Psalm 23: A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
Unlike the fearfully reverent scribes who maintained God's Word for posterity, David was not afraid to address his Shepherd by name. David declared, "YAHWEH is my Shepherd."
Our Heavenly Father wants us to know Him by name. The Great I AM revealed His Name to us so that we could call on Him in a personal way. I think Bible translators have done us a dis-service by presenting Him as LORD rather than calling Him by His Name, YAHWEH. This practice has caused confusion and has opened the door for those who currently want us to believe He can also be called Allah. Not so!
David, having been a shepherd, knew by experience that a good shepherd provides everything his sheep need. Therefore, he knew and proclaimed with confidence that as Yahweh's sheep, he would never lack anything he needed. And, if Yahweh is our Shepherd, we can have the same confidence!
Yahweh knows our needs before we ask. How lovingly He provides for every area of our lives!
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
We live in a body so physical needs are met first.
Every day of life's journey we become tired so He provides a place for us to lie down and rest. We also need a daily provision of food and water which David refers to as green pastures and still waters.
At no time are we left to fend for ourselves. He meets our physical needs so we can function physically, mentally and spiritually. As David expresses it:
3 He restores my soul;
And when the soul is restored we are ready to follow Jesus!
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.
Once we are prepared for traveling, He leads us! The Holy Spirit is our faithful guide and leads us always in the right ways that we should go. Why? For His Name's sake! (God will never lead us astray because to do so would violate His nature and bring shame to His Name. Impossible!) We cannot go wrong following Him.
4 Yea, 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.
We are safe with Yahweh. In His presence, evil cannot touch us. When we walk through dark, scary places we are always under His protection. His rod will beat back the enemy. His staff will pull us out of danger. Fear may rear its ugly head but it must flee because Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is our ever present companion and comforter!
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
We are always surrounded by enemies in this life but they cannot keep us from banqueting with Jesus. Notice that He prepares the feast and He provides the spiritual atmosphere. We respond with thanksgiving and abundant joy. And we find hope for the future!
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.
It's all about perspective. If we choose to keep our minds focused on the Good Shepherd and trust in His faithful provision for our lives we can have inner peace and joy even in the midst of a troubled world.
I hope this quick look at the 23rd Psalm speaks to your heart today. It has strengthened me in times of trial so I wanted to share it with you.
May God's Word increase your faith and encourage you--wherever you are.
