The Good Shepherd

Nitty Gritty Reality

I was enjoying my time in devotions earlier this week and am currently reading through the life of David. In his psalms, labeled in our Bibles as 43 & 44, a couple of verses jumped out at me:

Psalm 43:5 MSG

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God— soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.

That’s the Message Translation. I like his admission that he has been down in the dumps but knows that God is able to put a smile on his face again.

In the next psalm:

Psalm 44:23–26 NIV

Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever. Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression? We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.

I love David’s authenticity! It could have been written from my own thoughts … or yours!

Of course, we know that God is good and that He wants good for us. But there are times…But we’ve learned that when we need comfort there is no other place to go.

Our Good Shepherd

We expect to experience comfort from God but how can David, how can we, go from feeling down in the dumps or even that God isn’t present to feeling comforted? We’ve all been there. I think there is another psalm that helps us, Psalm 23.

Psalm 23 NIV

A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Just 6 verses long…but they are powerful verses. For some people, Psalm 23 isn’t just Scripture—it’s survival. It’s what they whispered in hospital rooms…what they held onto at gravesides…what carried them when nothing else could.

A more recent testimony (2025) tells of a woman in Iran who had no Christian community and no Bible yet encountered Christian teaching through media. Psalm 23 was part of what drew her in—portraying a God who guides, provides, and stays present.

She described discovering “a love like the one [she] found in Him,” which began reshaping her life and eventually led her toward faith.[1]

We all will likely have a special remembrance of Psalm 23 and when it had a unique impact on our lives. Let’s take a brief look at it to see potentially why.

Ways the Good Shepherd Comforts Us

He is a Personal Comforter

We don’t have to go any further than the first 5 words of the psalm to appreciate God’s personal touch. “The LORD is my shepherd.” Now that is something that would be worth taking time to meditate on.

Here is a crazy connection…I was mowing the lawn the other day, putting as straight a line in the cut as I possibly could and I thought about WHY. I mean WHY even worry about the cut lines? In the grand scope of things, it doesn’t matter, but I was making it personal. I think it makes the product better. Wives who take it personally to make the meal (think Mac n Cheese) or decorate and clean the home, make it better. I like working with these types of people. They take their responsibilities personally. And it is amazing to know that God takes His people…you and me…. personally as well. He knows us by not only our names here on earth but has a name for us when we get to Heaven.

David must have been a clean line in the yard type of guy. He didn’t have a mower or a yard, but he did take care of sheep. He understood what it meant for a shepherd to protect and provide, and he recognized that what he had been for his flock, God had become for him.[2]This intimacy—expressed through the possessive “my”—means comfort isn’t distant or generic but tailored to individual need.

His Comfort Extends Across All Dimensions of Human Experience

The psalm reveals comfort operating across multiple dimensions of human experience.

Green pastures

I was reminded the other day that when our family was young, we made annual trips to see Grandpa and Grandma in NY. I don’t know how far north fire ants and grass burrs grow but they apparently don’t live in Ohio. When we visited that rest stop, we would take our shoes and socks off and just walk in the grass…it was cool and soft.

What did David mean by green pastures? Great feed for the sheep, makes sense. Likely water nearby. Take your sandals off and enjoy. Regardless of what David meant, the Good Shepherd provides it for us.

Quiet waters and refreshment

We’re not imaging brown stagnant waters. I’m thinking beautifully clear waters like the pools in the Frio River. These were the waters that sheep were comfortable accessing. They weren’t interested in turbulent rivers that could suck them in and weigh them down in the current. And, again, the Good Shepherd is the One who provides it.

Guidance

I’ve read that sheep have no sense of direction. In Eastern Turkey, about 1500 unattended sheep fell off a cliff while the shepherds ate breakfast far away from the flock. The first 400 fell to their death in a ravine, but the remaining 1100 were saved because the first 400 broke their fall. The first 400 sheep were a big, fluffy cushion for the other sheep.

Apparently, this is what happened: the sheep in the back couldn’t see past the sheep in the front, so they were unaware of what was ahead. The sheep in front couldn’t stop because the sheep behind were pushing them forward. (There seems to be a social message here).

