The key to this psalm is the first verse and is found in the pronoun “my.” If this is not true of you, then this psalm is not a psalm that you can cling to for it is only for those who call to God as Savior, Shepherd.
For all the beauty and splendor of this psalm, it is a psalm reminding us that God meets our needs (cf. Philippians 4.19 and Psalm 37.25). These would include meeting the needs of our entire being. He meets my safety and physical needs as-well-as my need for belonging, love, and meaning. He guides me (2-3), He protects me (4), He is with me (4), His loving-kindness is known to me (6), and He gives me victory (5) with purpose (6). The one thing that is not given me that I have to choose is to serve others the same way He has served me (Mark 10.43-45).
The question to answer is this: Whom am I shepherding toward Christ today?
Many authors have poured over these verses and waxed eloquently (i.e., Max Lucado Traveling Light or Philip Keller A Shepherds Look at Psalm 23). I refer the reader to books such as these to explore the depths of this chapter.
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