The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
For His Name’s Sake
This is a quick little phrase that tends to get overlooked in the wonderful comforts of Psalm 23. It comes and goes quickly but it is an important 4 word phrase that is so BIG in this psalm.
It’s not a complex idea, but think about this:
God calls us to do what we do, he leads us in paths of righteousness for HIS sake, not for ours. Even though this psalm can lean into the “this is what God does and can do for us” territory, it’s important to remember that when we, as worship leaders, do what God has given us the talent and skill to do, we’re doing it primarily FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.
So what does this phrase “name’s sake” even mean?
Quite simply, it is reflective of the character of God. So when we see this phrase in Psalm 23, we can pull its meaning from the context. In most Biblical situations where we see the phrase “for the sake of my name” or “for my name’s sake” or “for His name’s sake” like we see in Psalm 23, it is a direct reflection of the character of God, specifically as it relates to the context of the passage.
In Psalm 23, we see that David is talking about righteousness. So in Psalm 23, David is actually saying “BECAUSE OF the Righteousness of God, He leads me in paths of righteousness.”
God is righteous! It’s not just that God wants to protect His image or make himself look good, it’s the very nature of His Righteous character that causes Him to lead us in paths of righteousness. It’s because of WHO HE IS. That’s what for His name’s sake means. David is saying that God confirms his righteousness by sharing it with us. When he shares His goodness, His righteousness with us, He is literally living up to WHO HE IS.
We can also look at this and see that instead of focusing on the comforts, it’s wise to focus on the GIVER of comforts (for HIS name’s sake).
***
Russ Hutto is the Associate Director of Worship & Media at St. Simons Community Church where he mentors, oversees and helps lead Family and Student worship environments. He is also the content curator and editor here at The Worship Community.
