Psalm 23: The LORD is my Shepherd
The LORD is my Shepherd
Psalms 23:1-6 (LITV):Â A Psalm of David.
Jehovah is my shepherd;
The Creator, the King of Kings… He is our Shepherd! He paid the price for me, and cares for me deeply.
I shall not lack.
I am under His care. He has met my need. I am content and satisfied.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
I am not afraid. I am at peace. There are no “parasites” bothering me. My hunger has been satisfied.
He leads me to waters of rest;
The springs of water He has provided are clean. He has quenched my thirst.
He restores my soul;
When I fall over, He picks me up.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
He doesn’t let the flock stay in one place so long that the land becomes overgrazed. He keeps us moving.
Though I walk through the valley…
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for You are with me;
He is beside me, keeping me safe from avalanches, rock slides, poisonous plants and predators.
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
The rod is for protection and correction. The staff is for drawing the sheep closer to Him, and to guide them.
You prepare a table for me before the ones vexing me;
He prepares the plateaus for our summer grazing. He pulls out poisonous plants, and plants healthy ones. He hunts down and destroys the wolves, coyotes, cougars and bears.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
The anointing oil of His Holy Spirit keeps away the things that “bug” us, and heals the scabs that come from rubbing our heads together. His cup warms us when we get cold.
Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
Wherever we go, let’s leave goodness and mercy behind.
and I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah for as long as my days.
Let’s be proud to boast of our Shepherd! Let’s stay with Him!
This is a prayer for us to pray when we are passing through difficult times.
Like David, we can pray, sure of His willingness to walk with us, even when times are tough.
This blog post is based on the insights gained by reading A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller.
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