On the Move – Psalm 23

A text – Psalm 23

¹ The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
³     he restores my soul.He leads me in right pathsfor his name’s sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I 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 my whole life long.

A reflection:

I was reading a commentary on this beloved 23^rd psalm that noted that most people think of it as a static description of peace and contentment for eternity – rest in a place of abundance. But then the Bible scholar mentioned all the movement imagery: making me lie down, leading me in right paths, walking in the darkest valley that produces fear, being constantly followed (even pursued) by goodness and mercy instead of pursued by the predators/enemies who were present just one verse beforehand.

Sheep and shepherds were constantly on the move, especially where abundant grazing was scarce. Rods and staffs were needed to keep the sheep going and also to fend off predators and more mundanely hold back bushy branches so the sheep could pass by. In the ancient days when David wrote these verses, shepherds had to be active, not resting, because their sheep were always wandering, looking for their next bite.

This psalm is well known for bringing comfort to folks. Doesn’t it bring even more comfort if we consider the flock and its shepherd to be moving their way across the terrain of life with its abundance as well as its perils? We are living and moving in an often difficult world, but we have a shepherd leading us! Especially in unprecedented times when we feel we do not know what to do, we, like David, can be certain that our shepherd is leading us truly and faithfully, and that no matter what happens, goodness and mercy are pursuing us. All we have to do is notice it.

A prayer:

Lord God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for being our shepherd. Help us to remember, especially when we feel helpless and ill-equipped to make good decisions, that you are leading us into abundant life. Amen.