psalm 23 explained beautifully

In the darkest and most trying hour, God is near. 2He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. David wrote Psalm 23 based on his experiences with God. For His name sake = Thats Purpose! i would just like to ask for permission to share it.. then ill just include that its from this site and Georgy (you?).. And all enemies will be gone forever. Psalm 23 is a psalm of King David expressing confidence and trust in the Lord. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever (vv. Will you let God take the lead today in the affairs of your life? Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord" -- That's home and security in the Lord's provision/Heaven! Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. He begins Psalm 23 with this sentence. He took care of and protected flocks of sheep, and he wrote this psalm describing God as a shepherd and Gods people as His flock. Praise the Lord I want to thank God for his love .He is a good sherpard to all of us who are sinners. Very well explained. Psalm 23 helps us see God as a father who leads his children on paths of righteousness, progress, and victory. Sometimes, you may even be led by culture, traditions, and the worlds way of doing things. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. If you have not already been saved by Jesus Christ, that may help you feel better. Let us look at this beautiful chapter in the Bible. Psalm 23:5. We can trust our lives to the Lords safekeeping. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 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. Equipping Christian Women to Abide in God's Word. As I read the article, I, "I truly love reading this prayer, and been given insight on what it means. One of the high points of your relationship with God is when you come to the full knowledge of your identity in God. ", wants. The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship! He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. 93% of people wont forward this, good day! He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. ", looking for how to help someone else with this prayer, and instead I got help. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. I thank God for your beautiful way of explaining Psalm 23. As I did, the familiarity faded, and I felt as though I was reading it with new eyes. According to Psalm 139, God's omniscience knows all about us (verses 1-6). Psalms 23:1-6. Psalm 23 is not just talking about David and his relationship with God, it speaks deeply about our personal relationship with God. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = Thats Hope! There are 40 days til Easter! God's goodness means that they have nothing to fear: whatever happens to them, God will be with them. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Someone or something will lead us through life. "Have faith in GOD!" 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. All believers can say, "We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3). 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Lectionary Calendar. A good place. So, even when we walk through the valleys of life and death is staring us in the face, we are not afraid knowing that God is with us and will shield and protect us from danger and evil. The Shepherd supplies all our needs in the presence of our enemies. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/psalm-23-the-lord-is-my-shepherd-700375. 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. Psalm 23 - The LORD Is My Shepherd and My Host Like many others, this beloved psalm bears the simple title A Psalm of David . Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Isaiah 53 is full of Messianic scriptures describing what the Messiah would be like. The sheep rests in the assurance that his shepherd is always watching and looking out for it. Face it, the Lord is crazy about you. The Word of God always has something new to teach us, even if its from a familiar passage. David expresses confidence and trust in the Lord by portraying God as a good "Shepherd" who both guides and blesses them. Sometimes we stray from the Lord, too. Rest, strange to say, in the past; work in the present; and sorrow, the valley of the shadow, still to come. 1. The 23rd Psalm is one of the most widely known scriptures in the Bible. Remember: the Lord's grace is sufficient -- as you follow Him and Glorify God (Christianity) in your life. This verse also shows God as a guide who leads us through life on paths that honor his name and bring glory to him. Now it is more than rest or workit is conflict. Thou annointest my head with oil = Thats Consecration! Our Saviour is not only the Lamb; He is the Shepherd toothe Good Shepherd, who giveth His life for His sheep. 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 ). 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. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 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. Psalm 23 is one of the most popular and beloved psalms in the Bible. Shepherds use tools (rod and staff) to lead and guide their sheep. He leads me in the paths of righteousness = Thats Guidance! The Bible never changes, but it always changes something in us when we read it. So, friend, do not worry about the future. And they are three: rest, work, and sorrow. Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known and well-loved psalms in the Bible. ", 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.", John 4:35 - "Do not say 'yet four months and then comes the Harvest', for it [the harvest of souls. Thats the ultimate blessing! I got this from an email. Before David became king of Israel, he was a shepherd. Psalm 23 (New International Version)A Psalm of David.The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.He makes me lie down in green pastures,He leads me beside quiet waters,He restores my soul.He guides me in paths of righteousness 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 goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 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. In John 10:11, Jesus declared, I am the good shepherd. He restores and heals our minds and emotions, renewing and strengthening our very lives! It is a bit difficult to ascertain the exact time . 