The Shepherd Who Never Leaves

Chances are, you have attended a funeral where Psalm 23 was recited. Maybe you’ve heard it read at the bedside of someone gravely ill. Even if you’ve let the dust gather on the covers of your Bible, Psalm 23 has a way of pushing through the cobwebs and connecting with your heart when comfort and hope are needed most.

In difficult times, you want to know that everything is going to be ok. And this psalm will at least make you believe that that is possible. The words of this chapter are written with such confidence, it’s hard not to believe them.

And interestingly, they weren’t written by some inconsequential, obscure person, who would naturally understand their weakness, vulnerability, and need for help. No, Psalm 23 was written by a powerful king! King David, however, realized that he rose to power, and sustained it, only by the grace of God. He had been a lowly shepherd boy, the youngest and smallest of his brothers. Over the years, he faced injustice, loss, and fear, and came to know well the weight of guilt and regret. Though his faith faltered from time to time, he came to learn the necessity of repentance and the need to put his faith and trust in the ultimate Shepherd – the Lord – who had the supreme power, and in His love would guide and provide for him and give him peace even in the most trying times. David wrote many psalms – often about his crying out to the Lord for help and then testifying how He was always faithful to answer.

David was really no different from the rest of us. At our core, we are all needy people. When push comes to shove, we come to the realization that we are really quite vulnerable and cannot assure security and safety for ourselves. So, hard times are an opportunity for us to look up and see the Shepherd who wants to care for us and give us everything we need to not just survive, but to thrive, even – and especially – in the worst of circumstances.

The Bible addresses our deepest needs as humans. It reveals that we are sinners, born with a sin nature and destined for eternal separation from God. God is the Source of life, and sin leads us away from Him. Thus, the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). Apart from God, we are all like vulnerable sheep, weak and alone, exposed to danger on every side.

God, in His abundant grace, wanted to save us from that penalty so that we could live forever with Him in security. So, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ. He was God in flesh. This means that He was both fully God and fully man. In his humanity, He identified with us as humans, though He remained sinless. Because of this, He was able to die in our place, as our representative before God. The Bible says that He supernaturally took our sin upon Himself and allowed Himself to be put to death in our place. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, He forgives us and gives us His righteousness in place of our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), so that we can be right with God and be able to enter His holy presence in Heaven when we die. He gives us a renewed spiritual nature that cleanses us from the previous sinful one.

In all these ways, Jesus revealed Himself to be the same Lord that David trusted in. Jesus even said He was the Good Shepherd, committed to providing, guiding, comforting, protecting, blessing, and assuring all who trust in Him. He sacrificially laid down His life for those who would follow Him, just like a shepherd would for his sheep, to destroy the enemy that threatened their life – in this case, sin that leads to eternal death and separation from God. When He rose from the grave, He proved He was the eternal Son of God and conquered these enemies of sin and death, once and for all.

If you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you can know that everything really is going to be ok. Psalm 23 can be read for comfort even at a funeral, and when death stares us squarely in the face, because His goodness and mercy will surround us to the very end. And even the very end is not the end, because we will “dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Psalm 23:6).

Do you have this peace and assurance? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ today as your Savior and Shepherd?