Psalm 23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

The 23rd Psalm is one of the best known and loved of all Old Testament passages, certainly, and perhaps second only to John 3:16 in the whole Bible. For all its familiarity, we sometimes fail to really consider what it means. This one little phrase actually has deep meaning for our lives, if we will understand it. Going with English word order, the first point is that God leads us. A lot of people don’t think that’s true, or at least that’s how they live. Even if they go to church, the rest of the time they ignore God completely, and then complain that God isn’t “nice” to them when things don’t go as they would like. The vast majority of people, even Christians, miss God’s leading, or at least fail to recognize it, because they simply aren’t looking for it. Perhaps one reason some people, at least, ignore God is that they understand on some level that His leading will indeed be in “paths of righteousness,” and they frankly don’t want to be righteous! A few years ago it was current slang to call something “righteous” when it was good looking, strong, in style, or whatever. The people who used that slang probably weren’t leading very righteous lives! God is indeed holy, righteous, just, loving, and gracious, and He will always lead in ways that are in keeping with His character. The last point in this brief phrase is that God leads us for His Name’s sake. David is of course talking to the children of Abraham, by genetics and by faith. God’s children bear His Name, and He doesn’t want us rubbing His Name in the dirt! In some cultures, “honor killings” are even accepted among human beings. I certainly don’t think that is pleasing to God, but even a casual reading of the Bible shows that God’s Name is always to be treated with reverence and respect. It’s even the 3rd of the 10 Commandments! We need to remember that ultimately, it’s not about us, it’s about God. We are important simply because God chooses to love us and assign value to us. That’s a very high value, but we have it because of God, and not the other way around. God doesn’t lead us just to be nice to us, He leads us because we belong to Him.

This is something I was indeed taught as a child, but it is also an understanding that I have grown into over the years. I couldn’t count the number of times I have had unnecessary hardship simply because I failed to seek, and pay attention to, God’s guidance. I also couldn’t count the number of times – and they are far more – that I have had unexpected, and certainly undeserved, blessings because of following God’s guidance. As a pastor, I am currently in a position of giving God’s guidance to others. I must never do that without asking Him first! My guidance, without His, certainly isn’t worth much. However, I have seen Him use me in this way, and I am not to draw back from it. And certainly, I must continually seek His guidance for my own life, so that in righteousness I may bring honor to His Name.

Father, thank You for the amazing privilege of being Your child. Help me be a loving, obedient child, pleasing to You, so that I may draw many others into that same relationship with You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!