1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads 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 mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
“I don’t know what to do,” the young woman admitted to me. She was on the verge tears. She sat in her professor’s office, discussing a test which had not gone well. It was not just her religion class which was challenging her. She had believed her school counselor and the rest of society. She had been told that she could do whatever she wanted. They had told her that every door was open to her. They urged her to find her passion and pursue it. You likely know this rhetoric. You may even have repeated it yourself a few times as you talk to young people. I have and regret it.
From the perspective of this middle-aged professor, she did indeed have many options. He might have even been a little envious of the opportunities which lay before her. But she did not see it that way. She was smart enough to do well. Her academic struggles in school were not due to a lack of native ability. There was something else. We had laid upon her a burden of charting a course in life, a burden which she was ill-equipped to bear. When we told her to pursue her passion, find what she wanted to do, etc., we were heaping up the load. She was at the breaking point.
Read the first verses of this very familiar psalm again. Do you hear what the Lord is doing for David and us? He leads us. He leads us to quiet waters and green pastures. He leads us to paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. He leads us. The world does not like being led, or at least it valorizes a self-determined life. There is a part of me that wants to be the autonomous master of my destiny. But the world’s vision is a lie. Jesus leads to good places; we are not foolish to follow him. Take a few moments today, indeed every day, to ask Him where he, the Good Shepherd, leads you. It means losing some control of your life, but sin has made me a very poor navigator of life’s choices. We all need some guidance. Listen to what He says and follow Him. He is a Good Shepherd.