Psalms - Week 5
- Feb 2
- 7 min read
INTRODUCTION
Let me throw a few things at you to start today. Not physically, of course, but I want to describe a couple of "camps" or scenarios. I want you to be honest with yourself—do you fall into one of these?
Camp one: You don’t actually struggle with belief—you struggle with control. You believe in God, you love God, but you still grip the steering wheel of your life with white knuckles.
Camp two: You trust Him with eternity... but not always with Monday morning. You trust Him with heaven, sure, but not always with your finances, your kids, or your security.
So, the real question isn’t, "Do you believe in God?"
The real question is, "Who’s actually leading your life?"
Every person in this room is following something. A voice. A value system. A fear. A dream. A pressure. No one lives self-directed—we’re all being led.
Think of it this way: Is what’s leading you trustworthy?
If Psalm 1 gave us direction, Psalm 2 gave us authority, Psalm 8 lifted our eyes in praise, and Psalm 13 taught us how to cry honestly—Psalm 23 teaches us how to trust.
And we need to see where this lands in the Bible. It’s not an accident.
This Psalm lies between Psalm 22, which depicts Jesus as the suffering Savior on the Cross, and Psalm 24, which depicts Him as the Sovereign King wearing the Crown.
Psalm 23 is right in the middle. It depicts Christ as the all-sufficient Shepherd holding the Crook.
So, we have the Cross, the Crook, and the Crown. In John 10, Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, claiming this role for Himself.
This is perhaps the most familiar Psalm in all of Scripture. It’s quoted at funerals, printed on wall art, and memorized by children. But familiarity can be dangerous, right? Familiarity can make us miss the power.
Let me say this: Psalm 23 is not a poetic fantasy—it’s a declaration of confidence. It’s written by David, a man who was a shepherd before he was a King. He understands exactly what sheep need to survive. And what David shows us is this truth: Trust isn’t built on circumstances—it’s built on who your Shepherd is.
We don’t fear the valley because the Shepherd is with us.
There are seven covenant names of God hidden in this text. In English, we only have a few names for God but in Hebrew, there are many. We see Jehovah Raah, Jehovah Jireh—just to name a few right off the bat. But we aren't just going to learn theology today.
We are going to learn how to trust.
1. The Shepherd Provides What I Need
Psalm 23:1–3 - The sufficiency of the Shepherd
[1] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
[2] He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
[3] He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
David begins with identity before activity. He doesn't say "The Lord gives me stuff." He says, "The Lord is my shepherd."
Here is our first name: Jehovah Raah. It literally means "The Lord my Shepherd."
David claims God as HIS shepherd. Not "a" shepherd. Not "our" shepherd. But "my" shepherd. This implies ownership. It means the Creator of the Universe is personally responsible for you.
And because of that, David says, "I shall not want."
Here we see Jehovah Jireh—The Lord Will Provide. You may remember this from Abraham and Isaac? The Lord who sees the need and provides for it.
"I shall not want" doesn't mean "I get everything I desire." It means, "I lack nothing I truly need." Because God is my Shepherd, I am not spiritually, emotionally, or eternally lacking.
Then look at verse 2. "He leads me beside still waters."
"Still waters" literally means "waters of rest." This is Jehovah Shalom—The Lord is Peace.
Sheep are afraid of fast-moving water; if their wool gets soaked, they sink. The
Shepherd knows their limitations.
Verse 3 says: "He restores my soul."
The word "restore" means to heal or bring back. This is Jehovah Rapha—The Lord that Heals.
And finally in verse 3: "He leads me in paths of righteousness."
This is Jehovah (Sid-ke-nu) Tsidkenu—The Lord Our Righteousness.
He aligns us. He puts us on the right path for His name's sake. To bring Glory to His name.
So just in these first three verses, we have: The Shepherd (Raah), The Provider (Jireh), The Peace (Shalom), The Healer (Rapha), and The Righteousness (Tsidkenu).
Application:
Check your "Want" list: Are you anxious because you lack what you need, or because you aren't getting what you want?
Surrender the title: We say, "I have to figure this out," or "I have to control this." No, you don't. You are the sheep. He is the Shepherd. Let Him lead.
Trust begins when we surrender to the True Shepherd.
