Shepherds often risked their own lives to rescue their sheep. Restoration speaks of refreshing and renewal. It is wilderness foodthe manna of His promise, and water out of the Rock. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Lets Keep in Touch Who better than King David to describe his relationship with God using a shepherd and his sheep? He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake. Click on the above link to go to the page where you can enter your email address and subscribe for free to new articles being posted on this website. She is wife to an amazing man and mom to two children. one of your favorite Psalms? In the presence of mine enemies Who seeing, envying, and fretting at it, are not able to hinder it. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord tor ever. It is about making a choice to cultivate intimacy with God. He renews my strength. You may be wondering, "What does Psalm 23 mean? And it is written: As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come (1 Corinthians 11:26). The passage begins with this familiar reassurance: "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.". He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. That is, he helps us to find food, water, work, love, friends and all that we need. Psalm 23:1-3 ESV TheLordis myshepherd; I shall notwant. He knew God as a provider hence he could confidently declare I will not lack. As I read this again, I realized that if God is our Shepherd, that means means we give Him control of our life. The imagery of God as a shepherd is common throughout the Old Testament. We have need of nothing because our Shepherd provides everything. He wanted to depict the marvelous work of God in his life and encourage many believers with his testimony. This psalm of David is loved the world over for its calming and healing wisdom. Thats Blessing ! - Luke 15:4 (ESV). And knowing him can only come when you spend time with him in prayer, worship, and through his word. 'The Lord is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want' - Meaning of Psalm 23 Explained, 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. 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. Hebrews 13:20 ESV - Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, Revelation 7:17 ESV - For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.. 23rd Psalm - The Lord is my shepherd (KJV) Psalm 23:1-6 1. Try it! Thank you. It simply fortifies our divine connection with our Lord. I thought this was pretty special, just like YOU!!! He shows off by abundantly blessing us before the very ones who want to see us fall! I was. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.. Convicting, huh? The Lord is the Shepherd of His people and they are His sheep; so David said, The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want., In eastern lands, the shepherd goes before his flockhe leads them. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. . His omnipresence encircles us (verses 7-12). David through Psalm 23 talks about his personal relationship with God using the metaphor of a shepherd and his sheep. God is not a blind guide; he always leads you on the path of purpose and prosperity. -- That's now and always -- for eternity! Psalm 23 begins with a powerful statement of declaration by David about who God is to him. Verse 1. Psalm 23 explained beautifully gives a picture of an intimate relationship with a heavenly father who knows and cares about you. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ", wants. When the apostle Paul stood before Nero, he was not alone. The sheep often goes where the shepherd leads. This speaks of blessings and abundance that are visible for all to see. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = Thats Hope! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. These verses offer comfort for the reader as they enter the valley of the shadow of death and onward in Jesus' loving arms. Yea, though I walk: through the valley of the shadow of death, 6. Psalm 23 is one of the most popular and beloved psalms in the Bible. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake. ", looking for how to help someone else with this prayer, and instead I got help. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. God anoints your head with oil speaks of being filled with his presence daily. David did not call God a deliverer or a king, he was specific with the word Shepherd. There will always be valley experience which can and will be restored. "For His namesake" -- That gives a higher purpose for life! His blessings span the years. The clear implication of David's statement in Psalm 23:1 is that as one of God's sheep he will lack nothing which is necessary for his best interest. May He continue to guide and guard you in Jesus Name. God is always in control of what is happening, but we also have free will. The 22nd Psalm in the Vulgate and some Catholic bibles David calls God a shepherd and declares that because God is his shepherd, hence he shall not lack any good thing. As I dwelt on how God has been so good to us, my mind went to Psalm 23 and thats how I landed on your page. I shall not want because I know God personally as my Shepherd. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" -- That's the blessing and power of grace, through faith remembering "God is Love," not just words! Our Shepherd cares for us, and He is able to restore our souls. With this assurance comes faith to declare boldly your identity in God. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his names sake (vv. . Truly, 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. He also knew that God would care for him just like a shepherd will care for his sheep. 