Embrace the Word for Wednesday, February 11, 2026
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Psalm 23, which is a Psalm of David, is certainly one of, if not the most familiar Psalm in all the Psalter. I have already noted that Psalm 23 corresponds to Psalm 16, as both Psalms celebrate the comforting presence of the LORD. While Psalm 23 feels very different than Psalm 22, there are several thematic links between the two Psalms. Each Psalm speaks of “righteousness” (22:22,25; 23:3), the absence or presence of “rest” (22:2; 23:2), the significance of God’s covenant “name” (22:22; 23:3), as well as the reality of “enemies” (throughout 22; 23:5). The king, who endured the abandoned sense of affliction spoken of in Psalm 22 before he experienced the glory that concludes Psalm 22, is the same one who confesses the comforting and continual presence of the LORD.
David begins with a confession that has become well-known to most: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (23:1). These opening words function as an introductory overview to the entirety of Psalm 23. While Psalm 23 is used indiscriminately, the use of “the LORD,” should remind us that what is said about God in this Psalm is applicable to those who are in covenant relationship with the LORD. The term LORD, is not a title for God, such as the term Lord is; but the personal revealed name that God permits His own people to use to address Him. God is Lord over all peoples everywhere, for all ages; but He is LORD (notice the distinction of ALL CAPS), or YAHWEH, to those who live in covenant with Him. Only His covenant people can rightly call upon Him by his personal name; only His people know Him in such an intimate fashion.
David confesses that it is the LORD who is shepherding him through life. Like Abel, and Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses, David was a shepherd. When he says that “the LORD is my shepherd,” he is declaring that the LORD relates to him the way that he related to his flock. The explicit use of the imagery of God as a shepherd to His people goes all the way back to the time of Jacob: “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day” (See Genesis 48:15). Both Jacob and now David did not merely acknowledge that the LORD is a shepherd, but that the Lord is my shepherd, expressing a deep, close bond. As a shepherd led his flock, the chief qualities of protector and provider describe the nature of a shepherd. For David, he not only was a shepherd over a flock of sheep, he was also a shepherd-style leader over a nation: “And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel’” (2 Samuel 5:2). David was to reflect the Lord as he was called to protect the nation and provide for its well-being. But for now, David is celebrating what the Lord is to him personally.
The final statement of the opening verse speaks about an outcome or result. Because and only because the LORD is David’s shepherd does he say: “I shall not want.” The term “want” means to lack, to need, to have an insufficiency. Having the LORD as shepherd means being in a continuing state of not lacking anything truly needed. The LORD's protection and provision will always be enough. There may be struggles in perception, as well as struggles in estimating the timing; but the Lord will never leave His people lacking protection and provision. This reality will be bore out as the Psalm unfolds, but it might also be pointed out that such a reality has always been the case between the LORD and His people. Moses used the same statement when he declared to the Hebrew people in the wilderness: “These forty years the LORD your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing” (See Deuteronomy 2:7b).
As Psalm 23 unfolds, the structure of this Psalm moves from third-person (23:1-3) in reference to the LORD, to second-person (23:4-5) reference, and then back to third-person (23:6) reference. We will consider the significance of this movement as we work through the passage. We might also note the shift in the scenes as the imagery moves from a meadow (23:2-3a), to a pathway (23:3b), through a dark valley (23:4), then to a victory feast (23:5), before finally arriving at the Lord’s house (23:6).
The first scene that describes the protecting and providing presence of the LORD is a grassy meadow: “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters” (23:2). A shepherd makes sure that his sheep have grass to graze upon and water to drink. With such provisions, sheep can reasonably feel safe to lie down and rest. The LORD certainly makes physical safety and sustenance a sphere of His shepherding activity; but we should consider that the way that the Lord cares for human sheep also pertains to our spiritual needs as well. These spiritual needs would include what we today might call emotional or even psychological needs; but we should consider that such needs are spiritual in nature, that is, they are rooted in and reflect the nature of our relationship with the LORD. What David is describing is consistent with how the LORD led Israel during the Exodus, for the phrase “still waters” could also be stated as “waters of resting places,” such as we find in the wilderness journeys: “So they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey. And the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them” (See Numbers 10:33). The LORD has always led His people to rest and refreshment.
Still in the grassy meadow, “He restores my soul” (23:3a). Remember a few Psalms back when David was extolling what the Scriptures do, David said: “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul” (See Psalm 19:7a). The terms “restores” and “reviving” are the same word. The LORD works, through His Word, to restore and revive His people’s souls. At least a part of this restoring or reviving work implies the idea of repentance, which suggests that the protecting and providing work of the LORD includes His activity of reclaiming us from our wanderings. The corrective work of the shepherd is to bring us back with Him as He is present in the grassy meadow.
