psalm 23 explained beautifully

forever. "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord" -- That's home and security in the Lord's provision/Heaven! No one can rest in mind and heart until the weight of a guilty conscience is removed. Psalm 23. Recently, I was reading through Psalms and scanned over chapter 23. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Psalm 23 explained beautifully by Walter Rasmussen. We often hear it recited at church or during times of mourning, yet it's more than just a beautiful, poetic stanza. Testing! This verse also talks about rest and comfort. Thou preparesta table before me in the presence of mine enemies = He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. Goodness and mercy will be following you everywhere, and you will spend eternity with God. God anoints your head with oil speaks of being filled with his presence daily. Our Shepherd cares for us, and He is able to restore our souls. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. And they are three: rest, work, and sorrow. In this psalm, we see a beautiful portrait of God as our good and faithful Shepherd Who leads us by still waters and guides us into the way of peace. He makes me lie down in green pastures . the valley of the shadow of death--is a ravine overhung by high precipitous cliffs, filled with dense forests, and well calculated to inspire dread to the timid, and afford a covert to beasts of prey. The shepherds rod and staff were used to guide and protect the sheep and lead them away from potential predators. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake. Does it Matter That I Didn't Keep My Goals for Lent? The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ", Jesus told his disciples to come on and "follow me" now. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. Well, here is one commentary, one phrase at a time. In the presence of mine enemies Who seeing, envying, and fretting at it, are not able to hinder it. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5). "Lessons From Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd." As the apostle Paul puts it, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Even non-Christians have heard it because it seems to be a favorite at funerals, weddings, and other religious events. We dont have to worry about what others say or think about us because we know that God has our backs and that serving Him is never for nothing. Every time I feel attacked, disappointed and falsely accused, I always remember Psalm 23.God is my protector,my shield and my provider. Choose a verse from 'Psalms 23' to begin your 'Verse-by-Verse' study of God's Word using the more than 100 commentaries available on StudyLight.org. (Psalm 96: 8, 9) That scripture can make the 23rd Psalm become more real to you. I got this from an email. the still waters--are, literally, "waters of "stillness," whose quiet flow invites to repose. Still or quiet waters, represent rest, refuge, safety, and security. Heres whybecause the Bible is a living document. In the gospel plan, works do not precede but follow rest. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Isaiah 43- 19 For I am about to do something new. They carried a rod and staff to protect and correct their sheep; they beat off any beast trying to attack, and they prodded sheep who were going the wrong way to steer them back to safety. "The Lord is my shepherd" is one of the most quoted passages in all of Scripture. This psalm shows us that David did not just tend sheep, but in that moment and season of his life, he could see and feel the hand of God present in his life. 56). As believers, we tend to do the same thing. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Psalm 23 shows us how much God cares about us even when we go through challenges. The ideas in Psalm 23 about God being our Shepherd are still meant to resonate in our hearts. # Walk in LoveWalk by Faith..Live by the Word..#. Thats Hope! "Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me" -- That's God's protection against the enemies! This is how God cares for us. We Are Carriers of God's Presence & Glory!! This proclaims the metaphor of the psalm, that god is like our shepherd. Psalm 23:5-6 ESV Youprepare a table before me inthe presence of my enemies; youanoint my head with oil; mycup overflows. Sheep are pretty helpless animals, unable to defend themselves. ", wants. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. David said he makes me to lie down in green pastures meaning that it is God that gives rest. You can start in the comment section below. How can I share this on my Facebook page for all my friends to read? Verse 1. It is the universal Psalm, the chief Psalm, the pearl of Psalms. Thou annointest my head with oil = Thats Consecration! Before David became king of Israel, he was a shepherd. It is memorized and repeated in all lands. In Mark 6:34, Jesus compared the people to sheep: And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. But the loving shepherd will leave the fold to find even one lost sheep. It is a Psalm that paints a beautiful picture of life and how God leads us through our journey if we can learn to walk closely with him. I have read this a few times before but this has touched me alot. