One of my favorite ways to reflect on and embrace my One Word for each year is through books. My Word for 2025 is Shepherd, and I kicked off my Shepherd-related reading with a book written by a real-life shepherd about The Good Shepherd as He is described in Psalm 23. I couldn’t have asked for a more fitting book selection!

Psalm 23 is one of the most universally known and loved passages of Scripture, and the psalmist’s words in these six iconic verses have brought comfort to generations of believers. But familiarity with this psalm can blind us to its rich significance. Our full appreciation for the psalm is also muddled by our lack of understanding for the culture and context in which it was written. Although the relevance of God’s Word transcends the bounds of history and geography, it can be helpful to receive insights from “insiders” who can speak into some of the subtleties that would otherwise be missed by those of us reading the Bible through western, 21st century eyes.

Enter Phillip Keller, a self-proclaimed “ordinary man and a child of God” who was born in Kenya to missionary parents in 1920. Keller spent his youth enjoying what he called “the rather rough, tough frontier world of East Africa.” His love for wildlife would eventually lead him to become a shepherd, and his experiences in this role  equipped him with the insights that are the basis for A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. In this timeless classic, first published in 1970, Keller takes the psalm line by line, expounding on each phrase’s meaning and coloring in the psalmist’s sketch with personal details drawn from years of walking in a shepherd’s sandals and studying sheep. As Keller points out, we should not be surprised that spiritual truths can be derived from the natural descriptions in Scripture, for “God is author and originator of both the natural and supernatural (spiritual). The same basic laws, principles, and procedures function in these two contiguous realms. Therefore, it follows that to understand one is to grasp the parallel principle in the other.”

This book absolutely blew me away as it opened my understanding to a wealth of meaning within this psalm I thought I knew. I had major takeaways in every chapter, and though I won’t enumerate every one of them here, I am sharing a few favorites, one from each portion of the psalm.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: Every shepherd has his own distinctive earmark that he cuts into one of the ears of his sheep so that he can identify his sheep from a distance. Those of us who claim Christ as our Lord and Savior bear the mark of the cross that identifies us with Him.

I SHALL NOT BE IN WANT: Since the Lord is our Shepherd, we should be “utterly contented in the Good Shepherd’s care and consequently not craving or desiring anything more.” Contentment should be our hallmark, yet some of us are not content with being in His control. These “fence crawlers” are dissatisfied, “always feeling that somehow the grass beyond the fence must be a little greener.” Keller shares a (somewhat terrifying) story of a much-loved and tended ewe who regularly escaped from his care to graze on unhealthy pasturage. This was not only harmful for the ewe but set a poor example for the other sheep who would follow her along dangerous paths. Sadly, this ewe needed to be butchered to prevent her from leading the entire flock astray. Keller comments, “It is a solemn warning to the carnal Christian, the backslider, the half-Christian, the one who wants the best of both worlds. Sometimes in short order they can be cut down.”

HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES: It is almost impossible for sheep to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met: they must be 1) free of all fear; 2) free from friction with others of their kind; 3) free of aggravation from flies or parasites: and 4) free from hunger. Only the shepherd can provide release from these anxieties, making it possible “for them to lie down, to rest, to relax, to be content and quiet and flourishing.” The same is true of us: 1) He frees us from fear; 2) He frees us from friction with others (“when [our] eyes are on [the] Master, they are not on those around [us].”); 3) He brings relief from the things that “bug” us; and 4) He is the source of both the spiritual and physical nourishment we seek.

HE LEADS ME BESIDE QUIET WATERS: One of the primary sources of hydration for sheep is the dew-covered grass, and sheep can go months without drinking from wells or streams if there is heavy dew on the grass each morning. Therefore, “the good shepherd, the diligent manager, makes sure that his sheep can be out and grazing on this dew-drenched vegetation. . . In the Christian life it is of more than passing significance to observe that those who are often the most serene, most confident, and most able to cope with life’s complexities are those who rise early each day to feed on God’s Word. It is in the quiet, early hours of the morning that they are led beside the quiet, still waters where they imbibe the very life of Christ for the day.” This reminder of the importance of nourishing myself spiritually each morning was my top takeaway of the book! It is in this time that the Lord “makes sense and purpose and meaning come out of situations that otherwise would be but a mockery to me. Suddenly life starts to have significance. I discover I am the object of His special care and attention. Dignity and direction come into the events of my life, and I see them sorting themselves out into a definite pattern of usefulness. All of this is refreshing, stimulating, invigorating. My thirst for reality in life is assuaged, and I discover that I have found that satisfaction in my Master.”

