Green Pastures and Quiet Waters

Psalm 23

I can definitely see why this is such a favourite psalm. It is so gentle, so full of peace and yet not fairy-tale, happily ever after kind of sentiment. David, the composer, is reflecting on his relationship with the Lord. It is obvious that David is drawing on his experience as a shepherd, perhaps even writing the psalm while out with the sheep. He carries the shepherd-sheep imagery through the first two thirds, painting pictures of green pastures, quiet waters, and confidence in the shepherd even when the path leads through shadow filled valleys. The last third of the psalm talks about the provision of the Lord even in the face of opposition and the joy that David has from his relationship with the Lord.
The rod and the staff bring comfort to David. The rod and the staff, as far as I know, are meant to correct and guide the sheep. I've never heard of a shepherd beating his sheep with the rod but I imagine it could happen. David is speaking of the gentle, love-filled corrective touches from God. I can imagine that sometimes the sheep find those corrective touches restricting and sometimes even scary. For David they are reminders of God's presence and his care and love for the sheep.
I long for this kind of relationship with God. I know lots about God and I do a lot of the right things; things that people have told me will increase my intimacy with God but I still feel like my faith is more intellectual than passionate. I feel like I have a theology more than I have a relationship at times. I feel like I am missing out on the kind of closeness that David had with the Lord. Oh, I can look back on my life and see where God has definitely been my shepherd. I can recount instances where his rod and staff have corrected me and comforted me. I can tell people about times when I walked through dark valleys and knew that God was still in control, good and loving. Maybe the reason that I don't experience God's presence is because I don't take enough time to reflect each day on where I saw and experienced the presence of God.

The Joy of Your Presence

Psalm 21

Another psalm of David. This psalm contains both elements of praise and elements of an imprecatory psalm. By the way, I love that word! I think it is one of those words that sounds like what it means. Say it with me: imprecatory! David talks about himself in the third person: the king, he, etc. maybe so that the work of the Lord would be emphasized and maybe so that it could be sung by and instruct others, including future kings.
The praise section is so joyful and intimate. I'm not sure, but it feels like the use of the third person adds to the sense of intimacy. The whole psalm is very focused on the work and power of the Lord. When David is singing about the king, it all about what the Lord has done for the king. When David is singing about the king's enemies, it is all about what the Lord will do to the enemies. Ultimately, it is not the king but the Lord who is exalted and the Lord who receives praise and songs from the people. To sum up the psalm in a word: trust.
The line that stuck out to me is from verse 6: "Surely you have... made him glad with the joy of your presence." First, what stood out is the double joy. The king is glad with joy! I love the imagery and the flow of that sentence. There is sometimes when the joy of life and the joy of the Lord makes me glad. I want the Spirit to shape my heart and affections so that I am glad with the joy of the Lord. The second thing that stood out was the joy of the Lord's presence. I live my life deistically. God is there but not here. I know he exists but I don't often experience his presence. I acknowledge the truth about God but I live as if he sits at a distance as more of an observer than someone who is intimately acquainted with the details of my life. I try to figure things out and solve them through my own abilities rather than trusting in God. Because of this, I don't often experience God's presence which means that I too often miss out on the joy of God's presence. I want the Spirit to shape my heart and my spirit to recognize and rejoice in the presence of God. He is not distant. He is close, personal, and present.