The enemy cannot stop the blessings of God in your life because God has chosen to bless you abundantly right before their watching eyes. 2. green pastures--or, "pastures of tender grass," are mentioned, not in respect to food, but as places of cool and refreshing rest. David portrays God as a loving shepherd, a role the psalmist would have been deeply familiar with, as much of his boyhood was spent caring for his fathers sheep. The ideas in Psalm 23 about God being our Shepherd are still meant to resonate in our hearts. Heres whybecause the Bible is a living document. 23rd Psalm - The Lord is my shepherd (KJV) Psalm 23:1-6 1. God is right by your side walking you through life. The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship! Psalm 23 is one of the most recognizable chapters in the entire Bible. Psalm 23 begins with the sentence above. During the valleys of life, you must remember the last two lines of this verse, that God is with you and will comfort you as you walk. Rest in the green pastures and refreshment by the still waters are to fit us for work. "For Thou art with me" -- That's the constant faithfulness of The Shepherd! Psalm 23 - The LORD Is My Shepherd and My Host Like many others, this beloved psalm bears the simple title A Psalm of David . I got this from an email. You don't know who has you. No, was the prompt reply, I don't know, but you do. She didn't have to know, if father knew that it was all right. The opening of Psalm 23 beautifully shows what we can gain from surrendering and allowing God to lead our lives. 4. A father was once holding his little blind daughter on his knee, when a friend who had called took her in his arms. Green pastures also relate to the Word of God. David rested in the comfort that with God as his shepherd, he would walk through victoriously through the valley of the shadow of death. Im passing them along in the hopes they will challenge you, too. thy rod and thy staff--are symbols of a shepherd's office. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = Thats Security! If you have not already been saved by Jesus Christ, that may help you feel better. A forward mail. Verse 3. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. It feeds upon the Word of God, and the thirsty soul drinks deep from the cool, still waters. Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = Thats Discipline! We can be sure that Gods goodness and mercy will pursue us every single day when we allow Him to shepherd us. Sheep have a natural tendency to wander off and get lost. Ive been tremendously blessed by this explanation. How to Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart, How to Grow Spiritually When You Dont Feel Close to God, Trusting God 5 Ways You Try But Fail (+ how to fix it), Another interpretation of Psalm 23 can be found here, , For creating deeper intimacy with Jesus, read my guide on. When we do, look at what there is to gain! 3He restores my soul; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake. Click on the above link to go to the page where you can enter your email address and subscribe for free to new articles being posted on this website. John 10:11 ESV - I am the good shepherd. The Good Shepherd leads His sheep in paths of righteousness to the very gates of the beautiful city itself, and on through the gates into the eternal fold, for it is written in Revelation 22:14, Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. References With Gods love and goodness overtaking us, we can dwell in His presence every day until we finally spend eternity with Him. Psalms 23:1-6. Now if the Lord is our Shepherd, that makes us the sheep. The Lords covenant with us will last for all eternity. 1 Peter 5:4 ESV - And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. God is our Shepherd and like a Good Shepherd, He will provide for His own for every need we will ever have (Philippians 4:19). Verse 7b says, He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. God the Father sent His Son Jesus to become the final blood sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. 1 Peter 4:10 ESV - As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV - Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. Without a shepherd to protect and guide them, sheep are easy targets for predators. When was Psalm 23 Written? 13). When we go through difficult times, we dont need to be afraid because we know that our Shepherd is with us in the midst of it. If you pray for help, that could be like an "intervention": be ready for possible interference in your plans that either are or are not in His will. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. On the contrary, His death for the sheep makes it forever sure. God's goodness means that they have nothing to fear: whatever happens to them, God will be with them. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. ", wants. Fairchild, Mary. Convicting, huh? Very well explained. There is no greater Love than this by my Shepherd giving his life for me. Read my full disclosure. But the day is coming when the Good Shepherd will call us to the great supper in His kingdom. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Thou anointest my head with oil Or ointment, as the Syriac and Arabic interpreters render it, namely, with aromatic ointments, which were then used in great feasts. Sometimes we think we know better than the Shepherd; were sure that we can take care of ourselves, but we really cant. (see John 10:11). 2He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. God bless you and grsnt you more insight into His word in Jesus name, amen. % of people told us that this article helped them. Herestores my soul. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. He was clearly referring to the fact that He was giving His life to save us, His sheep. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. David ends this rich Psalm with a picture of Gods grace, presence, and favor following him all the days of his life. Psalms 24. the still waters--are, literally, "waters of "stillness," whose quiet flow invites to repose. What Does it Mean That Jesus Was Gods Begotten Son? Back in the Bible times it was a great honor to get your head anointed with oil and so it's saying that even though we sin and can be really awful people, God still loves us and is ready to treat us like royalty. We dont have to worry about what others say or think about us because we know that God has our backs and that serving Him is never for nothing. Sometimes, you may even be led by culture, traditions, and the worlds way of doing things. God was like a shepherd to David, and David was like a sheep to God. She is wife to an amazing man and mom to two children. "Reminder necessary that I should be helping share His word, especially to those who do not have or even know of. We may not know the why of many of our experiences, but we know that our Shepherd knows, and that is sufficient. Put one foot in front of another while asking the Lord to provide a way out. The Psalmist puts rest and refreshment first because this is the way God deals with us so often. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. Research source They challenged me. Testing! . I guess God led me here. oil--anointing oil, the symbol of gladness. God is always in control of what is happening, but we also have free will. The opening of Psalm 23 beautifully shows what we can gain from surrendering and allowing God to lead our lives. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (Psalm 23:5-6). Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. i. We are not saved by our works, but we work because we are saved. they comfort me (v. 4). Recently, I was reading through Psalms and scanned over chapter 23. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord tor ever. Titus 1:7 ESV - For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. The Lord is my Shepherd = Thats Relationship! Each verse contains a promise of blessing that David had experienced and that we can share in, too . Hence, he could clearly talk about his relationship and experience with God using the metaphor of a shepherd and his sheep. Her passion is to inspire, encourage, support, and build up faith in the heart of moms in their motherhood journey. Last Updated: August 29, 2022 With this assurance comes faith to declare boldly your identity in God. We see this come to play as he stood before Goliath. What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? He begins Psalm 23 with this sentence, The Lord is my Shepherd. Only a shepherd could write Psalm 23, and David was a shepherd. We may not always be able to see or understand, but we know that all things work together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28). Sometimes in the valleys of life, we take on a woe is me attitude and completely ignore all of the blessings that God has given us. It's as Isaiah has said: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" ( Isaiah 53:6 ). Jesus is called the good shepherd, and he said my sheep know my voice and a strangers voice they will not follow. The picture of the divine Shepherd leading His flock fills the first four verses of Psalm 23. . The LORD is my shepherd: David thought about God, the God of Israel; as he thought about his relationship with God, he made the analogy of a shepherd and his sheep. He makes me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest! We Are Carriers of God's Presence & Glory!! Psalm 23 is not just talking about David and his relationship with God, it speaks deeply about our personal relationship with God. As I read this again, I realized that if God is our Shepherd, that means means we give Him control of our life. Sheep need guidance to safe pastures, and we too need a Shepherd to guide us to safety and lead us to provision. This means that no matter how things may look, I will rest in this truth I will lack nothing and all my needs will be met because God will provide what I need when I need it. Psalm 23 (New Living Translation)A Psalm of David.The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.He lets me rest in green meadows;He leads me beside peaceful streams.He renews my strength.He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.Even when I walk through the darkest valley,I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.You honor me by anointing my head with oil. It can also mean bringing back to repentance or rescuing from a lost state. He was the teenage boy who was called on from tending sheep and anointed king before his family. I shall not want = That's Supply! Sometimes we stray from the Lord, too. Whatever it brings, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27). They carried a rod and staff to protect and correct their sheep; they beat off any beast trying to attack, and they prodded sheep who were going the wrong way to steer them back to safety. But here's what we need to understand: we can't see God as Shepherd if we don't see ourselves as sheep. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Does the Pandemic Still Affect Church Attendance? Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = Thats Blessing ! Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/psalm-23-the-lord-is-my-shepherd-700375. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want . 5, 6. The prophet Samuel anointed him king, but it would be another decade or more before David was recognized by Israel. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. The Lord is my Shepherd = Thats Relationship! The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Now understandsheep are not the smartest animals, so they need someone to take care of them, protect them, and even correct them. (English Standard Version)A Psalm of David.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.Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, for you are with me;Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. They gather around the Lord's table here in this world and in the one to come. His rod and His staff comfort us; His law and His gospel contribute to our correction and support. Dont choose to camp out and wallow in your misery. 1. 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