2. The Shepherd Stays With Me in the Valley
Psalm 23:4 - The presence of the Shepherd
[4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
"Even though I walk through the valley..."
Notice the real life of Scripture right here. It doesn't say "If" I walk. It doesn't say "maybe." It says "Even though."
Valleys are part of the deal. The Bible never teaches a valley-free faith. But notice the preposition: Through.
It doesn't say you stay in the valley. It doesn't say you die in the valley. You walk through it.
And what is this valley? The "shadow of death."
We've all been there. Grief. Depression. Anxiety. Loss. It feels dark. But David calls it a shadow.
Here's the thing about shadows: A dog can bite you, but the shadow of a dog cannot bite you. A truck can hit you, but the shadow of a truck cannot hurt you. Death casts a shadow, fear casts a shadow—but they have no ultimate substance. Only God is the substance.
"I will fear no evil..." Why? "For you are with me."
Here is our next name: Jehovah Shammah—The Lord is There.
This is the turning point of the Psalm. In verses 1-3, David talks about God ("He leads me," "He restores me"). But in the valley, David talks to God ("For You are with me").
The valley moves faith from theory to reality.
He brings his "rod and staff."
The Rod was a club for defense—protection against wolves.
The Staff was a crook for guidance—to pull sheep out of a ditch.
Even His discipline is a comfort because it proves we are His children.
How Do We Apply This?
Stop interpreting hardship as failure. Real life distortion says, "I’m in a valley, so God must be mad at me." No. Joseph had a valley. David had a valley. Jesus had a valley. Valleys are not evidence of disobedience—they are evidence of discipleship.
Reposition your fear. Faith doesn't remove fear; it repositions it. Stop looking at the shadow and look at the Shepherd.
Lean into the "You." When you are in the dark, stop talking about God and start talking to Him.
In the sunlight, we learn about God. In the dark, we know God.
3. The Shepherd Protects, Honors, and Secures Me
Psalm 23:5–6 - The victory of the Shepherd
[5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
[6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies..."
Here is our final name: Jehovah (nis-eye) Nissi—The Lord is my Banner, my Victory.
God doesn't just give us a snack in secret. He prepares a banquet in the middle of the battlefield. Right in front of our enemies.
This is confidence. This is honor. In the ancient world, if you ate at the King's table, you were under his protection. Your enemies could watch, but they couldn't touch you.
"You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."
This speaks to healing, but also abundance. This is a Shepherd who is generous. He doesn't just give you enough to survive; He gives you enough to spill over.
And look at verse 6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me..."
The Hebrew word for "follow" here is radaph. It literally means to chase, to pursue, to hunt down.
We think we are being chased by problems. David says, "No, look closer." Goodness and
Mercy are the sheepdogs snapping at your heels, chasing you down the street.
"And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
Trust isn’t just for this life—it’s for eternity. We don't just get help in the valley; we get a home in His presence.
How Do We Apply This?
Change your posture. You might have enemies—workplace tension, family conflict, online critics. God might not remove them, but He prepares a table right in front of them. Eat your meal in peace. Don't fight back; feast on His faithfulness.
Live from abundance. Stop living with a scarcity mindset—"I don't have enough patience, I don't have enough strength." Your cup overflows. Access what He has already given you.
Stop running from God. Turn around and realize that His goodness has been pursuing you your whole life.
GOSPEL CONNECTION AND CONCLUSION
Psalm 23 is beautiful. It comforts us. But it points to something even greater than David.
David was a good shepherd, but he wasn't the perfect Shepherd.
In John 10, Jesus stands up and says, "I am the Good Shepherd."
But He adds a twist. He says, "The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
See, in Psalm 23, the sheep don't die—the sheep are protected. Why?
Because in the Gospel, the Shepherd dies instead.
The Shepherd became the Lamb.
Jesus walked through the ultimate Valley of the Shadow of Death—the cross—and He did it alone, so that you would never have to. He drank the cup of God's wrath so that your cup could overflow with grace. He prepared a table for us—the Lord's Supper—where we feast on His victory.
We don’t trust the Shepherd just because life is easy. We trust the Shepherd because
He has the scars to prove He loves us.
The safest place in your life is not control. It's not comfort. It is closeness to the Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
The question isn't: Is God trustworthy?
The question is: Will you let Him lead?