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. We may not know the why of many of our experiences, but we know that our Shepherd knows, and that is sufficient. Whenever a sheep strays, the shepherd finds and restores him back to the flock. Sometimes in the valleys of life, we take on a woe is me attitude and completely ignore all of the blessings that God has given us. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = Thats Security! Image courtesy:Thinkstock/pamela_d_mcadams, 10 Reasons God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life, 9 Christians You Don't Want to Sit Beside on Sunday Morning, 6 Truths about Jesus Coming into the World, Inspiring Mother Breaks Down after Earning Golden Buzzer with Celine Dion Hit, 7 Ways Anxiety Dominates the Christian Mind. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. But then, he quickly switches to phrases like valley, shadow of death, and fear no evil in the following verses. 1. Read and study the 23rd Psalm-- and Be mindful of God's still small voice: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He also protects us from evil. It is not enough to sing and memorize the words of Psalm 23. :) hello, i really liked this simple message and the simple explanation of Psalms 23, i received it from a friend through email.. i would like to make a very simple video of it, are you the original author of the content? God's goodness means that they have nothing to fear: whatever happens to them, God will be with them. A good place. We can rest and relax knowing that God is taking care of us. Prone to wander. Psalm 23 begins with the sentence above. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Thou anointestmy head with oil = Thats Consecration! They know his voice and follow him. We can rest assured in the hands of the Ruler of the Universe. "He leadeth me beside the still waters" -- That's cool, peaceful refreshment! (LogOut/ Thats right! It's as Isaiah has said: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" ( Isaiah 53:6 ). We can never stray so far that God's long arm of grace can't reach us. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). We have need of nothing because our Shepherd provides everything. He could trust God in the stillness and calmness, and yet still trust him in the valley and chaos. It is a psalm that heals, delivers, comforts, and set free. We see this come to play as he stood before Goliath. God can be a guide, comforter, helper, and friend to you today. All believers can say, "We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3). As guests of the Lord, we can dine safely, even in the presence of our enemies. Has that ever happened to you? The Lord promises to lead us in paths of righteousness, in keeping with everything his name represents: holiness, love, faithfulness, wisdom, and more. Learn more Is the 23rd Psalm[1] The restored soul is then led on to another stage in God's plan for his lifeHe leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake (Psalm 23:3). He leadeth me beside the still waters = Thats Refreshment! We eat it as the Israelites did in haste, staff in hand, and ready to march on. He declares. Ask yourself, Have I lost sight of Gods faithfulness? If you feel like you have, even if you are not going through a hard time, stop and make an actual list of all the ways that God has been faithful to you. At times sheep stray from their shepherd. We do not naturally belong to the Lord's flock. Are you that open to that kind of new life (following the Shepherd)? Verse 6. The psalms were originally written in Hebrew; the translation we're using here comes from the King James Bible, an influential 17th-century English translation in the Protestant Christian tradition. Whatever it brings, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27). Lectionary Calendar. David calls God a shepherd and declares that because God is his shepherd, hence he shall not lack any good thing. In ancient times, hospitality involved more than merely providing a meal for guests. I have everything I need now, and everything I need in the future will be provided. The other part of the picture in these four verses gives the different methods that God uses in leading His flock; or, we might say, the various regions through which He leads them are described in order. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shalldwellin the house of theLord forever.. God bless you :). Used with permission. This speaks of blessings and abundance that are visible for all to see. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.". And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. The meaning of Psalm 23 is a song of gratitude to a loving God in a painful world. God bless you and grsnt you more insight into His word in Jesus name, amen. Read it as many times as you need to until the meaning begins to sink in. What Is the Meaning of Psalm 91 and Why Is it Popular? Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. He shows off by abundantly blessing us before the very ones who want to see us fall! So, friend, do not worry about the future. The 22nd Psalm in the Vulgate and some Catholic bibles, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/0a\/Understand-Psalm-23-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Understand-Psalm-23-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/0a\/Understand-Psalm-23-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1070805-v4-728px-Understand-Psalm-23-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"