Psalm 23

Scripture

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
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.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 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.

Normally I read out of my NLT but it just sounds funny when I am so used to hearing it in the KJV!

Study on Psalm 23

This is one of my favorite passages because it reminds me of my Grandma. I stayed at her house often when I was little and at bedtime she would say Psalm 23 as the prayer. I was used to saying the kids prayer "Now I lay me down to sleep..." So whenever I heard her say Psalm 23 it was so special. And I was always amazed that she knew the whole thing, it seemed so long! Obviously this was before I knew about the importance of memorizing scripture.

Because this is one of my favorites, I decided that today I am going to dig deeper into every verse, and I am starting with a prayer. Lord, please open my eyes so that I can see this passage with a fresh perspective. Guide me deeper into your Word and guide my understanding of it.

Verse 1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

What does a shepherd do? He guides the flock, he ensures the flocks protection. What do sheep do? They follow the shepherd. We are the sheep, if we follow Jesus, He will guide and protect us. Following Jesus is all we need, we have everything we need in Jesus.

Verse 2
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Here the sheperd provides for his sheep. Grass and water, what else could a sheep possibly need! But it is deeper than that, the grass is so green and lush that the sheep can be full and content to lie down and rest. The water is still, it is easy to get to. Water is essential but it is also refreshing, when our thirst is quenched we are at peace. So to be rested and at peace is to be content - all our needs are met.

Verse 3
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

The shepherd guides us. We are led down the right paths. The path to salvation restores our soul for eternal life. But also, we can be led daily in all our thoughts, actions, and decisions.

Verse 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.

As a kid I loved this verse and it scared me. First, I loved to hear my Grandma say YAY! But I was always scared about the "valley of death" - which is how I remembered it.

I think that the moment we are born we are walking in the shadow of death. We will all die, some of us sooner than others. Death is the result of the first sin, so we experience death because of evil. However, we do not have to fear death or fear evil because God is with us. Our comfort is in the rod and the staff - the tools of the shepherd used to guide his sheep. We are comforted by His guidance.

Verse 5
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

As a kid I always thought it was silly to pour a cup so full it would run over!

But what this verse is saying is that God is our host. He prepares an abundant table for us, so abundant that it s overflowing. He provides for us even when we are faced with evil. The anointing oil can be for healing or for anointing a king. We are also anointed with the Holy Spirit when we receive Christ.

Verse 6
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.

Our days on earth are short, but while we are here we can count on God's love and mercy. Our reward is eternal life, to be with the Lord forever.