I have always loved words and especially words that envoke imagery. I love reading along and suddenly I am blown-away with imagery. Writing that could be dull and bland can sparkle and shimmer with brilliance. Fun right?
When you think of writing that brings vivid imagery, look no further than Psalm 23. In six verses, David paints a bright picture with green pastures, still waters, the valley of the shadow of death, etc…you can almost see this Psalm as a picture book in your mind’s eye.
I love this Psalm and it became even more special once I read A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller.
Keller spent many years as a shepherd and has brilliant insight into Psalm 23 from the viewpoint of a shepherd.
- A shepherd is solely responsible for his flock. The safety, health, and wellness of the sheep are completely up to the shepherd. In Keller’s book, he shows us that sheep will not lie down if they are hungry, tense, scared, or aggravated.
- He also says that sheep will drink from any water source if they are thirsty, no matter how dirty or polluted. It is the job of the shepherd to lead them to clean and safe drinking water.
- The shepherd constantly has to be aware of the condition of his flock and if a sheep becomes “cast,” on its back without any way to get back on its feet, the shepherd must quickly move in and help the sheep back up. A cast sheep is a bulls-eye for predators and in danger for its life.
- The shepherd has to continually be aware and alert to what is happening among the flock. If a sheep is lost, it is up to the shepherd to seek it out and restore it to the flock.
If you have not read his book, I would highly recommend it. You can already see how amazing the first parts of the Psalm are just with this small summary. Check out the full Psalm below.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm 23 (ESV)
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even 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.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
I was re-reading Psalm 23 recently and some of the words jumped off the page at me. We clearly see how God will lovingly care for us and look after us. God wants us to understand, in all things, He is caring for us. Eight times in six verses we see how God will care for us, like a good shepherd.
- The Lord is my Shepherd
- He makes me lie down in green pastures
- He leads me beside still waters
- He restores my soul
- He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake
- You are with me
- You prepare a table before me
- You anoint my head with oil
But notice the change pronoun change, from He to You!
In the first 3 verses of the Psalm, you can almost imagine a silly sheep bragging about the awesomeness of his shepherd. Almost a “my shepherd is better than yours” sort of dialogue.
But then it changes in verse 4, more like the sheep talking directly to the shepherd. The relationship became more intimate and personal. It is almost like the sheep is acknowledging to the shepherd because I can trust you in all these ways, I can trust you in the harder stuff. You will take care of me in the valley and in front of predators. You will protect me and I have zero reasons to be afraid.
I had never paid attention to the pronoun change before! It was a lightbulb and a “silly girl where have you been” sort of moment! A pronoun shift changed the way I thought about this Psalm!
We should be like the silly sheep bragging about their shepherd. God is awesome! God’s care doesn’t stop when the circumstance changes. God doesn’t leave us when the landscape gets rough and when predators howl. That is the time when we should be talking even more intimately and personally to our shepherd. God, like a shepherd, knows the best path for our lives, the best places to put our feet. God will guide us when the enemy attacks, God will anoint us and protect us.
The Lord is my shepherd and he is a very, very good one! Because of the Lord’s watchful care, I have full confidence.
- I will walk where you lead me!
- I will fear no evil!
- I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever!
The Lord is my shepherd! I know these five words and this Psalm will stay with me for some time to come. I hope they blessed you as much as they did me.
Do you have a favorite Psalm or passage of scripture? Let me know in the comments below. I am looking forward to connecting with you!
Much love,
Kimberly
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to buy Kimberly a cup of coffee.