HE RESTORES MY SOUL: A sheep who has fallen on his back and cannot right itself is referred to as “cast down.” The cast sheep is helpless and vulnerable to attack until it is righted by the shepherd. And an unshorn sheep is more likely to be weighed down by its own wool, a metaphor for the old self in the Christian life. As the shepherd must take a knife to the overgrown wool of the sheep, we also must submit our old selves to the cutting edge of His Word in order to be set free.

HE GUIDES ME IN PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE: “No other class of livestock requires more careful handling, more detailed direction, than do sheep.” How humbling that it is sheep to which humanity is compared! A sheep’s flourishing is entirely dependent on the care of the shepherd, and he must have a precise plan of operation to maintain healthy flocks and healthy land. “The owner’s entire name and reputation depends on how effectively and efficiently he keeps his charges moving onto wholesome, new, fresh forage.” In the same way, the Lord calls us to righteousness for the preservation of our own welfare AND for the benefit of His own reputation. We need not worry that He is asking too much of us, for “if we are in earnest about wanting to do His will, and to be led, He makes this possible by His own gracious Spirit.” He equips us to seek righteousness AND to pursue it.

EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY: We Christians often seek mountain-top experiences with God, but “as with ordinary sheep management, so with God’s people: one only gains higher ground by climbing up through the valleys.” The best route to the top is always through the valleys, which offer the most well-watered route. Similarly, “as Christians we will sooner or later discover that it is in the valleys of our lives that we find refreshment from God Himself. It is not until we have walked with Him through some very deep troubles that we discover He can lead us to find our refreshment in Him right there in the midst of our difficulty.”

YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME: Many of us associate the word “rod” with violence, but “the sheep asserts that the owner’s rod, his weapon of power, authority, and defense, is a continuous comfort to him. For with it the manager is able to carry out effective control of his flock in every situation.” The rod of God’s Word is our defense against the enemy of our souls. And the staff is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, for as the staff is used by the shepherd to guide his sheep along new paths, the Holy Spirit guides us towards the truth.

YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME: The word “table” here refers to a mesa, or a high summer range that the shepherd would prepare in advance as prime grazing land for his flock. Similarly, Jesus prepared for our own abundant “table” when He came to earth as a man and laid down His life on our behalf. “Just as the sheepman is thrilled beyond words to see his sheep thriving on the high, rich summer range (it is one of the highlights of his whole year), so my Shepherd is immensely pleased when He sees me flourish on the tablelands of a noble, lofty life that He has made possible for me.”

YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL: A caring shepherd will apply a homemade ointment to the nose and head of his sheep to protect against agonizing nose flies that can become so annoying to sheep that they may stop grazing or injure their heads in their attempts to escape their tormentors. These flies are not unlike the niggling distractions in our lives that can turn into burning issues if we do not submit them to the protective “oil” of the Holy Spirit over our thought lives.

SURELY GOODNESS AND LOVE WILL FOLLOW ME: “The sheep with such a shepherd knows of a surety that his is a privileged position. No matter what comes, at least and always he can be perfectly sure that goodness and mercy will be in the picture.” As Christians in the care of the Good Shepherd, goodness and mercy are ever present in our lives as well. Furthermore, goodness and mercy should follow in our footsteps for the wellbeing of others. In perhaps the most surprising section of the book, we learn a sheep’s manure is “the best balanced of any produced by domestic stock. When scattered efficiently over the pastures it proves of enormous benefit to the soil. The sheep’s habit of seeking the highest rise of ground on which to rest insures that the fertility from the rich lowland is redeposited on the less productive higher ground.” In other words, a well-tended sheep has the potential to clean up and restore ravaged land, just as well-loved Christians have the potential to be a blessing to those around us.

I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER: Here, the word “house” refers to the household or family or flock of the Good Shepherd. “The sheep is so deeply satisfied with the flock to which it belongs, with the ownership of this particular shepherd, that it has no wish to change.” As members of the Lord’s family, “we should be bold to state fearlessly that we are so glad we are His.”

What a special book this is; it’s one I will return to again and again, and I’ll be carrying each of these insights with me as I continue to reflect on Psalm 23 in this year focused on walking with the Shepherd.