"The Lord is my shepherd" is a familiar phrase to millions. Most of us hear it at funerals, intoned to provide individual comfort in the face of death. But can it be more? Can these five words and the Psalm that follow offer guidance in everyday life and economic crisis? Tim Neufeld, biblical and religious studies professor at Fresno Pacific University, thinks so, and outlines his ideas in this Scholars Speak.

The most famous ancient Hebrew poem is Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd…” and the main context for its reading is funerals. But like the most popular prayer (“Our Father who art in heaven”) and the most popular verse (“For God so loved the world”) this psalm is often recited without much reflection. Though it may be customary to use Psalm 23 at a memorial service, it is even more appropriate as an expression of hope and life in the troubled here-and-now.

The first thing to notice is that King David personalizes his relationship with God. Knowing the Creator cared for the whole of his people as a merciful, nurturing and protecting shepherd, the psalmist might have said, “The Lord is our shepherd.” Instead he claims “The Lord is my shepherd.” No other deity of that era would have been understood in such a personal way. The great God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not a disinterested demagogue, but cares for each lamb in his flock.

Next, David acknowledges God’s nurturing characteristics—he leads, he restores and he guides. This is a reassuring message for 21st century America. We long for green pastures and still waters in the midst of global and national upheaval. Our souls need restoration from self-indulgent greed and individualism. Drowning in our deepest fears, we search for a guide to lead us out of darkness.

Psalm 23 is used at funerals because of the familiar phrase “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” The implication is that someone dies and then enters heaven to “dwell in the house of the Lord.” This dualistic interpretation is not what David intended. Another translation of this phrase is “when I walk through the darkest valley.” This rendering gives much more significance to our experiences in the here-and-now.

We will walk through dark valleys while we live in these mortal bodies. Suffering, whether physical, emotional or mental, is a reality. We can all testify to times of anxiety and uncertainty. Examples abound: anorexia plagues a young woman, a senior loses his retirement, an employee is suddenly terminated, a wife struggles as a single mom, a husband can’t provide for his family. Like these people, all of us have experienced life as something beyond our control.

Depression is common in these turbulent times. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that almost 10 percent of the adult population in America suffers from clinical depression. In this dark valley everything is a struggle: sleeping, eating, getting up in the morning, going to work, parenting children. When asked “How are you doing?” a person walking through this valley will either lie or ignore the inquiry. Honesty is not an option. Fatigue, anger and hopelessness hover like a fog in the darkness. The words of Eomer to Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ring true: “Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands.”

But Psalm 23 does not leave us in the valley. There is a transition, a turning point right in the middle of the poem. David says, “You are with me. Your rod and staff comfort me.” The entire psalm hinges on this idea. God is with us and in his sovereign power he protects and watches over us—he provides a way forward. “You are with me” is an anchoring thought in uncertain times. When economies no longer work the way they are supposed to, job markets crash, governments are in upheaval and all that is stable and predictable fails, Yahweh, the great “I am,” is with us.

God is not only present, continues David, he prepares a feast and throws a party in the midst of adversity. What an irony! While feasts usually happen with friends at great celebrations, God hosts us in the most difficult times with a table full of goodness and mercy. In response David declares that he will “dwell in the house of the Lord,” not just in the afterlife, but “my whole life long,” including this present life, with all of its unexpected trials.

Psalm 23 offers hope for today as we labor through dark valleys and swim in a sea of uncertainty. Let’s take time with this ancient poem to reflect thoughtfully on the hope that David found in the midst of difficulty. Psalm 23 is not a psalm for the dead and the afterlife, it is a beautiful poem of inspiration and life for the here-and-now.