Directional comfort comes through guidance along right paths, where God’s Word and Spirit redirect wandering lives back toward safety. When facing the darkest valley, comfort arrives through the shepherd’s rod and staff—instruments of both correction and protection—accompanied by the assurance “you are with me.” (Ps 23) This presence transforms fear into confidence.

His Comfort Is Real and Practical

We need real and practical help! David was a shepherd but remember, he was also a fierce warrior. Remember, the people chanted, “Saul has killed his thousands, David has killed ten thousand.” Even so, David knew that he, ultimately, was just a sheep who needed the help of the Good Shepherd.

· Sheep don’t defend themselves well. They have two tools – bunch up or kick.

· Sheep can easily be “cast down”. They fall down and can’t get back up.

· Sheep don’t carry burdens. You don’t see sheep carrying the shepherd’s bedroll or lunch.

· Sheep cannot care for themselves when wounded. They won’t lick their wounds.

Guess who takes care of these things for them? Yep, the Good Shepherd.

Matthew 11:28–30 NIV

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Psalm 147:3 NIV

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

It is no wonder that the 23rd Psalm is so remarkable and such an encouragement in our lives when we need an extra measure of comfort in our lives!

Trust the Good Shepherd

So, what do we do with all of this? It’s one thing to admire the Shepherd…It’s another thing to trust Him. Because trusting the Shepherd sounds good—until you’re actually in the valley.

When Hard Times Come

Hard times are not a possibility—they are a certainty.

Notice David doesn’t say “if I walk through the valley…”
He says “even though I walk through…” You will walk through seasons that don’t make sense.
You will face moments where the path feels unclear. And in those moments, trusting the Shepherd means this:

• You don’t panic when the path gets dark

• You don’t assume His absence when life gets hard

• You don’t abandon the Shepherd just because the pasture changed

The presence of a valley is not the absence of a Shepherd.

Trust says: “Even here…He’s still leading.”

When You Need His Protective Presence

David says, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

That’s interesting—because those aren’t soft, comforting objects. They’re tools of protection and correction.

Sometimes God protects you from things you can see. Sometimes He protects you from things you can’t see.

And sometimes…His protection feels like interruption or redirection or even discipline.

Trusting the Shepherd means:

• You trust His “no” as much as His “yes”

• You trust His boundaries, not just His blessings

• You believe that what He keeps you from is just as important as what He gives you

Because a good shepherd doesn’t just comfort—He guards.

As You Are Suffering

Some of you aren’t just in a hard season—you’re in a painful one. And pain has a way of distorting everything. It whispers:

• “God has forgotten you.”

• “This will never end.”

• “You’re alone.”

But David says, “You are with me.” Not “You were.” Not “You will be.”“You are.”

Trusting the Shepherd in suffering means:

• You cling to His presence, not your feelings

• You walk by faith, not by explanation

• You believe that He is working even when you can’t see it

The Shepherd doesn’t always remove the suffering—
but He never removes Himself.

As You Are Grieving

Grief is one of the deepest valleys we walk through. And in grief, we don’t need clichés. We need a Shepherd.

Notice what David says:“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

Even in the presence of loss…even in the presence of sorrow…even in the presence of what’s been taken… God still provides.

Trusting the Shepherd in grief means:

• You allow Him to meet you in your pain, not rush you past it

• You believe that goodness and love are still pursuing you

• You hold onto the promise that this is not the end of your story

Because the Shepherd doesn’t just walk you through the valley—He walks you home.

A Declaration and a Destination

Psalm 23 begins with a declaration: “The Lord is my shepherd…” But it ends with a destination: “…and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” That’s where this is all going.

The green pastures…the quiet waters…the valleys…the table… They are all part of the journey. But the destination is Him.

So here’s the question: Do you trust the Shepherd…or are you still trying to shepherd yourself?

Because sheep that try to lead themselves get lost…get hurt…and get exhausted.

But sheep that stay close to the Shepherd find life…find rest…and find their way home.

Today, you may be:

• in a pasture

• beside still waters

• or walking through a valley

But wherever you are— the invitation is the same:

Trust the Good Shepherd.

Not because life is easy. Not because the path is clear. But because He is good. And He is not just a shepherd. He is your Shepherd.

So, stay close. Follow His voice. And rest in this truth: You are not walking alone.

[1] https://www.sat7usa.org/stories/psalm-23-leads-to-salvation/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[2]Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 519.