“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5).

When I picture the 23rd psalm I picture an Eden-esque scene:

• green pastures on a bright and sunny day
• a stream of calming, cool waters

It’s so calm. So pleasant.

That’s nice. But that’s not life.

We certainly have our moments where life is Eden-esque. But there are also plenty of moments when life feels like hell. Life can be really hard. Thank goodness that most of life is experienced somewhere in between.

As you look at the structure of the 23rd psalm, it starts out with a faith declaration: The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

And then there are three settings and descriptions of when life is good and pleasant:

• He makes me lie down in green pastures
• He leads me beside still waters
• He guides me along the right paths

Then, there are three settings and descriptions of when life is hard:

• Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
• I will fear no evil
• You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies

From highest of the highs in life to the lowest of the lows, the LORD is our shepherd. We shall not be in want.

There is never a “there” where the LORD is not there. There is never a “there” where the LORD is not our Shepherd.

I am grateful that God is present in good times. But when I need God the most is when life is hard and I am surrounded by the enemies of faith.

Even there, the LORD is there to prepare a table for you and me in the very midst of the presence of our enemies. There is nothing the enemy can do to take us away from the presence of God. He is, after all, our LORD and Shepherd.

Thanks be to God!

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me…”

That sounds so nice, so comforting.

First and foremost, the shepherd’s rod and staff were used to protect the shepherd and the sheep from predators.

Sometimes in the Bible, rod and staff are interchangeable for the same Hebrew word – shebet, pronounced shevet. The most common use for the rod and staff for the shepherd was as a walking stick. However, when the shepherd or his sheep were in danger from predators, it was used by shepherds as a weapon against predators

The Jews had another word – mishenah – that specifically meant staff. This refers to the shepherd’s staff that has a crook at one end, looking like a candy cane. The end with the crook was used by shepherds to draw to the herd sheep that were wandering off. And, of course, the staff was used as a weapon to ward off predators.

Our passage uses both these terms. Therefore, “Your rod and staff…”

The shepherd’s rod and staff are comforting to the sheep because the shepherd used them to protect the sheep from predators, and from wandering off and getting lost. That’s the most obvious understanding of the rod and staff being a source of comfort.

But, there’s another way the shepherd used the rod and staff that may be surprising. We already discussed previously that the sheep are by nature followers. When a particular sheep wanders from the flock, other sheep follow the wanderer. When the shepherd had a sheep that was a constant wanderer, that wandering sheep threatened the entire flock because other sheep would follow the wanderer. In such extreme cases, the shepherd would use his rod and staff to break the leg of the wandering sheep.

Ouch! How is that comforting?

That doesn’t sound at all comforting. But, you’d be wrong. A lost sheep would die from starvation, thirst, or from predators. A lost sheep on its own was as good as dead. The well-being of any sheep is completely dependent upon its shepherd. It was essential to the well-being of the sheep that it stayed in the herd. The act of breaking the leg of a wanderer is an act of mercy for the wandering sheep, and for the herd.

The shepherd loves his sheep so much that he will go to the extremes to protect the wellness of his sheep and his herd. He is, after all, the good shepherd.

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Our shepherd’s rod and staff are a source of comfort because he will protect us from predators, from getting lost, AND loves us enough to discipline us to ensure we stay in his fold.

Thank you, LORD, our Good Shepherd.

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4)

Remember the context of this verse: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

The most important phrase in the verse for today is, “For you are with me.”

There is a reason why the psalmist has no fear even though he finds himself in the very depths of the valley of the shadow of death.

“For you are with me.”

You see, even with mere mortals, we receive comfort from one another in the midst of struggle and adversity. Companionship is comfort and strength in the midst of suffering.

“For you are with me.”

Who the “you” is makes all the difference in the world.

God forbid, but if one found themselves in trouble in North Korea, you can certainly take comfort from another in a North Korean jail or concentration camp. But what happens if the “you” who is with you is the dictator Kim Jong Un? What if he was the one who was with you – not just present in the same space as you, but truly “with” you, for you? That guy is above the law in North Korea. He is the law. Now if that guy was with you, for you, that would make all the difference in the world.

Ok. I get it. A dictator is a terrible illustration. But, the thing is the God who is our shepherd is above all.

“For GOD is WITH me.”

Not only is the Good Shepherd your God, but the Good Shepherd is WITH you. Your Good Shepherd who is above all, the LORD of lords, the KING of kings in WITH YOU.

• Your God wants what is best for you
• Your God knows what is best for you
• Your God loves you.

That’s the reason why the psalmist fears no evil even in the very midst of the valley of the shadow of death. Because, GOD is WITH him.

Just as God is with the psalmist, so God is with you.

“For you are with me.”

Now, that’s great news.