He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:3b (ESV)
After having led me beside still waters and revitalizing my life, the Good Shepherd now continues his leading of my life by bringing me into paths of righteousness. The Shepherd provides for my every need. He is concerned for my rest and refreshment. He cares for my soul. It is in this well-cared-for state of contentment in the good provision of my loving Shepherd that I am now able to walk the paths of righteousness. These paths of righteousness are designed to make me like Jesus each and every day. These paths are character-building opportunities designed to teach, mold, and shape me to better reflect and point people back to the Good Shepherd. It is all for the namesake of Jesus.
I have two thoughts coming out of this initial reflection on this verse. First, I want to make this all about me. How often do I think about this path of righteousness that Jesus is leading me in as something designed for my benefit? It is true that there is a benefit to me on this path. It is filled with the blessing and mercy of God upon me. Yet, I often find myself thinking about this path simply in terms of what advantages it will bring me. What blessings will the Lord give me on this path? How will I be recognized and thought of on this path? Will people remember me because I walked this path? I make the path I am walking entirely “me” centric. I easily forget that it is Jesus leading me down this path. I forget that the trials and struggles, the pleasant and happy times, and in every circumstance I find myself it is because the Good Shepherd is leading me down the path.
And he does this for his name’s sake. He leads me down these paths of righteousness so that I will know him more deeply and more intimately. He is more concerned about my relationship with him than he is about my circumstantial feelings. He surely cares about my feelings, but he is more concerned with righteousness being strengthened and built up in my life. He is concerned that I love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. He is more concerned that I have a heart that loves others more than myself. These paths of righteousness are there to bring me into alignment. To align my wayward heart to beat in rhythm with the heart of the Father. To take in the righteousness of Christ and let it permeate my entire life. To have my life steep in the righteousness of Christ so that my will and my desires will be transformed to match those of my Savior Shepherd.
Second, I need all the previous steps if I am to be led down the paths of righteousness. I need to fully comprehend and understand that I want for nothing in Jesus. I need to bask in the richness of resting completely and fully in the good provision of Jesus. I need to drink deeply of the Spirit and let its still waters refresh me. I need Jesus to restore my soul. Then and only then am I ready to be led in paths of righteousness. My mind pictures these paths of righteousness as a carefully tended path through a rich and lush meadow of beautiful flowers on a bright sunny day. I think of these paths as happy places filled with sunshine and laughter. And there are times when Jesus does lead me down paths that match this. There are a lot of happy moments of enjoying the beauty and majesty of Christ in the blessings of life that he brings.
At other times, I find that these paths of righteousness are filled with pain and sorrow as well. There are times when I must walk the same paths of righteousness that Jesus himself walked while he was walking among us. Jesus learned obedience through suffering. The people he came to save not only hated him but killed him. His life was filled with trials and struggles of every kind. If his paths of righteousness looked like this, so too will mine. So I should not be surprised when trials and struggles present themselves. This is what all the previous steps in Psalm 23 have prepared me for. In the heat of the trials, Jesus found comfort in the Father alone. He was always ever content to do the will of the Father. His immediate discomfort and pain were minor in comparison to the love and favor he had in the Father.
Do I feel this? Do I remember this? Do I remind myself of this? Father, make it true in my heart today and every day. As I walk these paths of righteousness, may my heart leap for joy at the notion that I am being led down this path by the hand of Christ. That I am not alone. I am not ever alone on this path. Jesus is there with me at all times. More than that Lord, the very path I am on is designed specifically for me. It is there for me to grow in righteousness. All for the namesake of Jesus. All for the glory of Christ. Keep my focus on the path ahead of me. Don’t let me be distracted by the worldly trinkets and deceptions that call out to me. May my heart only ever be in love with Jesus, my Good Shepherd.