Visiting his childhood church, the actor Richard Burton offered to perform something for the congregation. His pastor asked him to recite Psalm 23. Burton agreed on the condition that his pastor would do the same. The actor gave an impressive recitation that left the congregation spellbound. The room erupted in applause when he finished. When the room quieted, the old pastor rose to recite the same psalm. When he finished, there was not a dry eye in the room. Burton said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I reached your eyes and ears, but my old pastor has reached your hearts. The difference is this: I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd.” 

Psalm 23 is arguably the most famous Bible passage. Little children learn it at the beginning of their lives, dying saints remember it at the end of their lives. It is the “in case of emergency, break glass” scripture for the seeking, ailing, hurting, dying, and grieving. All who read or recite Psalm 23 fall into two categories: Those who know the Psalm and those who know the Shepherd. What’s the difference? Trust.

It has been said: “Blessed is the day when Psalm 23 was born.” But we do not know the birthday of this psalm. The heading reads: A Psalm of David. That is all we know about the background of the psalm. Psalm 23 is called The Shepherd’s Psalm. Its motif is the relationship between shepherd and sheep. David describes this relationship so beautifully because of the years he spent tending his father’s flock. Yet these are not the words of a young shepherd boy. This is a song born of experience. David looks back on a long, full, and hard life and reflects on how the Lord shepherded him in and through it all. It is a little psalm with a big message: God is worthy of your trust. Psalms 22-24 are closely connected. 

• Psalm 22 is about the Lord’s cross. 
• Psalm 23 is about the Lord’s crook. 
• Psalm 24 is about the Lord’s crown.  

Jesus took comfort in Psalm 23 between the suffering of Psalm 22 and the triumph of Psalm 24. What are you in the middle of? God is worthy of your trust in every season and situation. Why trust God?Psalm 23 gives three reasons to trust God in every situation. 

The Lord is a Loving Shepherd. 

Shepherding was a lowly profession. Yet kings were called the shepherds of their people. It is a proactive way to describe God. What does it mean for the Lord to be your shepherd?

A Personal Relationship. Psalm 23 begins with a confession of faith: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” What does it mean to have a personal relationship with God?

Intimacy. Verse 1 begins with “The Lord.” The divine title is mentioned again at the end of verse 6. Psalm 23 is about the Lord, not David. Yet David speaks in the most intimate terms: “The Lord is my shepherd.” A shepherd leads and feeds. A shepherd provides and protects. A shepherd directs and defends. This is what God is and does for his people. But David speaks personally, not corporately. Charles Spurgeon said, “If he is Shepherd to no one else, He is a Shepherd to me. He cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me.” Is that your testimony? The New Testament dares to reapply this metaphor from Yahweh to Jesus. 

• In John 10:11, Jesus is the good shepherd who died for us. 
• In Hebrews 13:20, Jesus is the great shepherd who rose for us. 
• In 1 Peter 5:4, Jesus is the chief shepherd who will return for us. 

 How are things between you and Jesus today? 

Sufficiency. Verse 1 begins with a positive confession: “The Lord is my shepherd.” It ends with a negative parallel: “I shall not want.” This self-description indicates a continual state. I shall not want whenever or whatever. My father quoted Psalm 23:1 from The Moffat Translation: “The Eternal shepherds me; I lack for nothing.” The word “want” has changed over the centuries. It meant to lack, go without, or be deprived. We use it to express desire, not deprivation. David was a wealthy man. But he was not saying he enjoyed health and wealth because the Lord is his shepherd. He is saying the all-sufficient Lord meets all his needs. Psalm 23:1 is the Old Testament counterpart to Romans 8:32: “How who spared not his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

The Pastoral Resources. How does the Lord care for his sheep? 

 Physical Resources. Sheep are not self-sufficient animals. They need a shepherd to provide food and water. Verse 3 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Hungry sheep are prone to eat anything. They need a good and wise shepherd to lead them to green pastures. The sheep lie down because they are safe and need not worry about their next meal. Verse 3 says, “He leads me beside still waters.” The green pastures are beside still waters. Literally, they are “waters of rest.” This is another picture of satisfaction and security. This quiet lagoon is a place of peace where the sheep find rest and refreshment. Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.”

Spiritual Resources. Verse 3 interprets verse 2. David says, “He restores my soul.” Sheep grow hungry, thirsty, and weary. The shepherd provides food, drink, and rest to restore them. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Verse 3 is the second statement about the shepherd’s leadership: 

• Verse 2 says, “He leads me beside still waters.” 
• Verse 3 says, “He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

The shepherd leads in straight paths. It is moral leadership. The Lord will always lead you right. His guidance is guaranteed “for his name’s sake.” God has a good reputation. He is a promise-keeper. His word is his name; his name is his word. Psalm 20:1 says, “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!”

The Lord is a Faithful Companion. 

Verse 4 introduces a new picture of God’s trustworthiness. The Lord is a faithful companion who gives courage and company in life’s low points. 

Courage in the Valley. Verse 4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

 The Inevitable Reality. Verse 4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” This is not a hypothetical scenario. It is a definite reality. Sometimes, the right paths will lead you into a dark valley. “The shadow of death” is a Hebrew idiom for a situation so dark that it seems death has eclipsed light. It can refer to death, distress, depression, difficulty, or danger. Yet the valley of the shadow of death is only a layover, not your final destination. John Phillips said, “The shadow of a dog cannot bite, the shadow of a sword cannot kill, the shadow of death cannot harm the child of God.”

