It’s arguably the most well known passage from the Bible, if not any book at all. It has been a source of comfort and strength for generations. It’s been quoted and read during times of difficulty by individuals, by families, by churches, and even by entire nations. And even people outside the Christian faith will look to a passage like this for comfort and strength during seasons of difficulty. This is Psalm 23. And for the Christian, it is very good news.

Though there are many reasons why, they really are all about the nature of the shepherd described there. In particular, there are at least three characteristics of this shepherd that make Psalm 23 such good news:

1. Our shepherd is strong.

You can see the strength of the shepherd throughout the psalm. Why do we fear no evil? It’s not because evil is not there; it’s because the shepherd is with us. He is so strong – so confident – that he spreads out this table. So strong is the shepherd that even in the presence of enemies, we are having dinner.

In the shepherding metaphor, it is vital that the shepherd is strong and capable, mainly because the sheep are so weak! See, many animals have some kind of defense mechanism as a part of their makeup. The Texas horned lizard shoots blood from its eyes. The Iberian ribbed fish pushes defensive and poisonous spikes out from its ribs. Ants in southeast Asia literally explode themselves in order to defend the colony.

But sheep? Well, sheep are a “prey” species which means that their only defense mechanism is just to flat out run away. The sheep, then, is really entirely dependent on the strength of the shepherd. And ours is strong:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30).

2. Our shepherd loves us.

If you look back at the psalm, you don’t just see a strong shepherd that can protect the sheep; you see a loving shepherd. This is the shepherd that makes us lie down in green pastures. The image is one of rest. It’s of peace. Of care. This is what the Shepherd does in His love for us. And then as the psalm closes, we are again powerfully reminded that goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives.

How important is it that you know that your Shepherd loves you? Vitally so. It’s so important that this ongoing and growing experience of God’s love is what Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus:

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:18-19).

When we know and truly believe in the boundless, endless, matchless love of God, it affects everything we do. We are able to serve without expecting repayment. We are able to take risks for the kingdom knowing God will take care of us. We are able to truly love others in a self-sacrificial way. We can do all this because we are convinced of this simple truth: God loves me. Period. Without equivocation.

3. Our shepherd is wise.

There is a leading quality to this relationship between the sheep and the shepherd. That is, we see throughout the psalm that the sheep are being guided to this place and that, and the simple reason why is because the shepherd knows the way to go. And the sheep, knowing that the shepherd is strong, loving, and wise know that their primary job is just to follow. And it still is.

There is a wonderful kind of simplicity in that, isn’t there? That in a life of complexity, the main thing – the main thing – you have to do every day is just follow Jesus.

David, who wrote this psalm, no doubt needed this assurance of the strength of God throughout his life. Consider, for a moment, that when he was a young man David was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel. But then consider all that happened before that anointing actually became reality. David was brought into the service of the king. He eventually became a soldier. The current king, Saul, was threatened by David’s popularity, and drove him from his presence and chased him all around the countryside. It was, in fact, some 15 years before David actually became king.

During that time, what did David need to remember? What truth did he need to fall back on when life seemed to be aimless and spinning out of control? At least it was this – that the shepherd is wise.

Psalm 23 is good news. Better than good. And it is so because our Shepherd is strong and loving and wise. So follow Him.