Why Give Thanks to the Lord?

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
Psalm 23:1

Psalm 23 is a song of trust and confidence in the Lord. It’s been a favorite of God’s people for generations.

It expresses assurance of God’s presence and care in the midst of hardship. Just thinking through and holding on to each verse can bring comfort and joy to your heart.

Why give thanks to the Lord when considering this psalm?

I named a few already, but let’s look more closely and see other ways it answers this question.

Table of Contents

Psalm 23 gives us several reasons to give thanks to the Lord. As His child, He is your shepherd and all that you need. He gives you rest and renews your strength. He protects and cares for you when facing danger or adversity, and you can trust Him completely. The Lord is also a perfect host. He gives you everything you need. Enemies may be nearby, but they can’t harm you when the Lord protects and honors you.

He is Your Shepherd

David wrote this psalm. He himself was a shepherd as a boy and, therefore, was familiar with the responsibilities of being a shepherd.

This psalm is also personal. David knew the Lord as His shepherd. Today, those who have been adopted into the family of , God can know Jesus as their Shepherd. And they can receive the same benefits David talks about in this psalm.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary (p.811) says:

The psalmist employed the figure of a shepherd to recall the blessings he enjoyed from the Lord. The metaphor was a natural one for David, the shepherd-king. It was also a common metaphor in the ancient Near East, as many kings compared themselves to shepherds in their leadership capacity. The prophecy of the coming Messiah incorporated the same (Isaiah 40:11), and Jesus identified Himself as that respected “Good Shepherd” (John 10:14). He is also called the “Great Shepherd” (Hebrews 13:20) and “the Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). Because the Lord was David’s Shepherd, his needs were met.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Shepherd, it may be because you don’t know Him as your Savior. And the One who died for you.

Needs That Your Shepherd Meets

I shall not want…the ESV, NASB, KJV, and NKJV all say, “I shall not want.” The NIV says, “I shall not be in want,” and the NLT and CSB say, “I have all that I need.” All are saying the same thing: David’s needs were met; he felt safe and satisfied. We can say the same when we know Jesus as our Shepherd (Philippians 4:19).

He makes me lie down in green pastures…sheep will not lie down when they are hungry but do when their tummies are full. For the believer, our food and sufficiency are Jesus, the bread of life (John 6:35), and the Word of God (1 Peter 2:2). We, too, will rest when we have been spiritually filled.

He leads me beside quiet water…sheep are frightened by turbulent water and don’t like it when it’s stagnant. Shepherds know this and lead them to drink from peaceful streams or ponds. Jesus offers everyone living water which is eternal life (John 4:7-14). And the Lord refreshes the believer by offering hope, joy, and peace (Romans 15:13), rest (Matthew 11:28-30), forgiveness of sin (1 John 1:9), strength (Isaiah 40:31) and comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), to name a few.

He restores my soul…David knew what it was to be restored by God after he sinned (Psalm 51:1-16) and when he was weary from constantly being pursued by his enemies (Psalm 27). Believers, too, can have their souls restored by knowing and obeying God’s word (Psalm 19:7-11). Ultimately, we will have complete restoration in the next life (Revelation 21:3-5).

He guides me in the paths of righteousness…the shepherd knows the right paths, and when the sheep follow him, they will be safe and secure. The same is true for the one who follows their Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. He loses none of His sheep but guides them safely through this life and to their eternal home.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil…David knew evil well and what it was like to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But he didn’t fear it because he was following His Shepherd. Believers must understand that they will face dark times. But if they are following their Shepherd, they are on the right path and don’t have to be afraid.

For Thou art with me…David wasn’t afraid because he followed His Shepherd and knew He was with him. We can have the same assurance as believers.

Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me…no one likes to be in the “valley of the shadow of death.” But sometimes, the right paths include these dark and evil times. David’s psalms are full of seeking the Lord, asking for His help, and receiving the comfort His Shepherd gave him. Knowing the Shepherd has a rod and a staff to fend off the evil and protect you will bring you comfort.

He is the Perfect Host

You can be assured that you are on the right path as long as you are following your Shepherd. Not only is He leading, guiding, restoring, sustaining, and protecting you as your Shepherd, but he is also doing it as a gracious host.

Thou dost prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies…the image is that of a banquet hall, and David is the guest. The host is the Lord who is providing a feast for him. The feast takes place in the presence of David’s enemies, and he knows he is safe. He feels comforted and honored because the host anoints his head with oil. David knows he is blessed.

It’s easier to envision the Lord as my Shepherd than as One hosting a lavish banquet for me. How about you? Can you see yourself right now as an honored guest at Jesus’ table, feasting and being anointed with oil? If so, does it make you feel safe like David did?

Personally, the closest I get is knowing that I will be at the marriage supper of the Lamb. But that banquet doesn’t take place in the presence of my enemies, so I doubt this is what David was thinking.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…as you follow the Shepherd, goodness and mercy are following you. It reminds me of Psalm 139:5, “Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me.” This imagery hopefully makes you feel protected, loved, and blessed.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever…David was referring to the Tabernacle. He would return there again and again and continually be refreshed and restored for the rest of his life. And after that, he would live with the Lord forever. We, too, will someday physically dwell with the Lord forever. And we have the Bible and the Holy Spirit living inside us until that day.

Goodness, Love, and Mercy

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, as you read through this psalm, you saw many reasons to give thanks to the Lord. He:

Is your loving Shepherd
Takes care of all your needs
Fills and sustains you so you can rest
Leads you to quiet waters or times of refreshing
Led you to living water so you would never thirst again (salvation)
Restores your soul by offering hope, peace, joy, forgiveness, rest, strength, and comfort
Guides you along the right paths in this life
Is with you, so you don’t need to be afraid
Prepares a feast for you in the presence of your enemies, and you know you are safe
Honors you by anointing your head with oil or blessing you
Sends goodness and mercy to follow you all the days of your life
Promises that you will dwell in His house forever

That’s quite the list!

Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you are finding many reasons to be thankful this year.

Why Give Thanks to the Lord? – Psalm 23