Psalm 23: The Shepherd and the Sheep A Guided Spiritual Formation Experience

Psalm 23: The Shepherd and the Sheep A Guided Spiritual Formation Experience Part One Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved of the Psalms. Christians and non-christians are drawn to the comfort contained in the words of this psalm. The message of Psalm 23 is drawn upon at funerals and times of despair, with the hope that the image of the caring shepherd leading the sheep through the valley of the shadow of death/despair will bring encouragement, solace and hope to those who are struggling with the difficulties of life. But there is more to this psalm than first appears. In this psalm you are confronted with life as it really is; a life that wears you down, a life where there are dark valleys and evil, a life where enemies and fears are alive and well. But thankfully that is not all that the psalm reveals, for it also reveals that God is a caring God who invites you to rest, seeks to refresh you and bring restoration to your soul, guide you in life-giving paths, and is always with you, seeking to comfort you, honor you, bless you, and provide for you with a sense of hope and security. There is no promise here of a carefree life, a life without the valleys of the shadow of death, pain or evil. What is promised is a caring presence, a personal being with, and a goodness and unfailing love that will pursue you at every step. And finally, there is the promise of comfort, restoration, rest and abundant blessing. Psalm 23 is also a passage that challenges you to look at your concept of God. As you spend time sitting beside the quiet waters, walking through the valley of the shadow of death, or dining in the midst of your fears, you are offered opportunities for transforming and challenging revelations to emerge. This psalm enables you to get beyond your head knowledge and discover what lies deep within your heart about who God, the Shepherd, really is. Additionally, this psalm confronts the reader with the words of verse 4, which read, you are with me. These four words challenge you to explore your level of trust when it comes to God, for those four words form the foundation upon which all that can be experienced in this psalm is built upon. Thus the psalm invites/challenges you to explore what you mean when you say you trust God and what the level of your trust in God really is. It is only as one is able to embrace and depend upon the words you are with me that one is able to experience the comfort, strength and encouragement contained in Psalm 23. Today as you explore Psalm 23 you will be invited to linger with the words and images contained in Psalm 23. You will be afforded the opportunity to sit with the life-shaping, transforming truth that is contained in this psalm. This is not a time for you to rush through the psalm but rather to slowly make your way through the psalm, listening for the tender voice of your Shepherd, seeking to linger with God s spirit in the verse(s) in which the Shepherd invites you to camp out. Take your time to heed, savor and embrace the words of the Shepherd and fully enter into the invitation and challenge that may be contained in those words. As you slowly make your way through the psalm you will be afforded the opportunity to explore your concept of God, your level of trust in God, and your concept of yourself. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 1

This exploration of God and self is critical in the ongoing development of your spiritual life. So sit with the questions and explore the feelings that arise as you journey through this psalm. Be willing to wrestle with God, with yourself through this process. Today is not about getting answers but connecting with God and exploring with God and listening to God. Remember Psalm 23 is not meant to merely be read, but rather it is designed to be entered into and experienced. You are invited to discover what it means to rest in the lush green grass of the meadow, sip from the quiet waters, eat in the midst of your enemies, etc. The words of this psalm are a place for you to dwell, pitching a tent and sitting with the words and images you are most drawn to, and hanging out there with God for a while, seeking to discover what the invitation, challenge, reminder and/or encouragement from those words might be for you. In other words, slow yourself down, externally and internally, and listen for the voice of the Shepherd as you make your way through Psalm 23. First, read through Psalm 23 three times. The first time you read it through just listen to the words, letting them gently wash over you. The second and third times you read through the passage, pay attention to those words around which you are feeling energy. This can mean those words that you are drawn to or those words you feel resistant toward. This exercise may serve as an indication regarding where in this passage it might be best for you to sit, explore and ponder throughout the rest of the day, or it may at least provide a beginning point. 1 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. 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 goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 2

