Our Shepherd Is Always Present
by Paul Tautges | March 10, 2026 1:01 pm
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)
In times of fear and danger—when we feel alone—we receive deep comfort from having someone walk withus. Simply knowing that another person is present can steady our trembling hearts. This was true for King David, too.
When David wrote Psalm 23, he was not relaxing in his palace, reflecting calmly on some abstract point of theology. He was facing real danger. Enemies surrounded him. His life was under threat. His “valley of the shadow” was charcoal dark. Yet amid fear, David anchored himself to one unshakable truth: the Lord was with him. He prayed, “for you are with me” (v. 4).
Like David, we must remind ourselves of God’s presence and acknowledge it in prayer. Doing so guards our hearts against both real and imagined dangers and loneliness. God’s nearness becomes a shield for our anxious souls.
As we saw earlier, Yahweh exists by himself. He simply is. That small word—is—carries enormous weight. It prompts us to remember the identity of David’s Shepherd. God is not dependent on anything outside himself. He is eternal, self-existent, and unchanging. He simply is!
When God revealed his name to Moses, he was making a practical promise. In effect, he was saying, “I am who I have always been—but now I will be this for you, and I will be with you.” In the face of Israel’s threats and fears, God pledged his active, personal presence.
David applies this same truth to his own life. The Shepherd of Psalm 23 is not distant or passive. David Gibson captures well this active care when he observes how God “makes, leads, restores, prepares, anoints, and remains with his people.” [1][1] The psalm introduces us to a living, working Shepherd who walks with his sheep through every season of life.
As the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Yahweh is faithful. He is the covenant-making, covenant-keeping, covenant-never-breaking God. This is who he is—and this is who he is for you. You can trust him because he is Yahweh, the self-existent One.
Scripture consistently affirms this truth. Moses prayed, “From everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:2). God had no beginning and will have no end. Isaiah declares, “The Lord is the everlasting God… he does not faint or grow weary” (Isaiah 40:28). Unlike us, God never grows tired, weak, or depleted. His life is inherent. He does not borrow strength from another. We depend on him; he depends on no one.
God simply is.
Because God exists independently of us, your circumstances cannot change who he is. Your failures cannot diminish him. Your enemies cannot weaken him. Your suffering cannot exhaust him. Nothing you experience can alter God’s power, faithfulness, or willingness to help you. He remains the same.
God is not only self-existent; he is also ever-present. David asks, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). His answer is simple: Nowhere! There is no height, depth, distance, or darkness that can separate us from God’s presence.
You may not always feel close to God. Seasons of dryness, grief, or confusion may cloud your awareness of him. God’s presence is constant, whether or not you perceive it.
Feelings do not determine reality.
In Jesus Christ, the reality of God’s presence reaches its fullest expression. As Yahweh in human flesh, Jesus is the self-existent and ever-present Shepherd. Just as God pledged his presence to Israel, Jesus pledges his presence to his people forever.
He assured his disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans” (John 14:18). Through the Holy Spirit, Christ dwells personally and permanently with his people. Though Jesus now reigns at the Father’s right hand, he has not withdrawn from his sheep. He remains near—guiding, guarding, comforting, and sustaining.
Therefore, David can say with confidence, “The Lord is my shepherd.” It is present-tense care. My Shepherd is.
He is self-existent.
He is always present.
And therefore, he is utterly trustworthy.
As your Good Shepherd, Jesus knows you. He watches over you, walks with you, and remains with you—always and forever.
[1][2] David Gibson, The Lord of Psalm 23 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2023), 5.
Previous posts in this Psalm 23 series.
