I remember the 2020 derecho pretty vividly. I remember being at school and thinking this looks like a pretty big storm. After the storm had passed and I went home, I started realizing the severity of the damage and knowing it was going to take a pretty big community effort to get things back to normal.
That next week, I got to spend some time in Cedar Rapids after my hometown was cleaned up. We were on the north side of Cedar Rapids, and I remember Moses Each was riding in my truck with me, and we were headed to another location to clear some trees, branches, and debris. We had about a 20-minute drive, and we started talking about faith. I remember being struck by Moses's maturity, as he was only a high school student. I don't remember the exact topic we were discussing, but I remember Moses talking about the character of God and how dwelling on that character leads him to worship God. In being a worship leader, I've often said worship is a response to who God is and what He's done. But how he talked about it made me think about it in a new light. Ultimately, it’s God’s character that eventually leads me to worship of a Holy God. There is no better place to find this than in Psalm 23 (or many other Psalms for that matter).
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:1-6)
This is one of the most famous Psalms of all time and most memorized, but I’d like to point out a few things about Psalm 23 that everyone might not notice. One of those things that we see is the use of third-person language in the beginning, and a change to David directly talking to God by the end of the Psalm. In the third person, he references God's character—who he is and what he's done—which then leads David to talk to God smack dab in the middle of the Psalm. David then relays his trust in a shepherd, not just any shepherd, but the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd, as we learn from the Psalm, when we dwell on His character, leads us to trust in Him, through pastures and valleys as mentioned in the Psalm, and ultimately leads us home.
As we dive into the Psalm, it is believed that David wrote this at the end of his life, reflecting on everything that happened to him. He starts the Psalm by saying that the Lord is his Shepherd. He then refers to how God makes him lie down in green pastures and leads him beside still waters. Again, this is all in the third person. He talks about how he has walked through the valley of the shadow of death, yet he fears no evil…why? Because God is with him.
After this statement, he now moves to “you” language. I don't believe this is an accident. David has reflected on who God is, what he's done, where he has led him, and how God has brought him through everything in his life. He only gets through it by knowing that God is with him. Therefore, he switches his language to talk to God, preaching to himself, praising God's name, and reminding himself where he will eventually go, dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.
As Veritas Church, we need to be a people that dwell deeply and richly on God's character, reminding ourselves of what he has done over the course of time from reading the Bible, and also all He has done in our personal lives. There's no doubt that involves hills and valleys, but ultimately it should always lead us back to a place of worship. And even though David let God know his honest thoughts in many other Psalms, he quickly turns his thoughts and words to praise. If you find yourself in a similar boat or having a tough time praising God, you might want to pick up God's Word, read the scriptures, and dwell on his character. For example, when Jesus is called the Lamb of God, I’m reminded that Jesus was the atoning, sacrificial Lamb, who took away the sins of the world, once and for all (John 1:29)—there is nothing I can do to pay for my own sins. I know God is a faithful Father, despite my unfaithfulness (2 Timothy 2:13). I know God works things for my good (Romans 8:28), of which I need to remind myself often. And I know He is a great Redeemer who will bring me home at the completion of this life (Job 19:25-27). Through dwelling on His character and these truths, I have a feeling it will result in praise to a God who is worthy and deserving of it.
Our God is a good Shepherd, and a good Shepherd is one that can be trusted on the tops of the hills and down low in the valleys because he ultimately leads us home. Let us be a people who get to know Him, because it always leads us back to praise Him.