The Hound of Heaven
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The 23rd Psalm runs deep within our collective subconscious and in the marrow of our ancestors. Those six verses tumble off one’s tongue as if there was never a time they weren’t waiting to be spoken.
The psalm is attributed to King David, himself a shepherd, and written around 1000 BC. At its essence, it’s about trust. Our trust in God, the Good Shepherd, who leads us through life and in death, through suffering to eternal joy. “I shall not want”—those four words—provide us with all we will ever need if we surrender ourselves to God’s care. Like a shepherd caring for his sheep, we listen for his voice to guide the way.
How one relates to Jesus and hears his voice is personal. For me, he is a bridge that carries me and my loved ones to safety. He bears the weight of all my troubles. I take shelter under him when things are stormy. I do my best to trust that when I walk through the valleys, through the shadows of doubt and despair, that Jesus is the light summoning me to the mountaintop.
My shepherd, my bridge, beckons me with open arms. Always, he leads me to safety and peace. But here’s the thing: sheep are not driven like cattle. They are too vulnerable, especially those nursing their young, and of course they’re not the most intelligent of God’s creatures. Sheep must be led and cajoled otherwise they will stray, get lost, stumble on rocky terrain or be snatched by a predator.
And like sheep, when we stray the psalmist assures us that God will not let us escape. The root Hebrew verb in verse 6 “radaph” is translated in most bibles as “follow.” That is not accurate. The verb should be “pursue,” “pursue eagerly,” or “chase after.” Read it again, “Surely God’s goodness and steadfast love shall pursue me all the days of my life.” John Calvin called Jesus the “Hound of Heaven” who tirelessly chases after us when we stray.
What might it do to our understanding of God, and to the way we live with life’s joys and sorrows, if we took seriously that God always takes the initiative with us—a shepherd leading us, pursuing us, toward himself, following us in our wanderings so that we never get beyond the love that will not let us go. God is love and love is the beginning and the end of all true revelation. Jesus Christ exists simply because love exists.
prayer
Gracious and mysterious God, when we feel separated, alienated, or abandoned by your loving Spirit, help us to open our hearts and minds to experience your presence and security in ways we can’t begin to imagine on our own. Help us to trust that you are always present and will pursue us when we stray or disengage. In trusting you, may we learn to trust ourselves that we will find a way when it feels like there is no way. Amen.