By Megan Blansit, Founder of The Beautiful Movement - a youth ministry for high school girls. For more information, visit The Beautiful Movement’s Facebook page, where I post the time, place, and activity for each month
Psalm 23 is comforting:
“ The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yes, 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Surely only goodness, mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord shall be my dwelling place.”
Lets examine verse one, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack.” When I think of a shepherd, I think of a very attentive individual. I imagine a shepherd’s only priority being to tend to his flock and not resting until he knows his sheep are cared for completely. After doing some reading, I learned that a good shepherd will stay on the job 24 hours a day if needed. If this is the case, couldn't this also be said of God? He never goes off the clock! His eyes and ears are always attentive to you and I. The last half of verse one says, “I shall not lack.” David made a bold, but ever so true statement. This may sound cliche, but Jesus does have all we need. As long as we have Him we lack nothing.
Verse two says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures…” Wait, why did David use “green pastures?” Was this a random word choice? Absolutely not! The whole meaning of the verse could be different had David said, “He makes me lie down in a desert.” That would symbolize that God doesn't take care of our needs, leaving us alone, thirsty, and hopeless. A desert is quite bare, making any kinds of life nearly impossible. Whereas the words “green pasture” have a positive connotation. Also notice the word “lie,” meaning to rest. The psalmist is saying, “Hey! I can rest in the Lord, He takes care of my needs.” Friend, Jesus is aware of what you are going through. Good or bad, He wants to give you peace and rest. How can we get ultimate rest? We can get ultimate rest when we focus our eyes on our Shepherd and not on our situation. Remember, a good Shepherd always has his eyes on his flock. He is prepared for anything that may come after his sheep.
Due to lack of word space I cannot dissect each verse, sentence by sentence. However, I can challenge you to do so! Psalm 23 is a beautiful reminder that you and I (the sheep), have an amazing Shepherd (Jesus). We are always the object of his attention and affection. He always has our best interest in mind; He is passionate about being a GOOD Shepherd. I love that the chapter says “His rod and staff, they comfort me.” This reminds me that Jesus, my Shepherd, fights my battles, and that He goes before me. Friend, we do not have to fear because our Shepherd never leaves us! Each day we can be refreshed and satisfied by The Shepherd. A good shepherd never leaves his flock; however, it is common for sheep to wander off. Will you be a wanderer or a “rester?”
Sure, certain situations may cause us to want to wander due to things not going as we had planned, but friend, rest assured that The Shepherd always has your best interest in mind and that He is out to help you not hurt you. Jesus has a purpose for you. You are not forgotten. He delights in meeting your needs, as well as your desires. Lastly, He is perfectly capable of handling any negative situation that targets you. Rest with Him today, friend.
