Psalm
23 (NIV)
A psalm of David.
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.
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You can learn many things through
books and classes, but some things are learned only through experience. That’s the message I get from Psalm 23, which
to me traces the path of one’s spiritual development.
Psalm 23 starts peacefully as we learn
how God satisfies our basic needs for food, shelter and protection. Striking out into the world, God shows us the
proper paths to follow and restores our soul as we make mistakes. As we grow older, our relationship with God grows
as well (notice how the description of God changes from “he” to “you” starting
in verse four). We fear less and less in
life as we come to trust God’s guidance - His rod gently disciplining and
teaching us; His staff lovingly pulling us back onto the path as we stray. We develop courage as we learn to face those
who would want to do us harm, and we experience God’s blessings as a result. Then, with a mature spirit at our journey’s
end, we enter God’s house to live with Him forever.
While we have read and heard this
psalm preached many times, there is a difference between understanding the text
intellectually and coming to know and trust the God of whom the text speaks. It is difficult just to sense an unseen God’s
presence, let alone follow His guidance.
Helping people make that leap of faith is a role of the church. We, the church body, help God create new disciples
and mature them through our love for them in community fellowship, mutual support,
prayer, Bible study and worship.
The realization of God’s presence
can come in many ways – including witnessing His influence in your own life or
the lives of others, having personal spiritual experiences, coming to a
realization of God’s hand in the beauty of nature or human life, or as a result
of a life-changing event.
What was God’s contribution to
the cause of our spiritual development? Why
Jesus, of course! In John 14:5-14 Jesus
tells His disciples “If you really knew me you would know the Father as well.” Additionally, throughout the gospels He tells
people about “the kingdom of God”. Jesus,
in effect, was God’s “bridge” between the seen and unseen worlds, to help us
make the leap in understanding necessary to develop the spiritual relationship God
wants us to have with Him.
- Mark H. Brooks
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