Trusting the Lord in the darkest valleys
This sermon was originally preached on August 31, 2025, and was subsequently rewritten to honor the names of the dead and recount the stories of faith and love among the survivors.
The Psalms teach us how to speak to God. Psalm 23 teaches us how to declare our trust in the Lord our Shepherd. We turn to this psalm at gravesides for good reason. It is more than just flowery language about God’s provision. It is quite honest that we all face evil, that we all have enemies, and that we all have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Psalm 23 bears witness that God shepherds us in the best and the worst moments in our lives.
Kings were often called shepherds throughout the ancient Near East. It was the king’s job to protect his flock, lead them to food, water, and safety. David grew up as a shepherd boy long before he became the king of Israel. King David knew how hard it was to find quiet waters and green pastures for sheep and for people. King David knew what it was like to protect his flock by fighting wild animals in the wilderness and giants on the battlefield. King David knew what it was like to put an injured sheep on his shoulders or an injured soldier on his back and carry them to safety. David knew what he was singing about when he declared that God is our faithful Shepherd and King.
Like many psalms of trust, Psalm 23 is written about a dangerous situation. Psalms of praise are for when the world feels safe and happy. Psalms of lament are for when we struggle with a terrible loss. Psalms of trust are for when the world feels threatening. The lyrics of Psalm 23 take on deeper meaning after losing a job, or while recovering in the hospital, or at the memorial service of a beloved family member.
It helps to revisit the lyrics of Psalm 23 after the recent violence in Minneapolis. More than 100 rounds were fired through the windows of the Church of the Annunciation on August 27, 2025. Annunciation Catholic School students were praying in the church sanctuary that morning. An eight-year-old boy named Fletcher Merkel and a ten-year-old girl named Harper Moyski were shot and killed. Twenty-one more people, most of them children, were shot and injured. Lord, have mercy!
David never promises that our lives will be free from trouble. David simply sings to God, “You are with me.” God will be with us no matter what happens. God’s rod and staff will comfort us. A better translation of the Hebrew might be, “God’s rod and staff will give us courage.” The shepherd’s rod was an iron cudgel for fighting wild animals. The shepherd’s staff was a wooden walking stick to prod wooly-brained sheep in the right direction. These tools remind us that God is actively engaged in our lives when we face cancer, or layoffs, or even gun violence.
David sings that God “leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.” In other words, God stakes his reputation on being present and trustworthy in the worst moments of our lives. The Old Testament scholar Rolf Jacobson teaches us that Psalm 23 “critiques and subverts the dominant cultural theology of glory, which can only understand God’s presence in the good moments.” Yes, we all experience green valleys, we all enjoy quiet waters, and yes, we all must suffer through dark valleys. Psalm 23 teaches us that we can trust God in the scariest moments in our lives.
An eighth-grader named Endre Gunter was shot twice at the Church of the Annunciation. Before heading into the operating room, Endre asked his surgeon, “Can you say a prayer with me?” Endre trusted in the Lord even while he was terrified and hurting. The surgeon reported that Endre encouraged the entire surgical team with his resilient faith. That’s the kind of trust in God that David is singing about in Psalm 23.
Twelve-year-old Lydia Kaiser instinctively knew how to be a faithful shepherd. Lydia shielded her “little buddy” while the bullets crashed into the sanctuary. Lydia was shot in the head as she laid down her life to protect the younger student. By the grace of God, Lydia survived after two successful brain surgeries. Her selfless act exemplifies the trustworthy love of this psalm.
Psalm 23 makes much more sense after Jesus Christ, the Son of David and the Son of God, came into the world. David promised that God would be with us. Jesus was called Immanuel which means “God is with us.” Jesus is God in the flesh who came to suffer with us, to die with us, and to rescue us from sin and death.
Jesus taught his followers that the only way he could save the world was through sacrificial love. Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gave up everything in heaven and earth to save us from sin and death.
Jesus also taught his followers that anyone can find salvation if they pick up their cross and follow him: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14). Knowing Jesus means knowing salvation. We learn to trust Jesus more and more as we find comfort and courage in the toughest moments of our lives.
Everyone is welcome in Jesus’s flock without exceptions: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). You don’t have to be perfect to join the Good Shepherd’s flock. You don’t have to get your life together, you just have to listen and follow the voice of Jesus.
Jesus came to save lost sheep like you and me. He compared himself to a shepherd who left the 99 well-behaved sheep in order to find the one rebellious sheep who wandered off. Jesus says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” He then adds, “there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:6-7). Jesus invites us to reimagine ourselves as lost sheep worthy of his rescue.
Many Christians struggle to embrace the word “sheep” these days. It has become an insult to call political opponents “sheeple.” The theology of glory suggests that we are far too powerful and self-sufficient to be called sheep. The theology of the cross reminds us that we are vulnerable and needy as lambs. I prefer the image of being a sheep draped around Jesus’s shoulders than someone who assumes they don’t need a savior.
Psalm 23 is a song of trust. The psalmist confesses that God alone can save us from our troubles. We all have enemies we didn’t seek out. We all have evil that we are forced to deal with. We all must walk the dark valley which leads to death. We need a shepherd. We need a savior. We need Jesus Christ to conquer the grave. By grace through faith we belong to the Good Shepherd’s flock.