Consider who your Shepherd is | Psalm 23
How many of you are stressed out over this election? A recent study by the American Psychiatric Association found that the leading cause of stress for 70% of Americans is politics. A similar poll from a mental health company found that 79% reported that the presidential election made them feel anxious this year, and more than 50% said that they thought about the election every day. If you type election anxiety into Google, you’ll find dozens of articles teaching you to focus on other things in life outside of politics, to spend less time watching the news, and to chill out. It’s amazing how the older you get, the more anxiety and stressful life tends to get. We have an enemy that wants to “steal, kill, and destroy” our lives, and he is using politics and fear to steal, kill, and destroy our mental health, our joy and our freedom. The good news is that Jesus came to give us an “abundant life.” He is the Good Shepherd.
Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved psalms, known as the Shepherd’s Psalm, written by David, the king of Israel. David had a heart for God that was developed through the challenges he faced in life: defeating Goliath, running from his father-in-law King Saul, taking the throne, having an affair, losing a child, running for his life from his son Absolom, seeing his family fall apart and God restoring him back to his throne. This Psalm was written somewhere in the middle of his life while David was king and experienced a season of peace in his kingdom around 1000 BC. The psalm echoes back to his childhood as a shepherd boy and points him forward in faith for his future in the hands of the Shepherd of his soul. What makes this Psalm unique is that David puts himself (and us) in the position of the sheep to help us understand more about who God is and who we are, considering who God is. From this perspective, we will be able to properly deal with life’s stressors from a godly perspective to keep us calm. The first step to being calm is to consider who your shepherd is: He is powerful and personal, sustaining and satisfying.