Book review: “The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus our shepherd, companion and host” by David Gibson

The LORD of Psalm 23 is a book which began as a three-part sermon series. David Gibson works through the psalm, dividing it into three natural sections, each with its own theme: 'The sheep and the Shepherd', 'The traveller and the Companion', and 'The guest and the Host'. Each of the three parts of the book contains bible teaching and pastoral application - both comfort and challenge. As he teaches his congregation, and readers of this book, he encourages us to engage our hearts as well as our minds; he longs to lead us in worship, rather than stretch us academically. A nice touch is that each part ends with a song setting of the psalm. I recognised the tunes he had in mind as I read the lyrics and found myself humming along. Being encouraged to sing in response to what you've heard is helpful at home, as well as in church! 

The sheep and the Shepherd 

I had chosen to read this book because I was really wrestling with one of the truths found in Psalm 23. What does it mean that the Lord leads us 'in green pastures' and 'beside still waters'? This promise jarred with my recent experience. It had been a difficult season and my heart still felt sore. Where was God in those difficult circumstances and why didn't he seem nearer while I was feeling depressed? It took courage to read a book that answered such raw questions. The book was incredibly helpful. David Gibson explains that a lot of the language in Psalm 23 echoes Exodus language. The Lord who is our Shepherd is the same Lord who led his people out of Egypt, through the wilderness and into the promised land. Perhaps my expectation of green pastures and still waters looked more like the life we are promised in the new creation than the life we are promised as Christians now. Psalm 23 shows us that the Lord accompanies us through the wilderness (dark valleys) and provides relief and refreshment along the way. The green pastures and still waters point to sabbath rest - to the restoring or refreshing of our soul as we depend on him day by day. 

The traveller and the Companion

The idea that the psalm shows different aspects of the Lord's character - Shepherd, Companion and Host - was new to me. Like many, I've known Psalm 23 as a go-to passage at times when I've needed to hear how the Lord is with me in dark valleys, and at times overshadowed by death. David Gibson teaches that the psalm's structure, in the original Hebrew, builds to highlight the middle line: "For you are with me". The central point of the psalm, he writes, is that the Lord is with us. God's presence with us is a profound comfort and one we are shown throughout the Bible's story. Whilst this didn't change my experience of those months, I found it surprisingly comforting to know that this God-breathed psalm was deliberately shaped to help us understand the Lord's care and nearness. The book reminds us that the dark valley is something we travel through and is not our final destination. The Lord protects and defends us from danger in those times with his rod and staff. 

The guest and the Host 

In the third part, David Gibson shows us how generous the Lord is. The host in Eastern culture, he says, is measured by their hospitality. He suggests that some Christians might be more likely to notice the Shepherd's instruments of discipline (his rod and staff) than the Host's extravagant hospitality (the perfume and wine). This psalm shows both together. It shows us God's steadfast love, and how his goodness and mercy pursue us. We are completely protected until he leads us home. 

Whether your main struggle at the moment is related to same-sex attraction or something else, I would recommend this book as an encouraging, sensitive and appropriately challenging read. Psalm 23 is so familiar to many of us, but David Gibson helps us to go deeper. Spending more time in this psalm will help many of us to keep following the Lord, who leads us in paths of righteousness. 

This article was originally published in the Spring 2026 edition of the TFT magazine, Ascend. Click the button below to download your copy.