The Spiritual Response. David declares, “I will fear no evil.” “Evil” is difficult or dangerous circumstances. The valley may be filled with steep cliffs, hungry predators, or lurking enemies. Yet David refused to be anxious or afraid. This is the second confession of faith in Psalm 23: 

• Verse 1 says, “I shall not want.”
• Verse 2 says, “I will fear no evil.”

What causes fear? Guilt produces fear. Proverbs 28:1 begins, “The wicked flee when no one pursues.” If it is not guilt-induced fear, there is one other cause: a lack of faith. Proverbs 28:1 ends: “The righteous are as bold as a lion.” Faith in God chases fear away!

Company in the Valley.  David’s courage was not self-confidence. It was God-confidence. He was unafraid of the dangers in the valley because his faithful companion was present and prepared. 

 God is present. There are two types of God-talk in Psalm 23. Verses 1-3 talk about God in the third person. Verse 4 talks to God in the second person: “For you are with me.” It is one thing to talk about God in green pastures, near still waters, and on straight paths. Talk to God in the valley of the shadow of death There is no reason to fear danger, death, or the devil because the Lord is with you. The darker the shadow, the closer the Lord. Dale Ralph Davis wrote, “It is not that Christ is closer in the valley but that we realize in the valley how close he was always been.” Isaiah 41:10 says, “For not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

God is prepared. David says, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” The rod and staff were a shepherd’s standard equipment. 

• The rod was a club to fight off wild animals.  
• The staff was a crook to keep sheep close. 

The staff represents sovereign authority. Psalm 2:9 says, “You shall break them with a rod or iron.”The staff represents divine support. When Moses returned to Egypt to speak truth to power, Exodus 4:20 says, “And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.” The Lord never travels empty-handed. Take comfort in his club that defends and his crook that directs. Pray Psalm 119:76, “Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.”

The Lord is a Gracious Host. 

  Psalm 23 begins outdoors and ends indoors.

• Verses 1-4 picture God as the Good Shepherd. 
• Verses 5-6 picture God as the Gracious Host. 

   Psalm 23 concludes by showing how God welcomes those who trust in him. 

The Victory Celebration. The setting of verse 5 is a banquet hall. The occasion is a victory celebration. The one who trusts in God is the guest of honor who receives three acts of hospitality. 

A Prepared Table. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” This banquet is divinely catered with the finest delicacies. John 14:2-3 says, “In my father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Where is this table prepared? “In the presence of my enemies.” Enemies are not at the table with you. The defeated foe is forced to watch your victory celebration!

An Anointed Head. The anointed head was a sign of hospitality. Washing feet was about hospitality and hygiene. Anointing the head was a purely lavish act of favor. The host poured perfumed olive oil on the head and rubbed it in. The oil covered the guest’s head, beard, and clothes, symbolizing welcome, acceptance, and generosity. Ecclesiastes 9:8 says, “Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.” Trust the Lord to do this for you. 

• The Lord’s blood can keep your garment white. 
• The Lord’s oil can keep your head anointed. 

An Overflowing Cup. When used metaphorically, “cup” refers to one’s life, fate, or destiny. It often refers to divine judgment and wrath. Matthew 26:39 says, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” The cross was that cup. Because of the finished work of Christ, our cup overflows with divine blessings.

• Pessimists see the cup as half-empty. 
• Optimists see the cup as half-full. 
• Christians see the cup running over. 

  Psalm 16:5 says, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup, you hold my lot.”

The Abiding Communion. Verse 5 pictures a victory celebration. Verse 6 shows it is not a special event. It is a way of life filled with help and hope. 

Help for Today. Most think of Psalm 23 at funerals. But Psalm 23 is the open-secret to a blessed life, death, and eternity. Verse 5 is help for today: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the day of my life.” Goodness and mercy are twin attributes of God. John Phillips said, “Goodness takes care of my steps; mercy takes care of my stumbles.” 

• Goodness is God’s moral beauty. 
• Mercy is God’s steadfast love. 

Charles Spurgeon called goodness and mercy “God’s footmen.” “Follow” means to chase or pursue. Every day, goodness and mercy are in hot pursuit! Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Hope for Tomorrow. Verse 6 ends, “And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” “Dwell” is the Hebrew verse translated “restores” in verse 3. The “house of the Lord” refers to the Tabernacle.“Forever” means “through the years.” This statement can be read as a call to public and corporate worship. The Lord’s goodness should cause us to keep returning to his house to praise him. David meant more than that. He meant, “I will one day dwell in the heavenly house of the Lord for all eternity.” Revelation 7:17 says, “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Halfway up the Bavarian Alps, there was a hotel called “The Halfway House.” When hikers reached it, the grand dining room on the other side of the picture window would cause them to determine they could go no further. Once inside, they would eat, drink, and play, while others pressed on. But the longer they stayed there, the more the joy subsided. And when the hikers returned to tell them what they missed, they were filled with regret. Don’t be deceived or distracted by the halfway. Declare, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”