PSALM 23 – GROWING UP IN GOD

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³ he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
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 your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. Psalms 23

There are many ways of interpreting this psalm and many fascinating images that emerge from the Hebrew text. One way of viewing it is to recognise in it a description of the process of growing up from spiritual infancy to mature and responsible adulthood. Each verse introduces us to the next stage in the process and leads us on to the final goal; to be, and to be in, the dwelling place of God.

Verse 1 describes, in the imagery of shepherd and sheep, God’s tender care and responsibility towards His people. The Hebrew implies that we will never be short-changed or become diminished in any way through our relationship with Him as our Shepherd. For the sheep it’s plus all the way.

Verse 2 describes the period of spiritual infancy when God cares for us like a mother cares for her baby, answering every prayer and taking care of every physical and emotional need. It’s all about grass and water, the concerns of the “baby” Christian which override everything else at this stage.

Verse 3 focuses on the “teenage” stage of spiritual growth, when the moral values are being formed and tested, and God’s training and discipline shapes the soul and teaches us to walk in His righteousness. He works on the failures of our childhood and exposes us to the values He treasures and wants us to embrace.

Verse 4 is the defining time of our lives when we either choose to remain in spiritual infancy or advance to spiritual maturity by submitting, in trust and obedience, to the tough discipline of our Shepherd. He takes us through “death valley” so that we can learn to stake our lives on Him instead of choosing our own way and living in the twilight zone between light and darkness. He may have to take us through “death valley” over and over again until our self-will is surrendered to His higher purposes and we submit to Him willingly and spontaneously without putting up a fight over every new instruction.

Verse 5 opens up new vistas of experience on this journey with our Shepherd; bounty, pleasure and satisfaction. The reward for enduring the process is beyond our imagination. Paul describes it like this: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared fro those who love Him – “(1 Corinthians 2:9, NIV). There is honour, abundance, and victory for those who stay with the Shepherd through the dark times, trusting in His goodness and mercy and never giving up until the valley is conquered and the way breaks out into the sunshine of God’s favour.

Verse 6 assures us that this journey is going somewhere. It is the Shepherd’s passion to make His home with us in the realm where His love and perfection rule. The final reward far outweighs the hazards and discomfort of the journey.