- Why Is Psalm 23 So Loved?[3]
- Our Divine Shepherd[4]
LISTEN TO THE SERMON SERIES.[5]
Related
Endnotes:- [1]: #_ftn1
- [1]: #_ftnref1
- Why Is Psalm 23 So Loved?: https://counselingoneanother.com/2026/02/26/why-is-psalm-23-so-loved/
- Our Divine Shepherd: https://counselingoneanother.com/2026/03/04/our-divine-shepherd/
- SERMON SERIES.: https://www.sermonaudio.com/series/215035
Source URL: https://counselingoneanother.com/2026/03/10/our-shepherd-is-always-present/
Our Shepherd Is Always Present
by Paul Tautges | March 10, 2026 1:01 pm
In times of fear and danger—when we feel alone—we receive deep comfort from having someone walk withus. Simply knowing that another person is present can steady our trembling hearts. This was true for King David, too.
When David wrote Psalm 23, he was not relaxing in his palace, reflecting calmly on some abstract point of theology. He was facing real danger. Enemies surrounded him. His life was under threat. His “valley of the shadow” was charcoal dark. Yet amid fear, David anchored himself to one unshakable truth: the Lord was with him. He prayed, “for you are with me” (v. 4).
Like David, we must remind ourselves of God’s presence and acknowledge it in prayer. Doing so guards our hearts against both real and imagined dangers and loneliness. God’s nearness becomes a shield for our anxious souls.
As we saw earlier, Yahweh exists by himself. He simply is. That small word—is—carries enormous weight. It prompts us to remember the identity of David’s Shepherd. God is not dependent on anything outside himself. He is eternal, self-existent, and unchanging. He simply is!
When God revealed his name to Moses, he was making a practical promise. In effect, he was saying, “I am who I have always been—but now I will be this for you, and I will be with you.” In the face of Israel’s threats and fears, God pledged his active, personal presence.
David applies this same truth to his own life. The Shepherd of Psalm 23 is not distant or passive. David Gibson captures well this active care when he observes how God “makes, leads, restores, prepares, anoints, and remains with his people.” [1][1] The psalm introduces us to a living, working Shepherd who walks with his sheep through every season of life.
As the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Yahweh is faithful. He is the covenant-making, covenant-keeping, covenant-never-breaking God. This is who he is—and this is who he is for you. You can trust him because he is Yahweh, the self-existent One.
Scripture consistently affirms this truth. Moses prayed, “From everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:2). God had no beginning and will have no end. Isaiah declares, “The Lord is the everlasting God… he does not faint or grow weary” (Isaiah 40:28). Unlike us, God never grows tired, weak, or depleted. His life is inherent. He does not borrow strength from another. We depend on him; he depends on no one.
God simply is.
Because God exists independently of us, your circumstances cannot change who he is. Your failures cannot diminish him. Your enemies cannot weaken him. Your suffering cannot exhaust him. Nothing you experience can alter God’s power, faithfulness, or willingness to help you. He remains the same.
God is not only self-existent; he is also ever-present. David asks, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). His answer is simple: Nowhere! There is no height, depth, distance, or darkness that can separate us from God’s presence.
You may not always feel close to God. Seasons of dryness, grief, or confusion may cloud your awareness of him. God’s presence is constant, whether or not you perceive it.
Feelings do not determine reality.
In Jesus Christ, the reality of God’s presence reaches its fullest expression. As Yahweh in human flesh, Jesus is the self-existent and ever-present Shepherd. Just as God pledged his presence to Israel, Jesus pledges his presence to his people forever.
He assured his disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans” (John 14:18). Through the Holy Spirit, Christ dwells personally and permanently with his people. Though Jesus now reigns at the Father’s right hand, he has not withdrawn from his sheep. He remains near—guiding, guarding, comforting, and sustaining.
Therefore, David can say with confidence, “The Lord is my shepherd.” It is present-tense care. My Shepherd is.
He is self-existent.
He is always present.
And therefore, he is utterly trustworthy.
As your Good Shepherd, Jesus knows you. He watches over you, walks with you, and remains with you—always and forever.
[1][2] David Gibson, The Lord of Psalm 23 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2023), 5.
Previous posts in this Psalm 23 series.
LISTEN TO THE SERMON SERIES.[5]
Related
Source URL: https://counselingoneanother.com/2026/03/10/our-shepherd-is-always-present/