April 12 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

During its journey through the ages, this psalm has stilled more pain than all our doctors, and it has given more peace to the human race than all the wisdom of the world.

It was composed by David, who used to be a shepherd himself. While he was caring for his sheep, it occurred to him that he, David, also had a shepherd. Thus he composed the opening line of his poem: "The LORD is my shepherd." Since the Lord is the best possible shepherd, he added the confession: "I lack nothing," or, in the phrasing more familiar to many, "I shall not want."

If you think of the Bible as a great musical composition, you could say that here, in Psalm 23, the shepherd motif is struck for the first time. From here on it is replayed in ever richer variations.

Every Christian remembers how Jesus took up the shepherd motif. Not only did he tell the unforgettable story of the lost sheep that was carried home by the shepherd, he also declared: "I am the good shepherd," thereby telling us that the true shepherd of David and of Israel stands before us in the person of Christ.

The climax of the shepherd's psalm comes in Revelation 7. Here, near the end of God's great composition, the familiar strains are played once again. But notice the final variation: "For the Lamb at the center before the throne will be their shepherd" (Rev. 7:17). Now the shepherd is also a Lamb. He himself has gone through the valley of the shadow of death. And the words "I lack nothing" are also infinitely enriched. Now the choir sings: "Never again will they hunger, never again will they thirst. . . . And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Rev. 7:16-17). Their needs have been fulfilled completely. They will lack nothing.

So we keep singing this psalm of confidence, until the last sheep in God's weary flock have found their final rest.

REFLECTION

What does it mean to you that the Lord is your shepherd? Can you honestly say, with David, that you lack nothing?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.