Psalm 23
“The Lord is my Shepherd.” How many times have you uttered those
words? Back when memorization was all
the rage the 23rd Psalm fell from our lips as easily as rain from a
heavy sky. Just out of curiosity, raise
your hand if you know the 23rd Psalm from memory. That is what I suspected. When I meet with a family during funeral
preparations this Psalm is almost always requested. It offers a poignant hope to those who grieve. But the poem is more than a reflection on
death. It is an affirmation of
life. Think about how many songs you
know that are based on this Psalm. Our days, no matter if it is sunrise or
sunset, are enriched by the timeless words of the Shepherd King.
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not
want.” The Psalm begins with the most
improbable metaphor. It would seem David
is saying, “Because the Lord rules my life, I desire nothing.” I realize we live in a world consumed with
always having the next biggest thing and we could all temper our appetites, but
are ambition, drive, or desire so horrible?
I am 66 years old. Soon I will go
to the golf course with the ridiculous desire to shoot my age and count more
than just my score on the front nine. Is
it bad to be motivated? Is it wrong to
want good health for our families? Is it
so horrible to want to succeed at our jobs, or work at being good neighbors, or
excel at any project we might undertake?
Of course not. We misinterpret
the Psalm if we believe this was David’s intention. After all, David was a pretty ambitious guy.
Sometimes
it is helpful to return to the original language to clarify the intended words
of the author. A more exact translation
might be, “Yahweh is my Shepherd; I lack nothing”. Think for a moment about all the powers and
influences that are competing for your heart and soul. We all have them. My Achilles heel is book stores. When Barnes and Nobles added a music section
to their merchandise I thought I had truly experienced Shangri-La. Barnes and Nobles holds all the keys to
life. You want be the master of your
universe, lose fifty pounds, work at home, learn any foreign language, develop
self-esteem, buy a house, sell a house, or take over the housing industry? Everything
you need to know, anything you desire to conquer, any philosophy you crave to
follow is right there on the shelves of Barnes and Noble. And that is only in the best selling For Dummies Book Series. There are thousands upon thousands of works of
wisdom and truth that I have yet to explore.
And yet David, the shepherd of his people, the master of his universe,
defines his own frailty and strength in those seven eternal words, “Yahweh is
my shepherd, I lack nothing.” David’s
opening line in this unforgettable Psalm strikes a spiritual chord reminding us
that God is faithful; God is alive; and God never reneges on a promise. Our shepherd fills our hearts with hope and
our souls with promise. Under God’s
guidance we lack for nothing. Under
God’s grace we bath in all we need to be whole.
We
never lack for spiritual peace because “God restores our soul.” Ever
hear Eva Cassidy sing, “Fields of Gold”?
Sometimes I will come home after a very difficult day and all I desire
is calm. I sit in my chair, close my eyes and listen to the voice of an angel becoming
a substitute for any preconceived crisis.
When the song ends, the hole in my heart has somehow been mysteriously
healed by the wonder of Eva’s voice. I
imagine each of you share a song, a picture, a memory that God has placed in
your soul that stills your troubled waters. Some folks insist that God never gives us more
than we can handle. I don’t believe
that. I have witnessed too much
tragedy. But I believe that God never
deserts us in difficult times. God
restores our soul, giving us the courage and confidence to take that next step.
We
never lack for direction because “God leads us in paths of righteousness.” Yogi Berra is better remembered for his
“yogi-isms” than for his Hall of Fame career with the New York Yankees. One of his best known sayings is, “If you
come to a fork in the road, take it.”
That statement hardly makes sense unless you know where Yogi and his
wife have lived. The Berra home is half
way around a circle. When you are
approaching the road leading to the Berra homestead, it doesn’t matter if you
go right or left. Both roads lead to Yogi’s house. Folks often talk about the straight and
narrow road of the Lord. I find God’s navigation
system is much more complex than we might initially realize. I suspect God has led me down roads some of
you would not dare travel. I know some
of the ways you have discovered God would be foreign to me. When I compare faith journeys with other
ministers, one might wonder how we found our way to a similar destination. We definitely took different forks. But our roads have always led to God’s
righteousness. The most wonderful part
is the more I travel life’s road, the more I witness God’s mysterious and
amazing grace. No matter the occasional
pothole, no matter the momentary feeling of uncertainty, I have no desire to turn
around and go back. Sometimes I only
understand the reason for the trip once I arrive. And that in itself causes me to trust God all
the more.
We
never lack for courage because “Even through the darkest valley, we will not
fear, for God is with us.” I have to
admit that David was a lot braver than I.
Maybe after that Goliath incident, David was able to take courage to a
level not easily understood. It is healthy to acknowledge and respect
fear. It is equally important not to
allow fear to paralyze our steps. Many
of you have experienced surgery. Think
of the fear that crept into your stomach as the anesthesiologist asked you to
count backwards from one hundred. Many
of you have lost a spouse. Think of the emptiness
that swept over you a day or so after the funeral when all the children and
friends had returned to their homes.
Some of you have lost jobs or been faced with a difficult career
changing decision. Think of the
emptiness you felt as you wondered what the next day would bring. The valley of the shadow of death is not a
once in a lifetime experience. Fear is
not just an occasional emotion. Neither
is God an occasional friend. God doesn’t
just drop by ever so often to see how we are doing. God directs us to the best and smoothest
pebble. God steadies our aim and
empowers our arm. When we face our
personal Goliath, we are not alone. As
the 139th Psalm reminds us, “When darkness covers me and the light
becomes night, even the darkness is not dark to you. With your presence, the night becomes as
bright as day.” So often fear knocks and
God tells us to go ahead and open the door.
The surprise comes when we open the door and nothing is there.
We
never lack for hospitality because “God prepared a table before us in the midst
of us enemies.” There is a Zen proverb
about a warrior who was captured by his enemies and thrown into prison. That night he could not sleep. The warrior was convinced that he would be
tortured the next day. The words of his
teacher came to mind. “Tomorrow is not real.
The only reality is now”. The warrior
came to the present and fell asleep.
I
discovered this story a few years ago when I was reading about a Benjamin Weir,
a Presbyterian missionary who was kidnapped in Lebanon. He remained their prisoner for 16 months. Asked how he survived, the missionary told
the Zen story and then added the words, “a table was prepared for me in the
midst of my enemies.” When Weir’s captors
would bring him food, the missionary was convinced each meal would be his
last. But then a month into the ordeal
he decided not to worry about tomorrow but live in God’s moment. From that time
on, when the food was brought, the missionary would ask the captors if they
would break bread with him. Initially
his offer was rejected. But each day Weir
made a similar request. Eventually they
ate together, prayed together and finally shared stories of their
families. When Benjamin Weir was
released, he claimed he was alive because he was able to break bread with his
enemy.
Finally
we will never lack for a future because, “We will dwell in the house of the
Lord for as long as we live”. Choosing
to live on this side of the resurrection becomes more than just a recipe for
life. It offers us an everlasting
existence with God.
The
Lamb is our shepherd, we lack nothing.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all our days. Even in the midst of enemies we shall find
the courage to choose life, and God, for as long as we shall live. Is it any wonder this Psalm remains on our
lips? Will you join me as we turn to page 473 in our hymnal and sing the
Shepherd song once again?
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