Here's what Psalm 23 looks like when we remove the Shepherd from our lives:
1 my … I shall be in want.
2 me … me
3 my soul … me
4 I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear … me … me.
5 me in the presence of my enemies … my head … my cup
6 me all the days of my life … I will dwell
Paul Miller concludes:
We are left obsessing over our wants in the valley of the shadow of death, paralyzed by fear in the presence of our enemies. No wonder so many are so cynical … Both the child and the cynic walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The cynic focuses on the darkness; the child focuses on the Shepherd.
