Do we then make void the law through faith? asks the Apostle to the Gentiles; and then he answers his own question: God forbid: yea, we establish the law (Romans 3:31). The Lord is my Shepherd A Powerful Declaration of Faith, The Lord is my Shepherd An Assurance of My God-Given Identity, The Lord is my Shepherd Provider, Sustainer, and Guide, The Lord is my Shepherd Shield and Protector. Equipping Christian Women to Abide in God's Word. The writer uses words like green pastures, still waters and I shall not want. 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, I have everything I need now, and everything I need in the future will be provided. cup (which represents abundance)--are prepared for the child of God, who may feast in spite of his enemies, confident that this favor will ever attend him. Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. As the ancient shepherd led his sheep, his two shepherd dogs guarded the rear to keep straying sheep in the path of the shepherd and draw attention to the wounded and lost. Rest in the green pastures and refreshment by the still waters are to fit us for work. The inspiring text is often quoted at funeral services and memorial events. He makes me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest! We often hear it recited at church or during times of mourning, yet it's more than just a beautiful, poetic stanza. He restores my soul. And all enemies will be gone forever. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. 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. Why read it again? Verse 4. At every turn, it reveals the close relationship David shares with his God. Thank you! Gods goodness and mercy are never-ending. Before David became king of Israel, he was a shepherd. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = He leads me in the paths of righteousness = Thats Guidance! The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. David said God prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies. The meaning of Psalm 23 starts with a beautiful picture of joy, peace, rest, and abundance. 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. This speaks of increase and being a blessing because you have more than enough. Restoration speaks of refreshing and renewal. Are you that open to that kind of new life (following the Shepherd)? It is about knowing and embracing the shepherd whom David spoke about. "He restoreth my soul" -- That's provision for revitalization and healing! We want to keep sowing into you!Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Then we shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever., God Help Me: Find help in every time of need. Let us now explore Psalm 23 line by line and phrase by phrase: The Lord is my shepherd. In this psalm, we see a beautiful portrait of God as our good and faithful Shepherd Who leads us by still waters and guides us into the way of peace. David calls God a shepherd and declares that because God is his shepherd, hence he shall not lack any good thing. I will make a pathway through the wilderness. Jesus was the Shepherd who became a sheep. We can be sure that Gods goodness and mercy will pursue us every single day when we allow Him to shepherd us. Beautiful Testimony. I shall not want because God, as a good shepherd, will ensure I have everything I need. Thats Hope! Moses and the Burning Bush Bible Story Study Guide, The Ultimate List of Christmas Bible Verses to Celebrate Jesus' Birth, General Biblical Studies, Interdenominational Christian Training Center. His omnipresence encircles us (verses 7-12). David did not call God a deliverer or a king, he was specific with the word Shepherd. "Do not say it is yet four months and then comes the Harvest, for it [the harvest of souls] is now ripe" (John 4:35). Seriously. He took care of and protected flocks of sheep, and he wrote this psalm describing God as a shepherd and Gods people as His flock. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Hospitality included the responsibility of protection. It can also mean bringing back to repentance or rescuing from a lost state. David knew this because he had come to see God as a personal shepherd to him. It feeds upon the Word of God, and the thirsty soul drinks deep from the cool, still waters. A shepherd describes a more close and devoted relationship. Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = Thats Discipline! "He leadeth me beside the still waters" -- That's cool, peaceful refreshment! Psalms 23:1-6. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Another ancient custom of a host was to anoint the heads of guests with oil as they prepared to eat. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his names sake (vv. In Deuteronomy 8 Moses told the Israelites that God "let them be hungry" to test them and to teach them (vv. one of your favorite Psalms? But if we live in the lie that we can do this on our own, we wander and drift away from our true source, looking for satisfaction in artificial places. But God heals the troubled soul when He forgives our sins. We can rest assured in the hands of the Ruler of the Universe. As you walk through life, will you trust God to lead and guide you into the fullness of his purpose for your life? The woman in the gospel story poured the box of precious ointment upon the head of our Lord, (Matthew 26:6-7) a custom which the host who had invited Him had shamefully neglected. Psalm 23 explained beautifully gives a picture of an intimate relationship with a heavenly father who knows and cares about you. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. In the gospel plan, works do not precede but follow rest. Praise the Lord I want to thank God for his love .He is a good sherpard to all of us who are sinners. John 10:14 ESV - I am the good shepherd. Some of the keywords used in this Psalm include. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = . And knowing him can only come when you spend time with him in prayer, worship, and through his word. She currently lives in Lagos, Nigeria with her family. I was. The closing verse shows that the blessings mentioned are spiritual. Our soul is comprised of our mind, will, and emotions. This proclaims the metaphor of the psalm, that god is like our shepherd. When we dont, its the same as choosing to be led by our selfish desires. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = Thats Hope! Shepherds often risked their own lives to rescue their sheep. Verse 3. Then you can repeat the 23rd Psalm and know that it is yoursit was written for you. So, even when we walk through the valleys of life and death is staring us in the face, we are not afraid knowing that God is with us and will shield and protect us from danger and evil. She loves learning from peoples stories/experiences and getting lost in the words of a good book. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Sometimes we wander off and get into trouble, but we can trust that God cares for us and will protect and guide us if well allow Him to. God is not a blind guide; he always leads you on the path of purpose and prosperity. The Psalmist puts rest and refreshment first because this is the way God deals with us so often. paths of righteousness--those of safety, as directed by God, and pleasing to Him. Theres no way around this: God actually honors and blesses us right in front of our enemies! The prophet Samuel anointed him king, but it would be another decade or more before David was recognized by Israel. In 2 Timothy 4:16-17, he says: At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me!Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me.. Under a metaphor borrowed from scenes of pastoral life, with which David was familiar, he describes God's providential care in providing refreshment, guidance, protection, and abundance, and so affording grounds of confidence in His perpetual favor. Mary is a minister's wife, mom of two boys, and former missionary to Scotland. After all, If God is for us, who can ever be against us? (Romans 8:31). We can rest and relax knowing that God is taking care of us. He restores my soul. So true..what a beautiful promise that Jesus gave us..He is our Shepherd, we dont have to fear anything for He is with us.Even though we go through the valley of death. Our faith in God must not be only when the times are good. "This article gave me a boost to wait on the shepherd, because he is the one who takes care of all my need and, "Because we read it in old King James version decades ago ,it was a bit difficult to grasp, but with modern English, "I was searching for something and it was not an accident to click wikiHow. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Thank God- they comfort me (v. 4). Are you a child of God? When we see it in our Bibles, it can be tempting to think,Oh, I know what this says already. The shepherd knows each sheep by name and the sheep knows his shepherds voice. Thats the ultimate blessing! 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. This speaks of blessings and abundance that are visible for all to see. God knows how to give his children the rest they need to calm their fears and anxiety. 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. Amen. His gift to us is eternal life, and we will be with him forever. For the more we know him, the more we become confident of his love, grace, and blessings. Hence, he could clearly talk about his relationship and experience with God using the metaphor of a shepherd and his sheep. Now if the Lord is our Shepherd, that makes us the sheep. As I dwelt on how God has been so good to us, my mind went to Psalm 23 and thats how I landed on your page. ", looking for how to help someone else with this prayer, and instead I got help. I shall not want = That's Supply! David expresses confidence and trust in the Lord by portraying God as a good "Shepherd" who both guides and blesses them. Also, Psalm 23 reveals the various parts of God to us his children. Praise You Jesus Amen. The 22nd Psalm in the Vulgate and some Catholic bibles There is much more you can draw from this beautiful Psalm. Verse 6. Learn more Is the 23rd Psalm[1] 1. Convicting, huh? And they are three: rest, work, and sorrow. He restored my soul = That's Healing! It is a Psalm that speaks about seasons in our lifes journey and what matters in those seasons. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5). For the more we know him, the more we become confident of his love, grace, and blessings. The opening of Psalm 23 beautifully shows what we can gain from surrendering and allowing God to lead our lives. The sheep rests in the assurance that his shepherd is always watching and looking out for it. It is in Gods presence that we grow, change, and are transformed forever. Our Saviour is not only the Lamb; He is the Shepherd toothe Good Shepherd, who giveth His life for His sheep. 3. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain. The 23rd Psalm is one of the most widely known scriptures in the Bible. But the day is coming when the Good Shepherd will call us to the great supper in His kingdom. He restored my soul = Thats Healing! In Psalm 23, God is using the analogy of sheep and their nature to describe us. Some of the keywords used in this Psalm include green pastures, restore, still waters, cup, overflow, paths of righteousness, namesake, valley of the shadow of death, table, comfort, thy rod and thy staff, goodness, and mercy. The fact that all the Ten Commandmentsnot five or eight of themare repeated in principle in the New Testament and are taught by both Christ and the apostles, sustains the Word of the Psalmist. He also protects us from evil. Well, here is one commentary, one phrase at a time. As I read the article, I, "I truly love reading this prayer, and been given insight on what it means. May He continue to guide and guard you in Jesus Name. "Truly, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" -- That's about. The devil wants you to feel guilty, but do not listen to him. The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship! Come, join the TBTG Family. In one sense, this was not unusual. I thank God for your inspiration. Additionally, because they are dumb, sheep wander off and get lost, putting themselves in great danger. And that is why, he will lead you beside still waters to give peace and comfort amid lifes chaos. Still or quiet waters, represent rest, refuge, safety, and security. And then goes on to describe God as a guide, provider, sustainer, and protector. God is right by your side walking you through life. Each verse contains a promise of blessing that David had experienced and that we can share in, too . His creative power makes and keeps us (verses 13-18 . Ive been tremendously blessed by this explanation. Now it is more than rest or workit is conflict. 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.