Which section of Psalm 23 were you drawn to? Why do you think God might be directing you to spend time in this particular section of Psalm 23? The section in Psalm 23 you have been drawn to through this exercise might serve as a beginning point for your exploration of this psalm. If one section in particular did not grab hold of you, you may want to read through the passage one more time or start with the exercises in the general exercise section (p.4) when you enter into that section. General Exercises The exercises in this section do not deal with an individual verse. The exercises that are tied to a particular verse begin on page 9. 1. Below you will find a compilation of translations/paraphrases of Psalm 23. Read through each verse of Psalm 23 and choose the translation/phrase to which you are most drawn and combine them into your own Psalm 23. Once you have completed compiling the new Psalm 23, slowly go back through it, pondering why you chose the translation/phrase you did for each verse. What does this tell you about your concept of God? What does this tell you about your need/desire for God? How does your psalm make your feel toward your shepherd, your life, yourself? Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd God, my shepherd O my beloved, you are my shepherd I shall not want I shall not be in want I have all I need I don't need a thing v.2 God/he makes me lie down in green pastures you have bedded me down in lush meadows God/he lets me rest in green meadows you bring me to green pastures to rest He leads me beside quiet waters you find me quiet pools to drink from he leads me beside peaceful streams leads me beside quiet waters v.3 he restores my soul he renews my strength and lets me catch my breath you restore my soul he guides me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 3

you send me the right direction he guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name you lead me in the path of goodness to follow love s way v.4 even though I walk to the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me even when the way goes to Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I'm not afraid; for you are ever with me your rod and your staff, they comfort me your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Your rod and your staff they guide me, they give me strength and comfort v.5 you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies you serve a six course meal right in front of my enemies you prepare a table before me in the presence of all my fears you have anointed my head with oil you revive my drooping head you honor me by anointing my head with oil you blessed me with oil my cup overflows my cup overflows with blessings my cup brims with blessings v.6 surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life your beauty and love chase after me everyday of my life that I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and I will live in the house of the Lord forever I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life and I shall dwell in the heart of the Beloved forever Write out your new psalm then go back to the instructions at the beginning of this exercise. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 4

2. Spend some time reading Psalm 23 and John 10, which are printed below. Drawing upon these two passages, create your own Psalm 23 using the concepts, phrases and truths that you are drawn in these passages. Psalm 23 1 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. 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 goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. John 10:1-18 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 5

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." Write your psalm. When you have finished your psalm, sit with the words. What feelings do these words stir within you? What phrases really touch your heart? Sit with the words and explore the feelings that are evoked in you through your psalm. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 6

3. Slowly read through the list below. Which of the phrases are most important to you, are you most drawn to, most resistant toward? Why? What feelings do those phrases to which you are drawn release within you? What desire/need/longing do they touch? If you feel resistance around one or more of the phrases, explore what is behind those feelings of resistance. makes me lie down in green pastures leads me beside quiet waters restores my soul renews my strength guides me protects me comforts me journeys with me honors me pursues me calls me by name leads me chooses me 4. Slowly read through the list below. Which ones from the list do you find most difficult to experience/do? Why? What does this tell you about yourself, your concept of God, your relationship with God? How does your answer make you feel about yourself, God and your relationship with God? Share your reflections and insights with God. What is God s response? not wanting resting following walking through the valley of the shadow of death trusting recognizing his voice knowing the Shepherd with your heart 5. As one reads Psalm 23, it becomes quite evident that one's ability to experience God as shepherd in a life-giving, shaping and transforming way is dependent upon one's ability to truly trust God. Spend some time contemplating your level of trust in terms of God's dealings with you. Is it difficult or easy for you to trust God? Why? Looking back over the course of your life, what were the circumstances and experiences that have helped you trust God and what are the circumstances and experiences that have made it difficult for you to trust God? Spend some time thanking God for those experiences that have enabled you to trust God. Is it difficult for you or do you feel resistance towards thanking God for these experiences? If so, why? Also, bring to God any experiences and circumstances that have hindered and hampered your ability to trust God. What feelings and questions arise as you think back to those difficult times? Share all this with God. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 7

