When my daughters (4 and 2) are having a hard time, they will often come to me and ask, “Will you take care of me?” My father’s heart erupts with “of course!” “Come here, daddy will take care of you.” As parents, my wife and I we seek to take care of all their needs and pray about needs they don’t even know they have yet. We actively and reactively seek to provide them with complete care. They can have confidence in us.

David discovered this to be true of Yahweh and declared it ever so sweetly in Psalm 23. This Psalm teaches that Yahweh actively shepherds His people with complete care. All needs are known by Him and accounted for, even needs the sheep doesn’t know they had.

With Yahweh as shepherd there is complete provision (23:1). Every single need finds satisfaction; we lack nothing. There is guidance into rest (23:2). Yahweh actively provides a nourishing rest for His people when they need it (Leupold). He actively and personally guides us to places and times where we can be nurtured; because let’s face it, we need this! There is inward renewal (23:3a). Yahweh cares for our inner spiritual life, actively walking with us to renew and revive us from and out of our spiritual struggles. And the result is a renewed and reinvigorated enjoyment of life (Expositors). There is guidance (23:3b). Like train tracks that are laid down upon the earth for a train to go forth, so Yahweh as shepherd has laid down tracks of righteousness in His Word for us to travel on. And He guides us to walk in His Word for that is His will and His best for us. Moreover, there is His protective presence (23:4). Yahweh as shepherd walks with His sheep not only in good times but also in trouble. He can easily be seen in the green pastures, the still waters, and the paths of righteousness. But He can also be seen in the darkest places, where evil lurks and death is waiting. In darkness God is able to protect you from evil, as pictured in His rod and His staff.

Psalm 23 is invigorating! Our confidence soars in the Lord as we know for sure that He will shepherd us with complete care. He shepherds marriages. He shepherds families. He shepherds moms, dads, widows, orphans, singles, youth, children, and all who trust in Him. And He does it with complete care. Don’t worry (Matthew 6:25-34), trust fully now.