April is National Poetry Month, so in honor of it I thought I would share with you some thoughts on a perennial favorite psalm, Psalm 23. It is no doubt the most memorized of all the Psalms in the Psalter. It is one of the first Psalms that we teach our children since it’s easy to memorize and it can be such a comfort when they are afraid. Knowing that they have a Shepherd watching over them who guides and protects them can help them get through the night when they are scared of the dark or when they have to be in the car during a thunderstorm. And as adults it comforts us to know that we are not on this journey alone, we have a Shepherd who will make sure that we will reach the journey’s end, so that we may dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
The text:

A Psalm of David.
23:1 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.
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.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely [4] goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

This semester as I study Hebrew poetry, I have gained a new appreciation for this psalm. It was always a favorite, one that I’ve turned to a number of times in my life but now that I have cancer, it’s taken on a whole new meaning for me. Knowing that as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I’m not alone, the Lord comforts me and guides me. He hasn’t abandoned me but is with me every step of the way.
As I learned new ways to look at the psalm, it has given me even more comfort as I see Jesus as both Shepherd and sheep in this psalm. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10) but Jesus also shares in our humanity, he is the representative man who walked through the valley of the shadow of death for us but feared no evil because he knew that he could trust his Shepherd to guide and comfort him through it.
As we are lead by our Shepherd, we are comforted by the fact that he is not remote or distant to our suffering. He knows our weakness (Hebrews 4:15). He knows that I have trouble fearing no evil. I am afraid, cancer is scary. But I trust that he will guide me through it and each time I remember the psalm I’m reminded of the fact that I’m not alone, I’m lead by the Good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep and I know I can trust him to get me through this.
I told Sarah, my 16-year-old, that I would be writing a post on Psalm 23 in honor of National Poetry Month and asked her if she wanted to contribute a poem, here’s her take on the psalm:

My Shepherd Lord
Lost and afraid, am I.
A Lost sheep, soon to die,
Captured by the evil one,
Who will soon serve me well done.
I wait, pondering my fate,
Unable to escape from the one I hate.
I have heard of one who comes to save,
And takes you away from this life as a slave.
Will he come to save me as well?
Or will i spend my remaining hours in this prison cell?
I wait, hoping and praying with all my might,
that I will be saved before the night.
Afternoon comes, the sun is high above,
When down from the sky shoots a dove.
Distracted by the dove, a voice startles me.
“I am here to set you free.”
The man who had spoke was shining bright,
And gave me quite a fright.
He smiled a wonderful smile,
And i knew that he was not hostile.
“Trust in me, and you will live”
Said he, “Repent, and I will forgive.”
I knew I had been a naughty sheep,
And looking at my past deeds began to weep.
I put my trust in the mighty LORD
Who I with all my heart adored.
He set me free from my ball and chain,
And relieved me of all my pain.
We left my cell far behind as we walked on
I was ecstatic to be gone.
We passed through Death’s shadow, a frightful place
No sunlight shone, darkness filled every space.
The kind LORD picked me up and held me in his arms
And away fled all my alarms.
In his gentle embrace I was secure,
For though frightened, his love did reassure.
We walked together out of there
And walked into a pasture so fair.
My LORD set me down and welcomed me to my new home.
Here I was not tied up, but free to roam.
“You are now one of my little sheep,” he said.
And to lush green grass and clean, pure water he led.
My Shepherd LORD loves me so,
And away from him I will never go.
I fear no evil, for no one can take me away,
and in Jesus’ arms forever I will stay.