6. There are many marvelous gifts alluded to in Psalm 23. Below is a list of a number of them. Please read through the list and circle two or three that are the most meaningful to you. Then take time to explore why these two or three mean so much to you. What do they tell you about your need/desire for God? What did they tell you about what is going on inside of you? What feelings surface within you as you focus on the gifts you circled? Allow this time to flow into a time of praise and thanksgiving to God. Gifts From Psalm 23 rest refreshment restoration guidance companionship comfort replenishment blessing honor mercy goodness unfailing love security home 7. Create a collage or draw a picture that captures the messages, invitations, gifts and challenges from God to you contained in Psalm 23 or create a Psalm 23 collage/draw a picture using only images/symbols. 8. Reflect on the various characteristics of God listed below, seeking to discover which ones you are most able to internalize and embrace in a heartfelt manner and those with which you may be able to affirm theologically but have difficulty being able to move them from head knowledge to heartfelt realities in your life? Caring Concerned Involved Sacrificial Faithful Watchful Loving Wise Powerful Gracious Where there any surprises for you? Which 3 are you most able to internally embrace? Why? How does the truth of these 3 make you feel? Which ones do you intellectually know to be true but are unable to internally embrace? Why? What do the above answers and feelings reveal to you about your sense of who God is and your experience of God in your life? Spend some time journaling. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 8

Verse-by-Verse Exercises The Lord is my shepherd: 1. For David, who was a shepherd, the use of the image of a shepherd for God spoke powerfully to him. But in our day and age, when we have little if any first-hand experience of seeing a shepherd, let alone being a shepherd, the image of God as shepherd loses some of its nuanced meaning. Take some time to consider what image for God would be meaningful to you to use to communicate your concept of God. Once you have chosen your image think through: What words come to mind as you reflect on your chosen image? Why is this image important to you? What does this image communicate to you that the image shepherd does not? What are the nuances of your chosen image that speak of God s involvement with you and care for you? Now write your own Psalm 23 with the image you have chosen to represent God. When completed, share your personalized Psalm 23 with Jesus. 2. What commitments/promises do you believe are contained in the declaration, The Lord is my shepherd? Do you feel God has been a shepherd to you? Why/ why not? Spend some time sharing your feelings with God. Create a collage/paint a picture that communicates the truth of God/Jesus being your shepherd and/or do so with your chosen image for God. 3. Spend some time exploring/pondering your experience of God as the Good Shepherd: How well do you know his voice? What is your level of trust of God? What are you trusting God for? Use the list below to explore the frequency in which you experience the following byproducts of your relationship with God, ranking the different byproducts from 1 to 7, number 1 being the most important and number 7 being the least important. Put a different number for each of the items listed below. ability to rest restoration leading of God comfort from God strength from God feasting with God presence of God goodness and love pursuing you What are your top three? What are your bottom two? What does this tell you about your desire/need from God? Share your discoveries with God. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 9

I shall not want: 1. Spend some time pondering I shall not want. Do you experience this phrase as an invitation, a challenge, an impossibility, a rebuke...? Why? 2. What do you want/long for? riches prestige/honor wisdom power acceptance belonging love other Why? What are you seeking to receive from these? Ask God how he might help meet these desires. 3. Julian of Norwich was asked this question by God; Am I enough for you? Spend some time pondering this question: is Jesus enough for me? Why/why not? Be honest with your answer and share it with God, listening for God s response to you. God makes me lie down in green pastures: 1. What are the green pastures of your life? Take some time to make a list of the green pastures God leads you to. Now notice what those pastures do for you, i.e. provide rest, comfort, etc. Spend some time thanking God for the green pastures God has led you to in your life and what he has provided for you through them. You can also create a collage or paint a picture that communicates to you the gift/invitation of green pastures. 2. In the book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, by Philipp Keller, he writes that it is almost impossible for sheep to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. He enumerates these requirements as freedom from fear, tension, aggravations and hunger. Now look at your life. What keeps you from resting? What internal resistance do you have regarding resting? Consider what it is that you turn to in order to get a sense of identity and value. With those thoughts in mind, what might it be that may keep you from resting? Spend some time enumerating the benefits of lying down in green pastures and resting with God. Now go take a rest. 3. Spend some time in a comfortable and quiet place where you are free from distractions, either inside or outdoors. As you rest, become aware of your feelings and the internal noises that begin to rise within you. What do you feel/sense internally as you rest? What are the sources of these feelings/voices? Write down your feelings of resistance and the internal voices that surface when you are taking time to rest. Now drop them in the trash. After you have done so, lie down again and listen for the invitation from God in your time of rest. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 10

