"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23
Psalm 23 – it’s a passage so many of us know by heart. I myself have been guilty of skimming over it when I come across it in my Bible reading simply because I “know” it already; the other day when I came to this well-known Psalm during my nightly devotions was no different. I recited it in my head and went to move on to the next Psalm, but this time, something made me stop. For the first time I realized that yes, I know the words of this Psalm, but did I really KNOW the true meaning of this passage? I decided to study it more and was amazed at all that is hidden behind these six verses.
Verse one is such a simple verse – “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” But, is it really true in our lives? Our human instinct is to want everything. Yet, this one simple statement keeps David, the author of this Psalm, from having a selfish heart. The fact that God was his shepherd was good enough to make him not want anything else. In fact, to David, that was all he needed. This then made me think… Is that true for me? Does God fully satisfy me? Is He all I need to live every day of my life now and in the future?
Since God is our shepherd, we are His sheep. Obvious statement, I know. But seriously, when you think about it, sheep are completely dependent on their shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. If God is our “Good Shepherd,” (“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:11) then we, being the sheep, should be obedient followers, wise enough to follow the One who is leading us in the right places and right ways. If we look to Him for provision, guidance, and protection as a real sheep looks to its shepherd, then God is supplying all of our needs. Thus, He is all we need so we have no reason to want anything else. Just as David says, letting our Good Shepherd guide us brings contentment – when God is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
Verse two goes on to say where one of the places God leads us is – through green pastures and beside still waters. God is the one who knows where the “green pastures and still waters” are that will restore us when He knows we need it the most. If we follow Him, He will lead us there. We can never find these places on our own because only with God comes true peace and rest. Knowing this helps us trust Him more because it reminds us that He knows what we can handle and knows when we need to be restored. "...But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
The next verse also talks about God restoring us – “He restoreth my soul and leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” By making us rest in green pastures and beside still waters (vs.2), it restores and refreshes our soul, allowing us to refocus on God and not our trial or the craziness of life. He leads us on the paths He does for a reason. We may feel like we will never see that reason, but in this verse, He gives us one reason we can be sure of… "for His name’s sake" – for His glory. That alone should be enough to satisfy us. If for no other reason, He is leading us through every trial, storm and down every path for His glory.
The next verse also talks about God restoring us – “He restoreth my soul and leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” By making us rest in green pastures and beside still waters (vs.2), it restores and refreshes our soul, allowing us to refocus on God and not our trial or the craziness of life. He leads us on the paths He does for a reason. We may feel like we will never see that reason, but in this verse, He gives us one reason we can be sure of… "for His name’s sake" – for His glory. That alone should be enough to satisfy us. If for no other reason, He is leading us through every trial, storm and down every path for His glory.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me: Thy rod and staff they comfort me.” After David mentions that God is the one leading him, this next verse reminded me that just because God is leading us, it doesn't mean it will be sunshine and rainbows all the time. David was walking through the valley of the shadow of death! He was running for his life. Yet, God was still with him and comforted him. Only one person can walk with us through life's dark valley and bring us safely to the other side – our God, our Good Shepherd.
The next verse says, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” During the time period that David wrote this Psalm, the host (the person who "prepared the table") of a feast was expected to protect their guests at all costs. God offers the protection of a host even when enemies surround us - He will protect us at all costs.
This verse also reminds me that God doesn't just fill our cup with blessings, but our cup “runneth over.” So often do I get focused on what God is not allowing me to have at the moment when instead I should remember the things He has blessed me with. Elisabeth Elliot once said, “We accept and thank God for what is given, not allowing the not-given to spoil it.” God has blessed each of His children with more than they could ever ask for. We cannot be so focused on what we don’t have that we spoil the praise we should be giving God for what He has given us. This ties back to verse 1, God supplies everything we need so we have no reason to want more.
This verse also reminds me that God doesn't just fill our cup with blessings, but our cup “runneth over.” So often do I get focused on what God is not allowing me to have at the moment when instead I should remember the things He has blessed me with. Elisabeth Elliot once said, “We accept and thank God for what is given, not allowing the not-given to spoil it.” God has blessed each of His children with more than they could ever ask for. We cannot be so focused on what we don’t have that we spoil the praise we should be giving God for what He has given us. This ties back to verse 1, God supplies everything we need so we have no reason to want more.
Finally, the last verse sums it all up… “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Knowing that God is always with us and guiding us while we are on this earth brings comfort. But also knowing that we as believers will someday dwell with God forever in heaven gives us motivation to keep pressing on. He, being our perfect Shepherd and host, promises to guide and protect us throughout our life and to bring us into heaven someday forever. This verse says that “goodness and mercy” will follow us all the days of our lives. Who is it that comes to your mind when you think of goodness and mercy? God! God will follow us all the days of our lives. No matter how difficult the road we are facing becomes, He will always be with us until someday we are with Him.
Whatever happens in life, if we trust God and follow Him, He will guide us. The road may not be easy, but through it He offers protection, comfort, and all of Himself to help us along the way. He will supply our need, He will restore and refresh us when we need it, He leads us where He does for His glory, He will never forsake us, He will protect us, He will continually bless us, and He will always be with us. The Lord is my Shepherd. Is He yours?
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