Psalm 23 – Part 5

“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”

“Sheep are notorious creatures of habit. If left alone to themselves, they will follow the same trails until they become ruts, graze the same hills until they turn to desert wastes, pollute their own ground until it is corrupt with disease and parasites. Many of the world’s finest sheep ranges have been ruined beyond repair by over-grazing, poor management, and indifferent or ignorant sheep owners.” [1]

Don’t we so easily find ourselves in “ruts”, I know do! Sometimes I can get into destructive and continual habits and it sometimes seems like the rut is so entrenched that there is no getting out of it.

Conversely, I do recognise that some ruts can be good; good habits that I maintain and are well worn. These good habits keep me going in the right direction and save me from going off track.

I live in Scotland and we frequently get snow. When driving in snow, I do appreciate a road that is well used and what I’ve found is that if I carefully keep my eye on the road, I can stay within the same tracks or ruts made by drivers that have gone before me. Sometimes I do see inpatient drivers who will go outside of these tracks to overtake and then they start skidding all over the road; I can be one of these said driver sometimes!

In looking at this Psalm, we’ve already seen how sheep and us so easily identify with each other. Isaiah 53:6 says “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way…”. Left to my own devices I will invariably just keep going in the wrong direction and also probably look for life giving sustenance in the wrong places.

A good shepherd will plan out grazing places for the sheep, so that the pasture is not over used and the sheep not only ruin future growth but put themselves at risk through polluted grounds which become corrupt with parasites.

Our Good Shepherd has made plans for us “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

I don’t know about you, but I hate getting diverted; I see that dreaded “road ahead” closure sign and I just have to trust the diversion signs (which sometimes, let’s be honest, are not always that great!). I like familiarity, and like to know where I’m going. But, new ways are often good ways. I love what Isaiah 42:16 says, “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” Living a life of trusting in the Lord, and walking by faith and not by sight, can be a scary thing! (Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:7)

We have to put our faith in the Good Shepherd who has told us that he wants us to have an abundant and full life (John 10:10). He has also told us that He is the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6.) I also have to remember that, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12).

So, how does the Lord guide us along the right paths? Obviously, we have His written Word, which is “a lamp for my feet, and a light on my path”. (Psalm 119:105). The more we get into the Word of God the better equipped we will be in knowing the right directions to take and the specific path that the Lord wants us to go on. At this point, I would like to interject a bit of Neuroscience!

You see, our brains work because of lots of pathways that we have formed, through our thought patterns. The really great news is that we can change the direction we are going on and change old destructive habits by the incredible fact of Neuroplasticity. By stopping destruction thoughts that have become well worn ruts in our brains and replacing those thoughts with better ones, the destructive ruts are replaced by better pathways.

Here’s a link to a video by Andrew Huberman video on Neuroplasticity:

(15) What is Neuroplasticity? Professor Andrew Huberman explains – YouTube

I recently read a book by Dr Lee Warren called, “The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery”. The thing that I particularly like about Dr Lee warren is that he is a practising (highly qualified and successful) brain surgeon. He has also had to deal with two major traumatic events in his life. The first happened when he was serving in the Iraq war and I believe he performed something like 200 surgeries (some even on enemy combatants) in the full chaos and danger of war. He suffered PTSD and on his return home, this took a great toll on his marriage which ended in divorce. He later got remarried but a few years later tragedy struck and his teenage son was brutally murdered (and the case is still unsolved to this day). It could have ruined both him and his second marriage, however they made it through. Then, one day he was looking at the results from a new state of the art MRI machine and he saw, very clearly how peoples brains activity can be changed by merely thinking about different things. This has led to the book and a very successful podcast. I would recommend reading the book. It gives so much hope and clearly shows how Neuroplasticity can work in our favour, if we let it.

Before I go onto some really practical ways we can apply this verse from Psalm 23 to our lives, I would like to comment on the fact that He guides us “for his names sake”.

A good shepherd, will not only think about the good of his sheep, wanting them always to be on the move, going from one good pasture to the next, but he will also want to do this for the sake of his own name and reputation. People will look down on him if they see his sheep in a poor state of health and well-being because of his lack of effort and skill in guiding them to good pastures.

Remember when the Lord wanted to wipe out the Israelites but Moses stood in the gap and reminded God that it would look bad on Him if other nations look and see this happen to His people after He had delivered them from the Egyptians (Exodus 32:31-32).

Other “for My Names Sake verses” are:

Isaiah 48:9 (KJV)

For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

Ezekiel 36:22 (ESV)

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.

Psalm 106:8 (NIV)

Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known.

1 John 2:12 (KJV)

I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

I’ll finish with some practical ways to put this verse from Psalm 23 into practise:

• Begin to apply the science of Neuroplasticity to our lives. Replace negative ways of thinking with positive thoughts as shown in the bible. “Be transformed by the renewing of our minds”. (Romans 12:2)

• Learn to be guided and led by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13, Romans 8:14 and Galatians 5:16)

• Sometimes we can get stale and get into a rut with our quiet times. Do something different for a change. I read just this morning how we should praise Him with a new song (Psalm 96:1). His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Let’s get creative in our worship and quiet times.

Next time we will look at, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

[1] “A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23” by W. Phillip Keller.