God leads me beside quiet waters: 1. Jesus refers to himself as the living waters that bring long-lasting refreshment to those who drink from him. When, where and how do you receive refreshment from God? What is the last time you intentionally took steps to partner with God in order to pursue refreshment of your soul, spirit, mind, body and heart? What are you sensing from God and yourself in terms of your current need for refreshment and replenishment? Share your desires/needs with God. God restores my soul: 1. Take some time to examine the state of your being. What is your body, soul and spirit saying to you? Are you in need of restoration physically, emotionally, spiritually? What could you do to partner with God to help bring restoration to your life? Do you need to take a day or two away? Do you need to change your lifestyle, eat healthier, exercise, cut back at work, etc? Do you need someone to intentionally journey with you for a while, a counselor, pastor, spiritual director? Spend some time pondering this with God and listening to God for guidance. God guides me in paths of righteousness for his namesake: 1. What are the paths of righteousness in which God is seeking to guide you? As Jesus guides you, what is it that helps you to keep following Jesus? Is it difficult or easy for you to follow after Jesus? Why? What are the things that enable you to follow Jesus more willingly and what are the things that hinder you from following Jesus? What do you need to hear from Jesus that would help you to be better able and more willing to follow Jesus? Bring your response to the previous question to Jesus, seeking to hear his reply to you. 2. The shepherd's reputation is tied to the care that the shepherd gives to the sheep in the shepherd's flock. Take some time to reflect back over your life, not merely focusing on the concrete circumstances, both good and bad, but also paying special attention to those things in your life and heart that were produced as a result of those circumstances. In addition, pay attention to what you learned about who God is and is not through those circumstances. Spend time exploring and unpacking those things that surface during the time of reflection. What feelings are stirred within you as you reflect upon your life? What does your life declare to be true about who God is? A good way to reflect on your life is to focus on periods of time, such as: 0-5 years old Grade School years Junior High/Middle School years High School years College years 20 s 30 s 40 s 50 s 60 s 70 s 80 s Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 11

90 s Even though I walk through the valley the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou are with me: 1. What does the presence of God mean to you? What difference does God's presence make in how you view and interact with your circumstances? How do you deal with life differently when you lack the sense of God s felt presence? Why? 2. What is your definition of evil? What evils do you fear? What helps you to connect and stay connected to God when you feel fears/anxieties arising within you? Does the fact of God s presence help you during those times? If yes, how? If no, why doesn t it help? Spend time speaking with God about your ability or lack of ability to trust God and then listen to God s response. 3. What lessons have you learned about God and yourself as you have walked through the valley of the shadow of death with God? How do you experience God's presence during the dark times of your life? Spend some time expressing to God the feelings you have toward God regarding your experience of God during the difficult times of your life. Be honest! Listen for God's response. 4. A careful reading of this verse shows you that God does not promise to deliver you from the valley of the shadow of death but rather promises to be with you as you walk through that valley. Notice the use of the word walk. This passage is not telling you to run, rush or hurry through the dark valley of the shadow of death but rather to walk, unhurriedly spending time, being present to what you are feeling, experiencing and seeking to embrace that God is stirring within you and inviting you into. Spend some time thinking through a time when you walked with God in the valley of the shadow of death. What did you learn about God? What did you learn about yourself? How did this time help shape and form your concept of God? 5. Create a collage that expresses the grim reality of walking through the valley of the shadow of death along with the hope, be it ever so small, that God's presence and unchanging character of love and faithfulness brings to you. Seek to use a combination of images and words. Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me: The rod is a weapon for the defense of both the shepherd and sheep. It was a symbol of the shepherd s strength, power and authority. It was an instrument used to discipline wayward sheep. It was also used to examine and count the sheep. The staff is essentially a symbol of the concern and compassion that the shepherd has for his sheep. The staff is used in four different ways: to draw a sheep close, as in the case of bringing a newborn lamb into contact with its mother after it has wandered away, to draw the sheep to the shepherd for the purpose of closer examination, to guide the sheep, and to rescue the sheep. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 12

