Continuing our study of the Psalms of faith, we look today at Psalms 1, 2, 22, and 23.

Let me share some thoughts on Psalm 23. These insights have always meant a lot to me because they were given to me as I mourned my father's sudden death in March of 1990.

When I was in the 3rd grade, we were "forced" to memorize the 23rd Psalm in Sunday School. Then we recited it as a class before the whole church. As difficult as that may have been then, it made the Psalm stick with me. I've recited it often, read it, heard it read. It was always the same. But when I really needed this insight, it was given to me.

The Psalmist describes God as his shepherd. Notice that he is not talking about a shepherd with a whole flock of sheep, but of a shepherd and ONE of his sheep. It is about relationship with the shepherd. It is about intimacy with the shepherd.

Look how the Psalmist describes the shepherd: "HE makes me lie down in green pastures; HE leads me beside still waters; HE restores my soul. HE leads me in right paths for his name's sake." The word "he" grammatically is a third person pronoun. It is used to refer to someone in the abstract, or someone not currently present. It's as if the Psalmist's relationship with the shepherd is theoretical -- sort of the difference between intellectual assent or belief, and intimate relationship.

Now notice how those pronouns referring to the shepherd change after the Valley of the Shadow of Death. In v. 4, "Even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I fear no evil." Why? "For YOU are with me; YOUR rod and YOUR staff -- they comfort me." Now the Psalmist is using second person pronoun. He is referring to someone actually present, no longer "theoretical," but somone with whom he is having a relationship.

It has always been my contention that a walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death does that to you. No matter what your relationship to the shepherd prior to that Walk, your relationship changes. God is no longer "He," theoretical, abstract -- God is now "You," right here, with me.

I often tell families in their time of grief that this insight means that no matter what relationship their loved one had with the Shepherd prior to their death, I believe the Shepherd comes to them in that dark valley, and they come to see Him as never before. I believe that is how it is with my father, who was never a deeply spiritual man. Christ, the Good Shepherd (John 10) came to him and dad's pronouns changed from 3rd person to 2nd person. "I will fear no evil; for you are with me..."

This insight has always brought me great comfort.