Psalm 23 is very special
for most Christians. It’s such a true picture of God’s love and a prophetic
picture of Christ being the good shepherd. It’s the first psalm that I read as
a child, long before I became a believer. I’d like to share my thoughts on each
of these verses below
(Psa
23:1) The LORD is my
shepherd; I shall not want.
Until recently
when I read this psalm, I used to get an idyllic picture in my mind – a very
peaceful setting with carefree sheep. But in reality, we have a motley bunch of
sheep here. (See Isa 40:11) Some of them are wounded through the attacks of
animals, some of them are wounded because they strayed and got tangled in a
fence. Some of them are pregnant and weary. Some of them are with kids who are
going in all directions. Some of them have illnesses. Some of them have been so
tired in their life, they need to be carried by the shepherd. Some of them have
been so rebellious that the shepherd has broken their legs and carry them on his
shoulders. It’s not a perfect picture –but the real perfection here comes from
our good shepherd Jesus. Because he is there, we can truly find our rest. And
he is all we need.
(Psa
23:2) He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he
leadeth me beside the still waters.
Christian experience sometimes is
like feeding young kids. My own son needs to be made to lie down or sat
at the table. Many Christians want to get so busy, that the lord
sometimes has to coax them to rest in Him. But the lord does that patiently
with every generation of his believers. He makes us rest in all the spiritual
blessings that are there in Christ like it says in
(Eph 1:3) Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:
This is the
experience of green pastures – to be blessed by spiritual blessings. The still
waters of God – again the theme of rest. Not a period of spiritual inactivity
or laziness, but a period of knowing that God is in the heavens, we are
redeemed and our salvation is assured. And that we shall continuously draw from
the rivers of living water.
(Psa
23:3) He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name's sake.
Whether you are
a person who has just come by faith to Christ or if you are a returning
backslider, he is the one to restore your soul (Jesus – the lover of our soul).
He is the one who can put on us the robes of righteousness – that we may appear
blameless before the father.
(Psa
23:4) 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.
There comes
dark days in the life of every believer. God uses them for his glory – when you
go through that time of testing and darkness, remember that the lord has not
forsaken you. He is with you. His rod is there to protect you from other beast’s
attack. And the staff is there to pull you close to him if you should depart
from his way.
(Psa
23:5) Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Yes. There’s a
table of spiritual blessings before you and the enemy (the evil one) will see
you being blessed in the father’s house. You have indeed been anointed with the
presence of the holy spirit.
(Psa
23:6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
We are being
prepared for eternity – even while we are on this earth, we have to set our
eyes on the things eternal. Amen, we will dwell with the lord forever.
Choose to enter into a true
intimate knowledge of Christ. Get to know him as the good shepherd. And enter
into that pleasant rest where you know your future in eternity.
Praise the lord Jesus Christ
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