1. The rod and the staff are both referred to as sources of comfort. Which of these do you most associate with comfort? Why? What is the level of comfort that God's presence brings to your life? What is the source of this comfort? Which of the above (rod and staff) have you most experienced in your life? What has your experience of the rod and/or staff taught you about who God is and what God's role is in your life? 2. When do you believe you have experienced the discipline/rod of God in your life? What were the circumstances that gave rise to you experiencing God's discipline? What were the outcomes of this experience with God? What did this teach you about who God is/god's involvement in your life? What were your feelings towards God during this time? 3. When have you experienced God rescuing (staff) you? What were the circumstances surrounding this occasion? What were the outcomes of this experience with God? What did this teach you about who God is/god's involvement in your life? How does this impact your life today? What were your feelings towards God during this time? You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies/fears: 1. What are the enemies/fears that cause internal anxiety and unrest for you? What would it take for you to be able to rest and find refreshment in the midst of your enemies/fears? Take some time to share your fears one by one with God, listening for God s response to you. 2. Create a collage that expresses your fears and present it to God? Is there any hope expressed in your collage? Why or why not? Share your collage with God. You anoint my head with oil: The shepherd would anoint the sheep with oil for the purpose of healing. However, throughout the Old Testament, anointing one's head with oil was an indication of being set apart by God for God and it denoted an honoring of the individual who is anointed. 1. You have been and are honored by your Shepherd. You have been anointed and set apart as a daughter or son, a royal priest, a chosen and beloved one, a friend of the Shepherd. Do you see yourself as someone anointed by God, set apart and honored (not because of what you have done but because of who you are, a one of a kind masterpiece of God)? Why? Why not? How does this make you feel about yourself, about God? Spend some time sitting in, resting in, and soaking in God s honoring, valuing and prizing of you. Are you able to receive God s graciousness in choosing to set you apart by anointing your head with oil? Why or why not? Are you able to receive the healing that this honoring that God bestows upon you brings with it? Why or why not? How does it make you feel to know that God has chosen you, anointed you with oil? Sit and ponder your feelings. 2. Imagine you are living an ordinary day, doing something you regularly do, when someone comes up to you and says, Jesus would like you to come and see him. What are your feelings as you hear these words, as you make your way to where Jesus is? When you arrive at the place where Jesus is you see him smiling and holding something in his hands, Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 13

