“Really? Do we really mean this?”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Psalm 23 (Forward, p. 81) CEV p. 568

The twenty-third psalm is so well known, so frequently used, that we can quite easily gloss over just how radical and earth-shattering it is, at least, that is, with regards to our personal lives. The opening verse sets the tone for this. Just listen to how it is rendered in various translations:

The King James (Authorized) Version: “The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want”;

The New Revised Standard Version, using in the Book of Alternative Services (Canada) and the Book of Common Prayer (US): “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want”;

The New Coverdale Psalter, used in the Book of Common Prayer (2019): “The Lord is my shepherd; therefore I can lack nothing”;

The Good News Bible: “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need”;

The Contemporary English Version (CEV): “You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need”.

First of all, it needs to be said that there is a profound difference between wants and needs, even though for some of our contemporaries the distinction has become increasingly blurred. Just because we ‘want’ something, does not mean that we need it, much less expect that we will receive it, whether from God or from anyone else.

But then consider what the Coverdale rendition says: ‘I lack nothing’ or the Good News Bible: “I have everything I need.” Those are pretty radical and far-reaching statements. Do we really mean this? Indeed, I actually wonder whether we ever take it at all seriously.

Given this lead-up, let’s take a look then, at what is covered in this blanket statement, at least within this psalm, and what is not:

-rest, refreshment (verses 2-3)

-God’s guidance and direction (verses 2-3)

-God’s presence and safety in times of trouble (verse 4)

-honour and blessing (verse 5)

-kindness, mercy and love (verse 6)

-abiding with God from henceforth & forever (verse 6).

There is nothing of the ‘hallmarks’ of the ‘health and wealth’ gospel here, no mention of worldly success, power, prestige, privilege, possessions or pleasures. Two things, then, might be inferred from this. Firstly, there are not the things that we ultimately need. They do not come into God’s list of the things that we ‘lack.’ And secondly, and in consequence of this inference, they are not things that God is extolled and praised, at least in this psalm, for providing. Whether He does so, in other contexts, is simply not mentioned within this psalm.

What this says to me, what it suggests, is the need for an important course correction in terms of what is important in our lives, what things we value and work for. I, for one, value knowledge, knowledge for knowledge sake, and therefore am very attached to my books and files. But our psalm says nothing about knowledge, only that God can guide us and give us direction for our lives. Hmm. This gives me something to think about, to ponder, namely how God can guide and direct us apart from these books and files. Anyway, this is just one example of how we might examine and re-assess our lives in light of what our psalm lifts up as priorities, as essential needs. It really gives me pause and causes me to reconsider whether I really do agree with the psalmist or not when he says that he ‘has everything he needs’. Yes, do I really mean it, when I say this psalm? It is something to ponder and pray about. Amen.

Forward notes: “You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over” (verse 5).

“Have you ever been denied a seat at the table? Maybe you took the hint that you were not welcome and stayed away—or maybe you took a seat at the table anyway. Not everyone wants us at the table, especially if our thoughts and opinions are unwelcome or make people uncomfortable.

“Yet God is always building bigger tables and welcoming the presence of enemies, strangers, and us. God is preparing space for conversations to take place, among friends and particularly with our enemies and those who

trouble us. When we enter into this conversation, invited or not, we help close the gap of ‘otherness.’ We move from the divisions of this earth to experiencing the kingdom of God.”

MOVING FORWARD: “Invite someone new to your table—literally and figuratively.”