rod and his staff -
David says, 'they comfort me' -
like the shepherd would use the staff to ward off predators,
so the sheep are secure in the knowledge that the shepherd is with them,
through the valley and bringing them out the other side.
Then halfway through the Psalm,
David changes the image.
God becomes a caring host.
It says in the Psalm,
'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows.'
Basically, in an ancient Eastern culture,
when you held a banquet,
it was normal to anoint your guests with a fragrant oil and to take care of them.
So, Psalm 23 is like God's invitation to bring our lives under his care.
Then, in the closing scene of the poem,
David anticipates an ultimate hope that lies beyond.
He says, 'And I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever'.
One day, God will decisively sort this world out,
so it's once again the way it was meant to be,
like a rundown house now fully-restored.
And if we follow the good shepherd,
we're on our way to an ultimate and glorious home.
What a hope.
So there you have it.
Next time you feel a little lost on your journey through life, or needing some hope,
take a look at this Psalm.
Read these powerful words of encouragement.
Whatever we're going through,
God promises to restore us and guide us,
protect us and ultimately, to lead us home.
Good stuff isn't it?