Day 37: Psalm 23

I am somewhat embarrassed that I haven’t spent more time on Psalm 23, it is after all the most famous of the Psalms. It’s worth reading even if you have it memorized.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 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. Psalm 23

Every line of this passage matters, but one that has always felt personal to me is the line in verse three, “He guides me along the right paths.” Anyone else not sure what path to take right now? Anyone struggling with the journey and the destination? This Psalm invites us, in quiet moments and in dark moments, to trust the Good Shepherd. This word “path” in the Hebrew language is the word for “deep ruts.” If you are anything like me, I need new discoveries and adventures, but I need a steady flow of the familiar in my life. I need “ruts” and traditions that others have created. I need sacraments, worship, and prayer. I need something that’s not depending on me and is automated because I have decision fatigue. Part of what has been so unsettling about the last six weeks is the lack of familiarity and footing in this new world. I long for the deep ruts. In Jeremiah 6:16, God says,

“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16

When we can’t find rest in the new land, we can always find rest in the familiar paths. What’s familiar to you that gives you rest?

In the familiar, may you find the grace of the Good Shepherd.

Jared