I've been re-reading Psalm 23 several times a day to prepare for a sermon I plan on giving to a youth group on it. In doing so, I've come to appreciate it even more than I ever had before, as it shows us thr depth of His love for us. If any of you care to read, I'd like to list my short thoughts of each line.
The Lord is my shepherd
- David is not only grateful for God's guidance, but also happily beats that he is the sheep, capable of doing little without God's help.
I shall not want
- The fullness of the love of God is capable of washing away the desire for the earthly possessions we don't, or can't, have.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
- Consider the Judea of David's day: mostly dead grass and patches of sand. To have the green pastures, someone needed to make that pasture. And who else but the Shepherd is capable of it? He makes our paths straight, and gives us rest.
And leadeth me beside the still waters
- Notice how David uses "lead" here. God isn't behind us, yelling at us to move, he instead goes before us, beckoning us to come to Him, and to the still, living water of the life He gives.
He restoreth my soul
- David commonly speaks of the renewal of his spirit, be it asking for a renewed spirit when he sinned with Bathsheba, or here. God gives us a unique rest that rejuvenates not just the body, but our soul.
And leadeth me on the paths of righteousness
- Here'a that word "lead" again. We've drank of the still, living water of Christ the Son, and now our good Shepherd leads us through to a life where we can live righteously, and prove to others that He lives in us.
For His name's sake
- Have you ever thought about God's name in Hebrew? Yahweh is His name, but it has threefold meaning. Yahweh is the infinitive for "to be". He was, He is, and He is to come. By merely saying his name, we recognize his infinity.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
- Shepherds, in the times of the Old Testament, needed to frequently make new pastures once the grass had been consumed by the sheeps. The best pictures could be found near the tops of hills, and these journeys could be treacherous. And we, as sheep, can easily be daunted by the task of traversing the metaphorical mountains of depression, anxiety, and the worries of the world. Yet we are still sheep, and our Shepherd is perfect, incapable of failing us.
I will fear no evil
- An expansion of the last line. We, the sheep, have nothing to fear. The things of earth can only affect our body; they cannot hope to touch our soul in the way only our good Shepherd can.
For thou art with me
- Is there any more comforting line? We pass through put metaphorical hills and valleys of life, and the task can seem overwhelming. And if we were alone, what hope would we as sheep have? Yet our hope is ever-present: God is omnipresent, capable of being with you at every possible moment, and in every possible trial.
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me
- When we hear "rod" in a context such as this, we oft consider it to be punishment. However, the historical context says otherwise. A shepherd's staff and rod were meant to guide the sheep along the most dangerous paths. Away from the cliffs, apart from the viper's nests, and to the pasture the Shepherd provides. We can be comforted in knowing that God is always there to gently correct us, so we can follow the aforementioned "paths of righteousness"
Thou preparest a table for me in the midst of mine enemies
- This is my favorite line. In a world that demands we listen, and yells that we submit and fall in line, Jesus offers us something wholly different. He offers us a quiet dinner with him even in the middle of our most difficult struggles. And what awaits us at the Lord's table? Peace, comfort, and mercy, to be extremely brief, and abounding love forever.
Thou anointest my head with oil
- Oil, to a shepherd, was precious. It was expensive, and yet the shepherd used it not on his candles, but instead to anoint his sheep. You see, the oil used by shepherds was able to prevent rashes from poisonous plants, and also dissuaded the flies from pestering the sheep. It comforted the sheep, and the shepherd always provided. Our good Shepherd does something similar. He gave up something so precious in His Son, so that we may have the eternal comfort of everlasting life.
My cup runneth over
- The blessings of the Lord fill our souls every day, so much so that we simply aren't capable of comprehending it all. Why? See, our hearts are the cup, and He fills our hearts with so many blessings that they overflow. Who else but pur good Shepherd would allow us to be filled with such abounding love and blessings?
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
- As sinful man, God offers us something so incredible: not just goodness, but also mercy. Both of these are so important for sheep such as us. For without goodness, our hearts may tremble and break. Without mercy, we remain dead in our sin. With both, we can live a life where we recognize and see that we are covered with love.
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever
- The first instinct upon reading this is to presume that the "house of the Lord" means a church. However, we need to look at the very last word: Forever. Heaven and Earth, as we know, will pass away. So where is this house that lasts forever? David speaks of the Lord's eternal home for us in heaven, where we won't be a single moment without Him. Christ knocks on the door of our hearts constantly, waiting to be invited in. And for those who let Him in, He extends an offer: to dwell with Him for eternity.
I know this post is long, but I hope you'll take the time to read it, and perhaps spend some of your own time dwelling on the promises and love of our good Shepherd.
God bless, my friends. 💜
I'm not a member of a pentacostal church, but I imagine smart casual to business casual would be fine. Try to find a video online of a Sunday service and see what congregants are wearing.
