Psalm 23
1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff —
they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
my whole life long.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Every church I’ve served has had a Good Shepherd window with that iconic image of Jesus carrying a little lamb while he leads a flock of adoring sheep. The Bible is full of stories about shepherds, some of which are good and others of which are bad. It’s one of the most common images used to describe the relationship between kings and their subjects as well as between Jesus and his followers.
We almost always read the 23rd Psalm at funerals because it has been comforting people of faith for over 4,000 years. I can’t even count the number of times people have told me that they long to be that little lamb cuddled up against Jesus’ chest. The image of The Good Shepherd comforts us deep down inside.
But the shepherd does much more than comfort and protect the sheep. The shepherd also “leads them in right paths” to keep them out of danger. The shepherd disciplines the sheep, “making them lie down in green pastures”. While we adore the image of Jesus cuddling the little sheep, we’re not always so good at following where our shepherd leads us. Like recalcitrant sheep, we wander off after everything that captures our attention, only to find ourselves cold, lost, and hungry in the end. Our Good Shepherd patiently finds us and leads us back home every time.
Recently, I’ve started wondering about where those “right paths” might lead and how hard it sometimes is to listen for the Good Shepherd’s voice.
Prayer: Jesus, Our Good Shepherd: There are so many voices clamoring for my attention. Tune my ears to listen for your beautiful voice among all the others. AMEN