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

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

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....

Consider This: The Biggest Problem Is Not Out There!

In a time when everyone has a vocal opinion on everything and judgment is everywhere, maybe we need to reconsider the words of Jesus. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). Here are two observations to consider. First, when we look for what others are doing wrong, we are starting in the wrong place. “Take the log out of your eye” is the first move. Start with yourself! It is easy to judge others and make excuses for ourselves. Yet, that is completely backwards! If we are honest, we never get past making ourselves better. There is always more to do. This, then, leaves very little time to point out...

Consider this

Subscribe

Get new posts by email:

Search This Blog