Psalm
23
The
promises of Psalm 23; green pastures, still waters, soul restored, right paths
followed, comfort and confidence in death’s dark valley, a feast in front of
foes, head anointed, cup overflowing, goodness and mercy and a home in the
house of the Lord are made possible by the statement of surrender, "the
Lord is my shepherd." The second statement “I shall not want” is made
possible by the first. Of course surrendering and being satisfied does not come
naturally to us. The story of “the fall” is all about humans not being
satisfied with paradise and in lusting after the fruit that was pleasing to the
eye and useful for knowledge their attempt at an upgrade from creature to creator
introduced a virus that infects us today. We infect this psalm with that virus
when we think of the Shepherd as a service provider or make it all about the
forever home in the Lord’s house. To surrender to the Shepherd is to be
satisfied with creature status and trust that the One who comforts us through
the valley of the shadow of whatever we face knows the way. That means green
pastures can exist where there is no grass. Still waters can be found in the
middle of a rushing river. The right path is the one we’re on as long as the
Shepherd walks with us. And because we know the Shepherd is Jesus the feast prepared
must be as much for the foe as it is for us. When we are satisfied with the
Shepherd with us in whatever pasture we inhabit the goodness and mercy that “follows”
catches up with us and the forever house of the Lord is our home today.
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