Back to the Basics
“The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.”
Psalm 23:1 (NIV)
Painting by Abby Little Jessup
It’s been almost four weeks since my knee replacement surgery. While the surgery itself was a successful outpatient procedure requiring less than six hours, my physical recovery is ongoing, painful, and intense. I had my left knee replaced nine years ago, and honestly, I forgot how disruptive pain and grief are to the everyday normal rhythms of life.
Sleep and regular rest remain at a high premium as I learn how to sleep on my back and not on my side. I’m also struggling with “normal” daily functions like driving, exercise, and even studying my Bible. Physical therapy and my knee rehab exercises require a lot of time, energy, and discipline to push through the initial pain and strengthen the weak muscles that need to be strengthened and retrained. I am not a big fan of pain pills even though I have plenty of them, because I don’t like feeling sluggish or dull.
Last week instead of diving into a new Bible study and struggling with remembering what I had just read, I returned to a familiar passage. I first memorized Psalm 23 when I was nine years old. My Mama helped me memorize it and the beloved Psalm became a lifeline for the two of us as her memory progressively faded due to vascular dementia. Over the last year of Mama’s life almost every one of our visits ended with the two of us reciting the familiar words. Our conversation would go like this:
Donna: The Lord is my
Mama: Shepherd
Donna: I shall not
Mama: want
Donna: He leads me beside still
Mama: waters
Donna: He restores
Mama: my soul.
Watercolor by Gabriele Cook
Ten days following Pastor Reeder’s sudden death last year, Dr. Neil Stewart, Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina delivered one of the best sermons I have ever heard on Psalm 23. Our church was grieving, and all of our normal church rhythms were suddenly gone. Using Psalm 23, Dr. Stewart reminded us that for the Christian, it’s never a dog’s life, but a sheep’s life. Jesus makes my personal needs his personal responsibility.
Dr. Stewart then worked his way through the text by asking one very important question: What will Christ do for you?
When I’m hungry, he feeds me
When I’m lost, he finds me
When I’m scared, he is with me
When I face death, he brings me safely all the way home
A shepherd’s job is to feed, lead, guard, guide, and protect his sheep. Martin Luther once said, “The power of the gospel lies in personal pronouns.” Read through Psalm 23 and you’ll discover what David did 3000 years ago. Our God is a personal Shepherd who cares for his people. But God isn’t just “our” God; he is also MY God who feeds me when I’m hungry; finds me when I’m lost; is with me when I’m scared; and brings me home to feast at his table.
This week as I’ve struggled with sleepless nights and not very fruitful Bible studies, I have gone back to the basics and turned some of Psalm 23’s verses into prayers asking God to:
Make me lie down in green pastures. (v1)
Lead me beside still waters (v2)
Restore my soul (v2)
Let your rod and staff comfort me (v4)
Help me to fear no evil for you are with me (v4)
I’ve also been reminded of an incident that happened about six years ago with a friend who was teaching four-year-old Sunday School. Ashley was listening to a little girl's memory verse from Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." That's what she expected the child to say. Instead, she heard,
"The Lord is my shepherd; that's all I want."
Out of the mouths of babes, that's the whole point of Psalm 23! Oh, that those words would be our words and that child's heart would be our heart!
The Shepherd's constant care and comfort sustains us in both life and death. His goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives. And for those who know Him, we will dwell, not in pasture tents as sojourners, but in His house as residents forever (Psalm 23:6). That will be the best green pasture we could imagine.
Comfort care and green pastures from the Great Shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13:20) for sleepless nights and restless days.