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Verse 3. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 6. .. God is our Shepherd and like a Good Shepherd, He will provide for His own for every need we will ever have (Philippians 4:19). "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." If you are going through a season of sin, discouragement, or despair in your life right now, ask yourself, Am I walking or camping?. Has that ever happened to you? I am going to make it my priority to share, at the least, the Lord's prayer with this purpose, starting within my very own family. "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness" -- That's leadership and guidance in following God's will! 5 Lessons I Learned From Psalm 23 How To Rest Your Mind From Worrying | Day 1 God Wants To Restore You | Day 2 Feeling Lost And Confused? Psalm 23 Meaning Explained Beautifully A Personal Narrative of Psalm 23 verse 1: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." My words: God is taking care of and watching over me. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. This is a beautiful picture to share with him. This makes you know that you are not alone, even when you dont feel like it. By them, he guides his sheep. Approved. Lessons From Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd. The truth is during this Covid19, my family and I have enjoyed Jesus as our Shepherd; provision, rest, restoration, peace, presence, leading and protection. The woman in the gospel story poured the box of precious ointment upon the head of our Lord, (Matthew 26:6-7) a custom which the host who had invited Him had shamefully neglected. Testing! While expressive of any great danger or cause of terror, it does not exclude the greatest of all, to which it is most popularly applied, and which its terms suggest. It shows us how God is a sustainer, a guide, a leader, a provider, the ever-present one, and an amazing host who has prepared a table of abundance before us to feast on. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are . So through life, like two angels of God, goodness and mercy will follow us and encamp round about us. Submit your request and our prayer team will pray for you. The Lord is my Shepherd = Thats Relationship! He restored my soul = That's Healing! Before David became king of Israel, he was a shepherd. So, too, the very sheep of the Lord's pasture are to be oil-anointed guests. It simply fortifies our divine connection with our Lord. She is wife to an amazing man and mom to two children. Intimacy with God births confidence in us as his children. He declares Surely meaning it was his reality and he rested in this truth Gods goodness and mercy were following him through his lifes journey on earth. 'The Lord is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want' - Meaning of Psalm 23 Explained, 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. David said he makes me to lie down in green pastures meaning that it is God that gives rest. 5. 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, All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Yea, though I walk through the valley of t he shadow of death = Thats Testing! At times sheep stray from their shepherd. Psalm 23 ends with these words And I shalldwellin the house of theLord forever. Hence, he could clearly talk about his relationship and experience with God using the metaphor of a shepherd and his sheep. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = . 2. green pastures--or, "pastures of tender grass," are mentioned, not in respect to food, but as places of cool and refreshing rest. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake. Verse 6. Praise the Lord for his love for us.He is a good sherperd who always take care of his sheep.Thank you Lord for your mercy for us the sinners. Who better than King David to describe his relationship with God using a shepherd and his sheep? It is a calming assurance that comes with choosing to abide daily in Gods presence. The Lord is my Shepherd A Powerful Declaration of Faith, The Lord is my Shepherd An Assurance of My God-Given Identity, The Lord is my Shepherd Provider, Sustainer, and Guide, The Lord is my Shepherd Shield and Protector. The passage begins with this familiar reassurance: "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.". David calls God a shepherd and declares that because God is his shepherd, hence he shall not lack any good thing. (Psalm 96: 8, 9) That scripture can make the 23rd Psalm become more real to you. Learn more about the meaning and significance of this well-known phrase from Psalms 23. We may not always be able to see or understand, but we know that all things work together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28). So when David says "I shall not want" he is acknowledging how completely reliant he is one God as his Shepherd. Download this 11-page ebook on the seven keys to the Lords Prayer by entering your email address below. Seriously. Goodness and mercy will be following you everywhere, and you will spend eternity with God. Are you a child of God? We do not naturally belong to the Lord's flock. Thou anointestmy head with oil = Thats Consecration! The 22nd Psalm in the Vulgate and some Catholic bibles The restoration of the soul comes first; then the works of righteousness. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Do you not see it? The overflowing cup symbolizes Gods open-hearted generosity. At every turn, it reveals the close relationship David shares with his God. "This article gave me a boost to wait on the shepherd, because he is the one who takes care of all my need and, "Because we read it in old King James version decades ago ,it was a bit difficult to grasp, but with modern English, "I was searching for something and it was not an accident to click wikiHow. Sometimes we wander off and get into trouble, but we can trust that God cares for us and will protect and guide us if well allow Him to. With this assurance comes faith to declare boldly your identity in God. But if we live in the lie that we can do this on our own, we wander and drift away from our true source, looking for satisfaction in artificial places. 