Skip to main content

The Lord is My Shepherd

                 The twenty-third Psalm contains some of the most hopeful and life-changing words in scripture.

                It says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 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, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.

                It is good to remember that we are not the shepherd; we are the sheep!  We like to think we are in control, but that is an illusion.  The truth is that we do not even know what will happen tomorrow (James 4:13-16).  It is comforting to know that we are in God’s hands and that he is taking us where he wants us to go.  If we believe that, we can go through anything, even the most difficult circumstances, with hope.

                Note, too, that when David thinks about the shepherd, he comes up with words like comfort, peace, calm, and mercy.  He is not fearful or worried.  David does not have to fight for God’s attention.  In fact, he knows that God provides abundantly and that his blessings overflow.

                Lastly, David states that his goal is to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.  Life will have ups and downs.  Some will have more and others less.  Yet, the quality of this life is not to be our focus.  We have another destination in mind.  When heaven is our goal, then we see and value things differently here (Matthew 6:19-34). 

                For centuries, people have turned to this Psalm in times of need because David’s words bring us comfort and they remind us of what is most important. 

                We would find even more peace and assurance if we did not just read the words, but if we lived by them every day.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: A Path Worth Following

  Jehoram was a terrible king.  He reigned in Judah around the year 850 B.C. and he did not care about God or his people.  His first act as king was to assassinate his six brothers so that no one could challenge his authority.  He was brutal and selfish.   Therefore, when the Bible sums up his life, it says, “Jehoram… passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David” (2 Chronicles 21:20).  Did you catch that?  “To no one’s regret!”  What a terrible phrase for your tombstone. On the other hand, consider a lady named Tabitha.  She lived in the city of Joppa in the first century A.D. and we are told, “… she was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36).  She became sick and died.  This caused the community so much grief that they called Peter, who was in the nearby town of Lydda, to come and help them.  When Peter arrived, a crowd gathered, bringing all the robes and other clothing that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more