Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is a wonderful Psalm, rich in the glorious truths of God:

         A Psalm of David.

               1      The LORD is my shepherd,
         I shall not want.
               2      He makes 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 His name’s sake.
               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      Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
         And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.¹

Think about each phrase in this Psalm, and thank God! It is familiar, concise, and thus easy to meditate on. In a myriad of circumstances, the Holy Spirit wondrously brings beautiful facets of truth to my mind from this Psalm.

When struggling with distrust in the LORD, discontentment, insufficiency and fear or anger, vengeance, hopelessness and worry, Jesus reminds me of Psalm 23. He is our Sovereign, Good Shepherd, Who gives His life for His sheep (Jn. 10). He always cares for us, and not one particle of life slips out of His loving hand (cf. Rom. 8:28-39). We must remember Who the LORD our Shepherd is. He is the LORD! These truths apply with regards to the world around us too.

Sometimes we fret over other people and their struggles, like the unsaved, family members, the church, governing authorities etc. May these concerns be brought before our Lord in prayer. May we trust Him to care for those who are His sheep, knowing that He will bring all those whom He will into His fold.

For His glory, praise the LORD. Amen!

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1 New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ps 23:title–6). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.