From resting in the meadow, to journeying down a path, the LORD continues leading His people: “He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (23:3b). The LORD leads His people down paths that He knows are right. The term “path” can literally mean “tracks” such as in “wagon tracks of righteousness.” These well-worn wagon tracks possess an inescapable moral quality and are illuminated by the Scripture: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (See Psalm 119:105). The LORD never leads down a track or path that is not characterized by a life of righteousness. This type of leading He does for the sake of His own reputation. And when God’s people follow their shepherd by walking in such paths as the Lord has promised to do, they glorify His name.
The LORD takes His people from grassy meadows down righteous paths and into dark valleys: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” (23:4a). Valleys are treacherous places-for enemies can easily ambush from the high ground above. Valleys are dark and ominous; dangerous and gloomy. They are a sheep’s worst nightmare. The valley of the shadow of death can envelope the Lord’s people in a variety of circumstances: sickness, loss, severe pain, and a host of heavy sorrows. Valleys depict life-threatening, fear-generating situations. But the presence of the LORD drives fear away. When the LORD takes His people through a valley, He is still leading through a path of righteousness, and He is still protecting and providing as He does in a grassy meadow. In fact, notice the switch from third-person in verses 1-3 to second-person in verse 4. David has gone from talking about the LORD as his shepherd, to talking to the Lord as his shepherd. This more intimate description occurs not in the experience of rest and refreshment, nor through the progress of righteousness; but in the encounter with darkness and distress. Perhaps the troubled valleys of life can drive us to a closer realization with our Shepherd than if we never went through a valley. It is not that the LORD is closer to us in the valleys than anywhere else, but that the valleys can cause us to realize how close the LORD has always been. The LORD's protection and provision in the grassy meadow does take a different shape in the valleys. The ability to sense the LORD's presence and thus escape the trap of fear comes through the awareness of the LORD's resources: "for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (23:4b). Our Shepherd’s “rod” defends sheep as He can deploy it to run off a wild animal, or to beat the daylights out of it. Our Shepherd’s “staff” guides sheep as He can use it to dissuade a sheep from going to a perilous place, or to rescue a sheep from a precarious place. Thus, the Shepherd’s resources result in comfort for the sheep.
The scene changes again and takes a somewhat surprising turn as David moves from the characters of a sheep and shepherd to that of a host and guest: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (23:5). Perhaps the scene here is of the LORD throwing a feast in the field of a battle in which the enemies are defeated. The image of a prepared table suggests that of a lavish and rich provision in which the one for whom the party is thrown is vindicated and victorious. The provision and protection continues even in this scene as the LORD is arranging a banquet that is festive and satisfying; but also ensuring that the enemies are held in check as they watch their foes celebrate. If the Lord can sustain and uphold His people in the presence of their enemies, is there any circumstance that the LORD cannot and will not protect and provide?
The final scene is that of a safe arrival at the LORD's house: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (23:6). First, on the route to the LORD's house, David is actively pursued by the LORD. Goodness and mercy are not haphazardly trailing behind David somewhere. The term that David uses is much more actively oriented. For instance, the term is used of Pharaoh when he decided to go after Israel (See Exodus 14:8-9). The notion of chased or even pursued better connotes what David is saying about the Lord. And what characterizes the Lord’s active pursuit but His goodness and mercy. In fact, it is “only”, not merely “surely” the LORD's goodness and mercy. God will only chase after His people with qualities of goodness and mercy, whether our situation is self-inflicted sin or others-inflicted suffering. The God who goes ahead of us to lead us, is the God who comes near to us to comfort us, is the God who pursues us guarding us from behind. This He does, not mostly, not usually, not occasionally-but “all the days of my life,” until He delivers us safely home. The good protection and provision of the LORD throughout our lives ensures that we will experience eternal life in His presence. Is there any better comfort and assurance? Is there anything else that we really need?
As we reflect on Psalm 23, we should emphatically grasp that our Shepherd is Jesus. Jesus identified Himself as the “good shepherd” (See John 10:10,14). Peter called Jesus the “chief shepherd” (See 1 Peter 5:4). The writer of Hebrews identified Jesus as the “great shepherd” (See Hebrews 13:20). John recognized Jesus as Lamb and Shepherd: “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (See Revelation 7:17). Thus, the LORD is not our Shepherd apart from Jesus. The New Covenant blessings are not ours apart from Jesus; but all of them are ours in Christ: “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (See 2 Corinthians 1:20). But we are not automatically in Christ; our sin has caused us to natively turn from Christ: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way” (See Isaiah 53:6a). However, Jesus has taken our sin upon Himself and laid down His life as our substitute: “and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (See Isaiah 53:6b). We experience the LORD as our shepherd, as we turn to Jesus and follow Him (See John 10:4). As we do, we will have all we need—in this life as well as the next.
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Wednesday, February 11, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Friday, February 13, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 24.