Psalm 22

He guides me along the right paths

This is the psalm of the shepherd.  Imagery of shepherds abounds in the Judeo-Christian tradition, from Old Testament prophets serving as shepherds to Christ declaring himself the "Good Shepherd".  In fact, the word pastor is Latin for shepherd.  Shepherding was an important occupation in the ancient middle east, and the use of shepherding terminology may have seemed more significant then than it does now.  Even living in an agricultural area my entire life, I've never seen a shepherd at work before.  What exactly do they do?

David, the author of this psalm, makes his first appearance in the Bible as a shepherd, so he knows a little bit about the subject.  A flock of sheep needs to eat a lot, so they constantly move from field to field.  The shepherd's job is to lead and guide the sheep to graze, to keep them together, and to protect them from predators.  In many of David's psalms, he is petitioning God to protect him from trouble that surrounds him.  Defense is one of the shepherd's jobs, but that is not the kind of shepherd David calls for.  This is a psalm of praise.  He doesn't need God to protect him, he needs God to guide him.

The shepherd David praises is the One who guides him along life.  David realizes that by himself, he cannot navigate the world alone, but with God guiding him along, he knows he'll have guidance, comfort, and safety.  When Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd, he emphasizes that the sheep are His.  They belong to Him, and he'll do anything to protect them.  He knows each sheep, and he loves them, and does not want anything to happen to them.  David's shepherd seems very similar, which is probably why this psalm is so popular with Christians.

A relationship with God is the greatest thing in the world.  That is what David is telling us here.  With God, we lack nothing.  We fear nothing.  His "goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life".  A life of faith provides us with the gift of God's grace, which, if we allow it, will fill our lives with indescribable joy.  David yearns to "dwell in the house of the Lord".  This is possible when we allow the Lord to dwell in us.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    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 your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.