Ps. 23:1-3 "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" NIV
Psalm 23 is a portrait of a satisfied life! David is living in a place of great contentment that flows out of his personal relationship with the living God. “The Lord is my shepherd,” this is who God has become to David, the one who leads and guides and protects. Can you imagine being free from want? There is great power in this phrase. James reflects on the nature of want in James 4:1-2 “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight.” Unfulfilled selfish desires are the cause of most of the conflicts and dissatisfactions that damage and destroy not only our circle of relationships but even our own inner peace. David is presenting to all who will listen the hope of a life that is satisfied through surrender to the divine oversight of a loving God.
In his fathering relationship with Timothy Paul shares one of the great secrets of life, 1 Ti. 6:6 “… godliness with contentment is great gain.” The word of God consistently offers to us the source of true peace and contentment in life… intimacy with God. So much of the anxiety and stress that we face is in the pursuit of those things that don’t ultimately matter. David has learned the power of following the voice of his shepherd, the Lord. Jesus offers us insight into the nature of this relationship very simply by saying, John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” True satisfaction in life flows out of two simple principles: listening for his voice and following his lead.
What is truly powerful in David’s words is to notice that the focus of his satisfaction is not primarily on material things. All of his contentment flows out of following. He walks right into a satisfied life! Everything about the next phrase of this psalm speaks of living in a place of inner rest. “He makes me lie down in green pastures…” What a picture of abundance without obsession or greed. So many of us have an inclination towards hoarding; fear that what God has provided today he may not provide tomorrow and so when blessing comes we are compelled to drive ourselves to accumulate more and more. Prosperity is a good thing. It is a tool of the kingdom of God, but God’s desire is that even in the abundant times we are able to still enter into rest in the inner man and not live driven by the stress and pressure created by excessive business. David understood that the Lord’s leading always brought him ultimately to a place of rest. “He leads me beside quiet waters…” The shepherd of our lives will always seek to bring us to the place of quietness where we can receive living waters from his Spirit as we listen quietly for his voice.
“He restores my soul!” This is true satisfaction. This is true contentment. The good shepherd is ever seeking to restore the inner life of each one of his sheep. His desire is to restore health to your mind, will and emotions and He does this in the life of all of those who will listen and follow. He leads us into rest and quiets our hearts before the stillness of his presence and his voice. From this place he guides our lives in paths of peace. A truly satisfied life is the fruit of a heart that has found what Paul describes in Col 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Today make it your goal to listen and follow. As you do, the peace of Christ will guard you and rule in you. Apply these principles with thanksgiving and your life will never be the same.
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