something that he keeps hidden from you. When you reach Jesus he looks you in the eyes, smiles directly at you, and asks you to kneel before him. What are you feeling as Jesus asks you to kneel before him? As you kneel you hear what sounds like the breaking of a clay jar. Then you feel oil being poured upon your head and, as the oil drips softly down your head and onto your shoulders, you feel the hands of Jesus placed gently on your head. What are you feeling as you realize Jesus has anointed you? As Jesus puts his hands on your head he begins to speak. Listen carefully. What are Jesus words to you today? My cup overflows: 1. When have you experienced the abundant blessings of God in your life? Take time to make a list of the times you have really experienced the love and graciousness of God? How did you feel about God and your life when you had these experiences? What have been the lasting results in your life? Why? Now take some time to create your own psalm of thanksgiving and praise. Have you been able to draw strength from these times of blessing in your life when you were face to face with evil, walking through the dark valleys, or surrounded by your fear, anxieties and/or enemies? Why or why not? Surely goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life: 1. One translation says that goodness and unfailing love will pursue you all the days of your life. How has this been your experience? What is a time when you sensed this happening in your life? Reflect back on the circumstances surrounding your awareness of God's goodness and unfailing love pursuing you. How did it make you feel when you realized God s pursuit of you? What were the results in your life? How is God currently pursuing you? How are you currently experiencing the goodness and unfailing love of God in your life? How does it make you feel knowing God s goodness and unfailing love is pursuing you? 2. Take a walk outside, paying special attention to how God is pursuing you with goodness and unfailing love. What do you see, experience, feel as you walk outside, intentionally being present to God s pursuing goodness and unfailing love? How does this awareness make you feel about yourself, God, your life? Give yourself permission to linger in the feelings of being caught and embraced by God s goodness and love. Share your thoughts and feelings with God. 3. Try and capture the truth of God s goodness and unfailing love pursuing you with images through collaging and/or painting. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 1. Share with God what the above statement means to you and makes you feel. Is this something that you look forward to? Why or why not? What do you feel about your answer? Share your feelings with God? What might your answer reveal about your heartfelt sense of who God is? Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 14

Part Two As I shared this morning, Psalm 23 is not about isolating the sheep from the harsh and cruel realities of life. Rather, this psalm flows out of the realization of the harsh, cruel and demanding realities of everyday life and the knowledge that, if left to themselves, the sheep would be obliterated. The Shepherd leads the sheep (you) beside quiet waters, making you lie down in green pastures for your own well being. You are part of a flock, a flock warn down by the toil and struggles that ooze from the world in which you live. The Shepherd knows that your restoration is not a luxury but rather a necessity if you are going to have even a chance to embrace and live the abundant life the Shepherd provided for you by giving his life. The psalm does not promise to bubble wrap you with divine protection, safely encasing you away from the pain and evil that has taken up residence in the world. Rather, the message is that the Shepherd will be with you as you walk to the dark valleys of death, pain, suffering and evil. It is not a deliverance from these unkind, ruthless and often time senseless realities but a promise of partnership and companionship with the Shepherd in the midst of these eventualities. So, what you feel towards and believe about the Shepherd and how you view the Shepherd becomes a very important knowing for you. The answer to the above will determine the level to which you are able to experience the comfort, transforming power and peace that flows from the words and imagery contained in Psalm 23. The key challenge contained in this psalm deals with the level of your willingness/ability to trust that God's presence is a loving, caring, concerned, involved, sacrificial, faithful, watchful, wise, powerful and gracious presence and that these things are captured by the words, I shall not want and You are with me. The degree to which you are able to embrace the above characteristics of God's presence with your heart, and not merely your head, will serve as a barometer of your ability to receive the comfort, transforming power, and peace that this psalm can bring to those who know the Good Shepherd. However, that is exactly the problem. It is not easy to trust God. It seems we have been sold a bill of goods by the church that seems to imply that nothing terrible will happen to us once we come to personally know Christ as Lord and Savior. However, when we watch the news and see the pervasiveness of evil throughout the world and even experience it in our own lives and families, it is no wonder that our ability to trust God is anemic. A further component that complicates ones ability to trust God arises because we have slipped into a mode of defining God based on the external circumstances we see and experience, as well as our interpretation of those events. So when bad things happen God is untrustworthy and when good things happen one develops a limited conditional trust of God that will last until one sees or experiences the next bad thing that happens. Another reality related to the above, which also erodes our ability to deeply trust God, is that trusting God has come to mean trusting God will do the things I want done for me, my family and my world. God will make those things happen that are beneficial, pleasing, and good for me (as the individual person would personally define beneficial, pleasing, and good), and will do so in my predetermined time frame. We have moved from trusting in the person and character of God, no matter what, to a conditional trusting of God that is tied to Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 15