1. The Lord not only supplies our needs but blesses beyond the measure we can contain. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures" -- That's splendid contentment -- plenty of rest! Download this 11-page ebook on the seven keys to the Lords Prayer by entering your email address below. Psalm 23 Explained Beautifully. God bless you. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. He was clearly referring to the fact that He was giving His life to save us, His sheep. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = Thats Security! 5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Sheep need guidance to safe pastures, and we too need a Shepherd to guide us to safety and lead us to provision. How can I share this on my Facebook page for all my friends to read? And for the sake of His name and His glory, He guides our wills to line up with His. Remember, the sheep are menare people. David said God prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies. Then we shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever., God Help Me: Find help in every time of need. The ideas in Psalm 23 about God being our Shepherd are still meant to resonate in our hearts. Let us meditate on the words, Thou preparest a table before me. The Lord prepares it; it is His. I heard a pastor say that this verse clearly states that the valleys of life are to be walked through, but some people tend to put up a tent and camp there. You can start in the comment section below. Enjoy! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. It is a calming assurance that comes with choosing to abide daily in Gods presence. Good bless you. "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies" -- That's assurance of support and hope in danger! I shall not want = That's Supply! I dont know the real author. Are you a child of God? Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = Thats Discipline! Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 the First Week of Lent. Even in the bleakest, blackest times of life, we dont have to fear harm because our God is with us. There is much more you can draw from this beautiful Psalm. Testing! Can you trust him to shepherd you through life? He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = Thats Guidance! Fairchild, Mary. Does it Matter That I Didn't Keep My Goals for Lent? Today, you too can boldly declare that the Lord is my Shepherd. The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship! The Shepherd supplies all our needs in the presence of our enemies. Another ancient custom of a host was to anoint the heads of guests with oil as they prepared to eat. Last Updated: August 29, 2022 We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Arent you afraid, darling? the father asked. David knew this because he had come to see God as a personal shepherd to him. And all enemies will be gone forever. Do we then make void the law through faith? asks the Apostle to the Gentiles; and then he answers his own question: God forbid: yea, we establish the law (Romans 3:31). Used with permission. Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. As the ancient shepherd led his sheep, his two shepherd dogs guarded the rear to keep straying sheep in the path of the shepherd and draw attention to the wounded and lost. King David boldly declares who God is to him as he speaks of his relationship with God borne out of personal knowledge and his experiences with God using a shepherd and his sheep. Learn Religions, Sep. 7, 2021, learnreligions.com/psalm-23-the-lord-is-my-shepherd-700375. Psalm 23 explained beautifully gives a picture of an intimate relationship with a heavenly father who knows and cares about you. "He restoreth my soul" -- That's provision for revitalization and healing! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. So He began to teach them many things. Obviously, shepherd-less sheep are not a good thing; likewise, we need Jesus to be our Shepherd. Back in the Bible times it was a great honor to get your head anointed with oil and so it's saying that even though we sin and can be really awful people, God still loves us and is ready to treat us like royalty. That means we can choose to let God lead our lives. In 2 Timothy 3:1617, Paul writes, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.. Without a shepherd to protect and guide them, sheep are easy targets for predators. A shepherd describes a more close and devoted relationship. He begins Psalm 23 with this sentence, The Lord is my Shepherd. Psalm 23 is one of the most popular and beloved psalms in the Bible. They challenged me. This verse also talks about rest and comfort. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23 KJV. When was Psalm 23 Written? It is about knowing and embracing the shepherd whom David spoke about. David expresses confidence and trust in the Lord by portraying God as a good "Shepherd" who both guides and blesses them. He will lead us down a path of righteousness and not destruction. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. This post may contain affiliate links, which help keep this content free. What Does it Mean That Jesus Was Gods Begotten Son? Psalm 23 is so important to us today because it will speak to you in the good and bad times. The next time we sit at the table of the Lord, let us brush aside any thought that it is the table of the church. When we dont, its the same as choosing to be led by our selfish desires. Verses 4 and 5 confirm this as well. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (Psalm 23:5-6). 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":"