Sheep are really unintelligent. I’m sure that is a shock to your system. They are dependent creatures. They need to be directed where to eat and where to lie down. They even need to be picked up when they fall. They literally can’t pick themselves back up if they fall on their side. So, imagine how insulting it would be if someone called you a sheep.

Enter Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd,
I will not be in need.
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For the sake of His name.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,
And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23 makes no qualms about making such a claim. In fact, it assumes your “sheepness” is a positive thing. How could being a helpless, dependent, lowly sheep be a positive thing? In a culture of self-promotion and cute laptop stickers that remind the world that I am actually really cool, this Psalm slaps the label sheep on me. In no world will you find a laptop sticker saying “Help, I’m not that awesome.”

So why is this Psalm so encouraging?

Because it’s not about you. It’s about the greatness of the Shepherd. For those of us with OCD, we are keenly aware of our weaknesses and flaws. We lack confidence, lack motivation, and we are often depressed. We need a Champion who will pick us up when we are spiraling out of control.

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The author, David, compares himself to a sheep. He knew firsthand the role of a shepherd because he himself was one. But here, he calls himself a sheep. How could that be?

David had a deep understanding of his littleness compared to God’s greatness. Not only that, he knew that God loved him. Imagine a God that was really great and powerful, but didn’t love you (Those of us with OCD might actually believe that). That would be rather terrifying. You would never know His motive toward you or if He even thought about you at all! Okay, now imagine a God who is really loving, but not that powerful. He’d be like your best friend at school who really liked you, but when the bullies came, his fondness of you didn’t translate to protection. That wouldn’t be ideal either!

It is at the intersection of God’s power and God’s love that David is able to say with confidence, “I will not be in need.” Put positively, I have everything I need.

OCDers strive to find a sense of security in their compulsions that says everything is going to be okay. “Once I figure out this obsession, everything will be smooth sailing.” The problem is that they are fighting for a security that can only be given, it cannot be earned. David finds his security in the fact that he is loved and protected by the Shepherd. It is not in the absence of fear, but in the presence of the Shepherd.

David makes a choice to acknowledge his fear without being controlled by it. When he says, “I fear no evil” he is not saying he won’t feel fear. People can’t control their emotions. What he is saying that he will not let that fear direct his life. In other words, he will make a choice in the face of fear. Instead of reacting to his thoughts, he is responding to them. There is a big difference.

To react to a thought is to do a compulsion. To respond to a thought is to use the tools necessary to defeat OCD.

David doubles down on this stance as the metaphor switches in verse 5. He goes from being a sheep to a guest in the house of the Host. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” The meaning of this verse might get lost on us today, but to prepare a table for someone in this day meant that you were committing to protecting them and providing for their needs. Notice that David says the table is prepared in the presence of the my enemies. OCDers know the enemy is our disorder, the obsessions that come into our lives. David is confident in the provision and the protection of God while his enemies are present. We OCDers can be confident in God’s provision and protection WHILE our OCD thoughts are screaming at us.

It’s as if David is saying, “It doesn’t matter if my enemies are present or not, God is protecting me and providing for me. I’m putting my focus on Him.” We must do the same with our OCD thoughts. I don’t need to check to see if they are there (they probably are), God is going to provide for me regardless. This is ancient Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Choose to personify the enemy as OCD. Then choose to redirect your attention away from “figuring out your obsessions” and toward trusting God’s power and love for you. Then you will be able to say with David “I will not be in need.”