circumstances. We often see this reflected in the comments we make that link the goodness of God to the pleasantness of our external circumstances, which are transitory in nature, rather than linking God s goodness to the unchanging character of God. This tendency to tie ascribing goodness to God on the basis of one s external circumstances is contrary to the life/example of Jesus or even the words of our psalm. God is good, wise, powerful, loving, gracious and caring even when you are tried, worn out, or in need of refreshment and restoration, and even when you are walking through dark times or confronted by evil or surrounded by your enemies, and even when you are disciplined or in danger. God is God period. It all boils down to your ability to truly and deeply trust in the person and character of God, come what may. That trust is what enables you to draw strength, comfort and even some measure of internal peace when you are face to face with evil, walk through the dark valleys of life, or are at the end of your physical, emotional or spiritual rope. Today and over the following weeks I encourage you to explore the questions: Do I trust God? Why or why not? If you answer, Yes, I trust God, ask yourself, Do I truly trust God or do I trust God to do what I want God to do? What is my level of trust in God? How conditional/unconditional is my trust of God? What happens to my level of trust in God as I walk through the dark valleys of the shadow of death, when evil knocks at my door, when my enemies surround me, or when my fears encircle me? If you answer, No, I don t trust God spend time exploring the why behind your no. What are the reason, circumstances that keep you from trusting God? Be honest and share your reasons and feelings with God. A good way to do this is by writing God a letter. Possible additional exercises: Dear God, How could you ever expect be to trust you when or Dear God It is hard for me to trust. When I look back over my life I feel that you Trusting God; God s character, words, promises, and caring presence, is the foundation of your life with God. Take some time to explore that foundation. Be honest with yourself and God about what you discover as you examine your foundation of trust in a God that is not only a good shepherd God but also a master builder who is more than capable to gently and lovingly deal with any cracks in your foundation. Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 16

Examine Questions Drawn from Psalm 23 The Prayer of Examen is a practice that flows from Psalm 139:23-24 and was developed by Ignatius of Loyola in the 16 th century. The purpose of the Prayer of Examen is to help one look back over the course of the day to discover how God was working in and through oneself and how one s theology was manifesting itself in the circumstances and encounters of their day. It also is used to help one surface those areas in which God may be inviting the individual to grow and develop. I have developed a number of examen questions that flow from the truths contained in Psalm 23. It is not expected, nor would not be wise, to use every question listed below for a daily time of examen. Rather, choose a couple questions for your Prayer of Examen or use these questions as prompts for developing your own Psalm 23 Prayer of Examen. When was I aware of God's presence today? When did I sense myself moving toward God today? Away from God? Why? How did the truth of God's presence with me, as well as his faithfulness to me, impact how I saw and interacted with my circumstances and others today? What did I want/desire today? Why? How and when did I enter into the rest, refreshment and restorative power of God's presence today? When was I able to be present to and enter into adverse circumstances today in a way that I sensed God s presence with me? What was my sense of God's presence and involvement today? What was God's invitation(s) to me in and through the circumstances of my day and interactions with others? When was I able to be content with who I was today? Why or why not? When did I struggle with my sense of self/my sense of God? When did I sense the goodness and love of God pursuing me today? When was I able to internalize and embrace the wonder of who I am and the honor that God has bestowed upon me? How did God s I am with you promise influence how I lived my life (my choices, interactions, sense of self) today? Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 17

Reflection Spend the next few minutes reflecting on your time with God. What has been God s invitation, challenge, reminder and/or encouragement to you during this time? What is your response to God s invitation, challenge, reminder and/or encouragement to you? Write a short paragraph to God concerning your experience during this spiritual formation journey. Be honest. This document was adapted from an original document created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org Created by Larry Warner of b. All rights reserved. www.b-ing.org 18