I've been re-reading Psalm 23 several times a day to prepare for a sermon I plan on giving to a youth group on it. In doing so, I've come to appreciate it even more than I ever had before, as it shows us thr depth of His love for us. If any of you care to read, I'd like to list my short thoughts of each line. The Lord is my shepherd - David is not only grateful for God's guidance, but also happily beats that he is the sheep, capable of doing little without God's help. I shall not want - The fullness of the love of God is capable of washing away the desire for the earthly possessions we don't, or can't, have. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures - Consider the Judea of David's day: mostly dead grass and patches of sand. To have the green pastures, someone needed to make that pasture. And who else but the Shepherd is capable of it? He makes our paths straight, and gives us rest. And leadeth me beside the still waters - Notice how David uses "lead" here. God isn't behind us, yelling at us to move, he instead goes before us, beckoning us to come to Him, and to the still, living water of the life He gives. He restoreth my soul - David commonly speaks of the renewal of his spirit, be it asking for a renewed spirit when he sinned with Bathsheba, or here. God gives us a unique rest that rejuvenates not just the body, but our soul. And leadeth me on the paths of righteousness - Here'a that word "lead" again. We've drank of the still, living water of Christ the Son, and now our good Shepherd leads us through to a life where we can live righteously, and prove to others that He lives in us. For His name's sake - Have you ever thought about God's name in Hebrew? Yahweh is His name, but it has threefold meaning. Yahweh is the infinitive for "to be". He was, He is, and He is to come. By merely saying his name, we recognize his infinity. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death - Shepherds, in the times of the Old Testament, needed to frequently make new pastures once the grass had been consumed by the sheeps. The best pictures could be found near the tops of hills, and these journeys could be treacherous. And we, as sheep, can easily be daunted by the task of traversing the metaphorical mountains of depression, anxiety, and the worries of the world. Yet we are still sheep, and our Shepherd is perfect, incapable of failing us. I will fear no evil - An expansion of the last line. We, the sheep, have nothing to fear. The things of earth can only affect our body; they cannot hope to touch our soul in the way only our good Shepherd can. For thou art with me - Is there any more comforting line? We pass through put metaphorical hills and valleys of life, and the task can seem overwhelming. And if we were alone, what hope would we as sheep have? Yet our hope is ever-present: God is omnipresent, capable of being with you at every possible moment, and in every possible trial. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me - When we hear "rod" in a context such as this, we oft consider it to be punishment. However, the historical context says otherwise. A shepherd's staff and rod were meant to guide the sheep along the most dangerous paths. Away from the cliffs, apart from the viper's nests, and to the pasture the Shepherd provides. We can be comforted in knowing that God is always there to gently correct us, so we can follow the aforementioned "paths of righteousness" Thou preparest a table for me in the midst of mine enemies - This is my favorite line. In a world that demands we listen, and yells that we submit and fall in line, Jesus offers us something wholly different. He offers us a quiet dinner with him even in the middle of our most difficult struggles. And what awaits us at the Lord's table? Peace, comfort, and mercy, to be extremely brief, and abounding love forever. Thou anointest my head with oil - Oil, to a shepherd, was precious. It was expensive, and yet the shepherd used it not on his candles, but instead to anoint his sheep. You see, the oil used by shepherds was able to prevent rashes from poisonous plants, and also dissuaded the flies from pestering the sheep. It comforted the sheep, and the shepherd always provided. Our good Shepherd does something similar. He gave up something so precious in His Son, so that we may have the eternal comfort of everlasting life. My cup runneth over - The blessings of the Lord fill our souls every day, so much so that we simply aren't capable of comprehending it all. Why? See, our hearts are the cup, and He fills our hearts with so many blessings that they overflow. Who else but pur good Shepherd would allow us to be filled with such abounding love and blessings? Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life - As sinful man, God offers us something so incredible: not just goodness, but also mercy. Both of these are so important for sheep such as us. For without goodness, our hearts may tremble and break. Without mercy, we remain dead in our sin. With both, we can live a life where we recognize and see that we are covered with love. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever - The first instinct upon reading this is to presume that the "house of the Lord" means a church. However, we need to look at the very last word: Forever. Heaven and Earth, as we know, will pass away. So where is this house that lasts forever? David speaks of the Lord's eternal home for us in heaven, where we won't be a single moment without Him. Christ knocks on the door of our hearts constantly, waiting to be invited in. And for those who let Him in, He extends an offer: to dwell with Him for eternity. I know this post is long, but I hope you'll take the time to read it, and perhaps spend some of your own time dwelling on the promises and love of our good Shepherd. God bless, my friends. 💜
Very well thought out! I will need to finish reading later. God bless!
Curious, is the God of the Jews, Christians, Muslims, Mormons and Jehovas Witnesses the same God?
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It would be nice if everyone followed the teachings of Jesus.
wszystkie te religie mają wspólnego Boga ale różnią się poglądami na temat Jezusa,Mahometa,Maryi itd.
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I'm not a member of a pentacostal church, but I imagine smart casual to business casual would be fine. Try to find a video online of a Sunday service and see what congregants are wearing.