Article June 20, 2011 Issue

Psalm 23: God’s love song for you

Chet Manchester

Have you ever written a song? If so, which came first—the words or the music? Or did they come together? For every musician and songwriter, it happens a little differently, but the most important ingredient to their work is inspiration. Something touches them deeply, and writing a song is a way of expressing what they’re feeling.

A lot of popular songs come and go pretty quickly. But there’s one song that has been a hit for over 3,000 years! It’s a song in the Bible known as Psalm 23. I like to think of it as one of the Bible’s greatest Love songs—singing of God’s unfailing love for us. We don’t know who actually wrote this song. The Bible associates it with King David, but it was actually written before he lived. So, it could have been a song he loved and sang as a young shepherd boy, as it was passed down from generation to generation.

When I read Psalm 23, it’s so natural to think of David with his staff and rod in hand, walking in the fields near Bethlehem where he grew up. He knew firsthand what it was like to feed and shelter a large flock 24/7, through rain or shine. A good shepherd is always thinking ahead—scouting out the best pastures, finding pure water supplies, and protecting the flock from predators. Sheep have no natural defenses, so they rely entirely on their shepherd to keep them safe. No doubt David had scooped up many lambs in his arms, stroked their little ears, and calmed them down if they were hurt or startled. I’m sure he sang to his flock in the evenings, or when he was just happy to be out with them on a beautiful day.