23rd Psalm - Revisited

Have you read the 23^rd Psalm?  I mean REALLY read it.  Not simply recite it from memory but I mean have you read it, absorbed it, digested it…it is GOOD!  Read it with me here again…

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, 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 runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

This psalm is written by a shepherd who served as King (David) about The Shepherd, the King of Kings (Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ).

The job of a shepherd is to take care of and lead sheep. 

Sheep are known for not being the smartest animal and therefore need a shepherd to take care of them.

Psalm 100:3 says that We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

We need to be cared for by The Shepherd also.

The 23^rd Psalm declares the goodness of God as the Shepherd caring for and providing for us, his sheep.  As we trust God for our cares, we will not need anything.

• He provides us green pastures – not dry, barren wasteland
• Still waters yet not stagnant or rough stormy but fresh, spring water to quench our thirst.
• Restores my soul as opposed to leaving me down and lost.  He restores us, revives us, refreshes us.
• Shadow of death – there is no need to fear a shadow, it cannot hurt you.  Even at the end of our days, we have no need to fear because God has promised his comfort and protection.
• Prepares a table in the presence of my enemies – although it may seem we don’t have all we want, we do have all we need.  Our necessities are provided.  People or situations that seek to destroy us will not succeed because again, He is our protection. 
• Anoint my head with oil- the oil symbolizes the most precious gift for the VIP and that is you and me!
• My cup runs over – not just enough to get by but blessings, comfort, and protection more than we expected or anticipated or probably even deserve.
• Goodness and mercy – our guardian angels are always with us throughout every day of our life. 

Those are just a few points that struck me as I read this psalm again…for the first time.  Did something strike you?  Did God reveal something fresh to you through this?  Share your thoughts…I look forward to hearing from you.

SharB~TTSD
#TakeTheScaffoldingDown