1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psalm 23:1-5 (KJV)
In 2021 US statistics regarding fears, the majority of them are related to the fear of death. How about the phobias? There are many kinds of phobias and the common ones include:
- Claustrophobia – fear of being in constricted, confined spaces.
- Acrophobia – fear of heights.
- Aerophobia – fear of flying.
- Arachnophobia – fear of spiders.
If we think about it, phobias can also be associated with death. The fear of heights, flying, snakes, spiders, etc… is because the mind tells us that there’s a potential to get hurt and a potential to die.
Here’s good news for Christians: our shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, took this fear and defeated it. There is no more death because there is only transition.
If we go back to our key verse in verse 4, it says that the Lord is with us and will comfort us. In today’s devotion, we’ll see three reasons why the Lord protects us and why He is our good shepherd.
He is with us in battle
“For thou art with me”
God is not cheering for us from far away. God the Father is with us. The Lord Jesus Christ himself is also interceding for us. The Holy Spirit also dwells in us.
“Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”
In the Old Testament times, the staff could be a sceptre, walking stick, crutch, or some kind of support or prop. A shepherd might use a staff as something to lean on in case the ground is not dry or safe for sitting or for support when he needed rest during long shifts tending the sheep. In the field, a shepherd would also use the curly end of the staff to pull a sheep out of thick brush or to lift it if it happened to fall or was injured. The staff was also used to guide sheep across open fields and along rocky hillsides. It was a handy tool for making sure they stay on track. Another purpose for the staff is that it is used for counting the sheep.
The rod, on the other hand, is not a tool for correction or discipline but rather a tool for protection and a symbol of love. Why? The rod was used to defend the sheep against predators. Since sheep aren’t very smart, it was up to the shepherd to adequately defend his flock, so a nice hard rod made for a solid weapon against any enemies.
So, using these analogies, what does it mean that the rod and staff comforts us?
The staff serves as a symbol that we, too, can find rest when we lean on the Lord. God uses His staff to rescue us from difficult or dangerous situations. The rod is a symbol of God’s protection. He goes before us to defend us from our enemies.
He blesses us in battle
Verse 5 is a symbol that the Lord is “setting a table” which means He is calm and not afraid of our enemy. There are two ways we can sit at that table:
- Private worship is our prayer. (Matthew 6:6)
- Public worship by going to our sanctuary, the church. (Psalm 73:1-3, 16-17)
He refreshes us in battle
Verse 5 is both refreshing and strengthening. God just doesn’t give us a little sip in the battle. Our cup will run over!
Psalm 23 is a famous chapter of the Bible that’s especially encouraging during times of trouble. We should always remember that GOD IS FAITHFUL.