1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides 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 goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
How much more familiar can a passage from the Bible get? From John Rutter’s beautiful “The Lord Is My Shepherd” to the heartbreaking scene of a priest reciting it as the ship was sinking in the movie Titanic, Psalm 23 is undoubtedly one of the most frequently referenced scripture in popular media and culture. For many it is the go-to verse from the Bible to recite in time of dire distress or imminent danger and is perhaps the most read Bible passage at funeral services. I myself have a connection to this psalm going all the way back to when I was yet a first grader in Korea. I was reciting it for a Bible memory contest and ironically, due to my intense anxiety of having to stand in front of the entire church, I felt as if I was actually walking through the valley of the shadow of death!
Well, I have gotten over the fear of speaking in front of people since then but there are certainly other “new and improved” fears that visit me from time to time in my life. And each time, as many others do, I go to this passage and seek to find solace because there is a childlike trust that no matter what happens, God will walk with me because He loves me and I’m His child… or so I thought.
As my family is about to go through another major transition and take yet another step of faith, I arrive at this passage again, asking God to both comfort and guide us. This time, however, I am struck by the very brief statement in the middle of the psalm and it forces me to rethink why this psalm should comfort me in time of need:
“…for his name’s sake”
I suddenly realized that every time I had looked to this passage for comfort in the past, I had been saying very self-centered prayers. It was always either “save me” or “walk with me“. Why? Because I’m the one at the center of the story. I had been reading this psalm with myself as the main star. It was always about me. It was always about my life. So of course God should immediately come to my rescue so I can feel better. To my embarrassment, I don’t know why I didn’t pay more attention to this short phrase before. This short phrase “for his name’s sake” changes everything. It changes how I read this beloved psalm and why I should put my trust in Him to act justly and be who He is – loving and righteous at the same time. He will comfort his people because of His own name. He will guide his people in paths of righteousness for the same reason – for his name’s sake. For His own name’s sake He will do everything within his power to let the world know that He is, well, God! No matter where I find myself I have nothing to fear, not because I’m so adorable to God, but because God will not let His own name be dragged through mud – provided of course, that I too honor His name.
I find this is infinitely more reassuring than how I used to think about it before, not to mention probably more biblically sound as well. God will prevail and His people will prevail because ultimately it is about His glory and not my glory.
So I have a renewed sense of faith as we take this next step of faith that God will reveal His glory. Whether it is through the shadowy valley or through the green pastures, as the LORD leads, we have no choice but to follow…
Steps of Faith 