'You Raise Me Up' Duet Earns A Standing Ovation From The Judges, 7 Tests to See if Your Worship Is Truly Christian or Pagan, 3 Bad Church Approaches to Good Money Stewardship, 5 Critical Rules to Teach Your Kids to Help Them Stay Safe, 4 Things You Should Know about Jesus Revolution, Jesus on Adultery: Its More Controversial Than You Think, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. Let us look at this beautiful chapter in the Bible, Psalm 23 meaning and significance. Try it! wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Psalm 23 is one of the most recognizable chapters in the entire Bible. Thou anointest my head with oil Or ointment, as the Syriac and Arabic interpreters render it, namely, with aromatic ointments, which were then used in great feasts. Your cup overflows with blessings and abundance from God. It can also mean bringing back to repentance or rescuing from a lost state. "My cup runneth over" -- That's His abundance flowing to you and out to others! Our Shepherd cares for us, and He is able to restore our souls. Psalm 23 KJV. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. This article received 13 testimonials and 97% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. With God as our shepherd, there is nothing we will ever lack. For something 3,000 years old, it is extremely relevant for our lives today. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. The presence of the shepherd eliminated any fear of evil for the sheep. Theres not one person on the planet who hasnt experienced some pain, disappointment or grief in their soul. We were orphanswe did not belong to God's flock, but through the death of His Lamb, we are clothed in the robe of His righteousness and are able to enter the true fold. Recently, I was reading through Psalms and scanned over chapter 23. Whereas a king might do what's best for the majority, a shepherd knows and stewards each one of his sheep. You literally cannot dwell on bad thoughts and the blessings of God at the same time. He is a faithful Shepherd that provides for His sheep (Matthew 6:33). (LogOut/ "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! It is in Gods presence that we grow, change, and are transformed forever. (LogOut/ Article Images Copyright . So how does change sound. This Psalm happens to be one of the most memorized and remains an all-time favorite chapter of the Bible. Through this beautiful metaphor, Psalm 23 gives us invaluable insights into the character of God and His plan for His children. In 2 Timothy 4:16-17, he says: At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me!Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me.. The meaning of Psalm 23 is a song of gratitude to a loving God in a painful world. He restores my soul. Imagine you are invited to a magnificent banquet with a huge table filled with all kinds of food and drinks to feast on. We find ourselves in need of God's forgiveness and restoration, which he offers freely to those who repent and return to him. And now the Shepherd leads on, not only beside the still waters of rest and the righteous paths of service, but through trouble and sorrow. During much of that time, David was a fugitive, hunted by and hiding from King Saul, who was obsessed with taking his life. He leads me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment! However, one thing remained throughout the entire chapter: David trusted that God was always with him, and that he was not alone walking through life. We realize God governs both the large and small issues of life. For Thou art with me = Thats Faithfulness! This article has been viewed 191,942 times. It talks about renewal and strength in every area of life. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. Now if the Lord is our Shepherd, that makes us the sheep. It is about making a choice to cultivate intimacy with God. Come, join the TBTG Family. It emphasizes the Lords personal care, guidance, and protection of his people. When the apostle Paul stood before Nero, he was not alone. "He leadeth me beside the still waters" -- That's cool, peaceful refreshment! for his name's sake--or, regard for His perfections pledged for His people's welfare. David ends this rich Psalm with a picture of Gods grace, presence, and favor following him all the days of his life. We can be sure that Gods goodness and mercy will pursue us every single day when we allow Him to shepherd us. Her faith in him took away fear. "Forever." "For His namesake" -- That gives a higher purpose for life! I can rest and be at peace because He is a good Shepherd. The fact that all the Ten Commandmentsnot five or eight of themare repeated in principle in the New Testament and are taught by both Christ and the apostles, sustains the Word of the Psalmist. "Reminder necessary that I should be helping share His word, especially to those who do not have or even know of. Faith in the Good Shepherd does not make void His law. But the loving shepherd will leave the fold to find even one lost sheep. X Is your relationship with God intimate enough for you to boldly call him your Shepherd? As an added bonus, you will feel your spirit lift as you write. Psalm 23 It is in Gods presence that we grow, change, and are transformed forever. The closing verse shows that the blessings mentioned are spiritual. He wanted to depict the marvelous work of God in his life and encourage many believers with his testimony. We can rest assured in the hands of the Ruler of the Universe. "Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me" -- That's God's protection against the enemies! 2. 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":"