| PSALM 23 THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD.
First let us look at Lord. This is the personal name of God, Yahweh. How do you get personal with God? He created the universe and everything in it. When I think of the magnitude of that, I am truly humbled. Creation amazes me. Everything is so complex, and at the same time so dependent on other parts of creation. It all had to be made at the same time because no one part can stand alone. How could a lion exist without other animals to eat? How could a bee exist without flowers for making honey and how could flowers exist without bees to pollinate them? Creation is so complex and amazing that the One who created it must be much more amazing!
With all of this in mind, remember the Lord is my shepherd. What is a shepherd? To be quite honest, I know very little about being a shepherd but I have heard that they practically live with the sheep. A shepherd loves his sheep and fights to protect them. He leads them from place to place for better living conditions like food, water and shelter. He counts them often to make sure none of them have strayed away. He takes care of them when they are sick and carrie’s them when they are lame. He is willing to lay down his life for his sheep. I would like to have someone take care of me like that. How great would it be if it was the creator, God Himself? That is possible. He is willing but the decision is yours.
Somehow we have come to think that letting someone else make decisions for us is a bad thing. It is bad if that person doesn’t have your best interest in mind. If they truly love you they will do what is best for you. God loves you so much but we have to learn how to love Him. Part of loving Him is yielding to Him. His ways are certainly not the ways of the world. Since we are steeped in the ways of the world, it is difficult to trust Godly ways. Quite commonly, we yield for a short time then take back control.
Learning to yield takes time but it is effort well spent. Our mind is somewhat like a walk in the woods. If the brush is thick, you always take the easiest path. Over time this path gets well worn and becomes the only way you walk even if it longer. To make a new path takes effort and time. The more often you take the new path the sooner it becomes entrenched in your mind and becomes the new “normal”. Part of the effort is to think Godly thoughts not worldly thoughts. Help this effort by reading the Bible, praying, listening to sermons and talking with believers. After about three weeks you will notice a big difference. The Godly path is easier now.
I SHALL NOT WANT.
How great is that? We often want much more than we need. When our needs are met we still want more. God is going to satisfy us so abundantly that we won’t even want more. I long for that kind of satisfaction where I just want to be…who I am, where I am, who I am with. It isn’t that often in life that we hit this wonderful plateau. A place to rest and feel loved. No struggles, no stress, no drama, just peace.
HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES
Lie down infers rest and that all is well. The color of the pasture, green, adds a calming effect. Not only is it satisfying the current need, but it is growing so it will provide food for the future.
HE LEADS ME BESIDE QUIET WATERS
Quiet water is a place where one can drink without getting water up your nose. Have you ever tried to drink fom a fire hydrant or a water hose with a lot of pressure? As beautiful as the image is, it would be difficult to drink from a stream that is rushing over rocks. Not only is it more difficult, it is dangerous. Swift water and rapids claim lives more often than still water.
HE RESTORES MY SOUL
The soul is the mind, the will, and the emotions. To restore means to put back in perfect condition. THE MIND is what we think with. To think is a God given ability most animals don’t have, at least to the extent human beings do. This is a head thing as opposed to a heart thing. We grapple with ideas and figure things out. Sometimes these ideas or solutions work and sometimes they don’t but at least we didn’t sit still. Our thoughts can carry us to new places. Be careful where you allow your thoughts to go because, “WHERE YOUR THOUGHTS GO YOUR ENERGY FLOWS”. Look around yourself, every person is going where their thoughts are leading them. If they are into porn or pot or gaming it’s because they are thinking about it all the time. Think on good things and go there.Don’t waste your mind.
THE WILL. We all have a will. Some even have a strong will. That means things will go my way or all hell will break out. A strong will doesn’t have to be loud, it can be quiet and obstinate. I have seen a child at the grocery store throwing a temper tantrum and felt sorry for the parents. The child isn’t bad he just isn’t mature enough to understand that the candy he wants is not good for him. We may not know what is best for us at times but God does so let His will be done.
THE EMOTIONS This is how we feel. Often it has nothing to do with reality. Emotions run wild at adolescence. It seems like the world will end if I can’t go to a certain party or wear a particular outfit. We may call it love when it is actually an infatuation for social reasons. We may feel angry with someone because we thought they stole our I-phone when in reality, another person took it. The feelings are still there even though they are wrong. So, yes, your feelings can lie to you. Our feelings are where we live.
HE GUIDES ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE He guides me, oh how I like that! I have gotten lost in the woods twice. Both times I found my way out but it was a very unsettling time. Getting turned around in this world is so easy to do. There’s so much false information out there. On top of that there are lots of scams that draw in desperate people, taking advantage of them when they are most vulnerable. He guides us on paths that will glorify Him because righteousness is doing the RIGHT thing. Not only does it agree with God, but it makes us look good too.
EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH
Life leads us over mountains and through valleys. There are shadows near us anytime light is shining. The shadow of death is never far away. I know I must have been in that shadow many times, especially when I was in my early 20’s and totally invincible. Looking back I am amazed that I lived through those stupid actions but I know God was with me. Death can be close to us and we don’t even know it. We worry about mass shootings but think nothing about getting into a car and driving 70 miles an hour in heavy traffic with only four small patches of rubber touching the road. How many of the drivers around you are impaired by drugs or alcohol? It may be scary but death is always around us.
I FEAR NO EVIL The weapon of evil is fear. Fear is the opposite of faith. If you really fear something, you believe in its power to destroy you more than you believe in God’s power to protect you. Can you understand this concept and apply it in your life? I respect rattlesnakes because they are dangerous but I don’t fear them unless I’m too close. Then I have to trust God to get me out of their reach.
FOR THOU ART WITH ME God is with me, as a matter of fact, He has promised to never leave me. His dwelling place is in my heart. No one can get closer than that. Have you ever wanted to remember a phone number and actually written it on your hand? Well God has written my name on the palm of His hand so He can’t forget me.
THY ROD AND THY STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME
The rod is a strong stick used to ward off wild animals and to act as a barrier when counting sheep coming through a gate. The staff had a shepherd’s crook on the end. This was used to cradle a sheep and pull it closer. It is comforting to know that the tools of the shepherd are there to help in times of need.
THOU DOST PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES
Not only is God going to feed us, He’s going to do it publicly in front of the enemy. They will get to watch His blessings being bestowed upon us.
THOU HAST ANOINTED MY HEAD WITH OIL
The anointing of God represents His favor on us. It means you have been set aside for His service. Oil represents the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is on you.
MY CUP OVERFLOWS
Not only is my cup full it is running over. I have more than enough. There is no lack or need.
SURELY GOODNESS AND LOVINGKINDNESS WILL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE
The blessings of God are not only out there, they are going to follow me. Every time I turn around, there they are following me! It is going to be like that the rest of my life, goodness and loving kindness, right there behind me.
AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER
This is really good news. Dwelling in the house of the Lord starts NOW. It is forever yes, but today is part of forever.
The Lord will be your shepherd if you let Him. Why not put yourself into His care and ask Him out loud to be your shepherd. Jesus is the good shepherd of the New Testament. His promises are good.
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