Devotionals

A Present Shepherd

by Stephen Wong
01/17/21
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

“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.”     Psalm 23:4 NIV

We have all experienced moments when it seemed like God was absent. Perhaps it was during a time of illness or hearing about the death of a family member. Perhaps it was when we lost our job or experienced significant financial struggles. Perhaps it was a season when it seemed like God just simply wouldn’t respond, no matter how desperately we cried out to him. During these moments, it is easy to feel like God has abandoned us or that he simply doesn’t care.

Psalm 23 tells us a different story about God’s watch over us. We are told that God is our shepherd. Back in ancient times, this language of “shepherding” was sometimes used to describe a king’s role in leading their people. In the New Testament, we can recall that Jesus is the good shepherd who intimately knows us and willingly gave his life for us (John 10:14). In this psalm, the description of God as a shepherd highlights his care for our needs and guidance over us (Psalm 23:1-2).

God’s care and guidance over us isn’t just limited to times of peace. He also looks after his sheep during the most difficult times. He is with us whenever we face the “valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4). Although this doesn’t mean that we are promised a quick escape from any hardships we will come across in this life, it does mean that we can be confident that as our shepherd, God will be our ever-present comfort and help throughout our trials, even when we don’t always feel his presence with us. With his rod and staff, the shepherd would protect his sheep from wild predators and from going astray, and lead them back to safety. Similarly, we can trust that God’s staff and rod will guard us when we face danger and help us to faithfully get through any troubles.

The next time we feel like God is absent from us, may the words of this psalm be a constant reminder that he is always with us and that we can confidently turn to him for strength and comfort. May we also comfort others around us who are also facing hardship with the truths of this psalm.