Living in the Reality of Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is one of those chapters in the Bible that truly encompasses the greatness of God and what He does for each and every one of us. It’s a psalm that we are taught as children because, in a way, it is a very simple explanation of who God is.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

So often we refer to the Lord as our shepherd, but how often do we really consider the weight of that fact. Being a shepherd means being responsible for feeding and tending to the sheep. We are fed by the word of the living God. He encourages and satisfies us in a way that nothing else can. Also, He tends to us. He walks by our side every second of every day. He has His hand forever extended towards us, all we have to do is accept it. Because He is our shepherd, because he feeds and tends to us, we lack nothing. We have everything we could ever need in the Lord. He is our ultimate provider.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soil; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

Psalm 23:2 paints a beautiful picture of what rest and peace in God looks like. Not only does God fulfill us and walk with us, but He also gives us rest. He provides a place where we can cast off our burdens and finally just find peace in Him. The Lord calms storms and provides peace. Verse 3 shows us that not only does the Lord offer rest and peace, but He also restores us. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He rebuilt the bridge between us and God and He restored us into communication with Him. Through His sacrifice, we were given the gift of prayer. In prayer, we can ask God for guidance and verse 3 says he will provide it. He leads us in paths of righteousness.

“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.”

Much of our lives are lived in valleys. Life following Christ is never promised to be easy, in facts it’s the opposite, but we are promised that we will never be left alone in those hard times. We need not be afraid because God is more powerful than any valley. His rod and His staff comfort us. His rod represents protection and His staff, guidance. He is our guide and our protector, especially in the dark valleys.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”

The part of Psalm 23:5 that stands out to me the most is the last part. He anoints our heads with oil, our cups overflow. James 5:14 shows us that anointing with oil was an act of healing. When David says that God anoints our heads with oil, He is saying that God heals us. However, that healing is not always in the form we expect it to be. But that begs the question, are your expectations of God’s work in your life keeping you from seeing it? Healing can mean many things. Sometimes it means restoration to health, sometimes it means an end to suffering, and sometimes it means stepping away from something that is hurting you. When you trust the Lord with your life, He will provide healing and restoration in ways that you cannot imagine. Your cup will run over when you place it in God’s hands. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God can do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine, so maybe today is the day that you lay down those worries at the feet of the Lord, because He will use them, just like He will use YOU!

“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 is such a beautiful way to conclude this psalm. It is a proclamation that must be made in response to all that we have learned in this chapter. The Lord is our shepherd, our rest, our peace, our restoration, our protector and our guide, our healer, and our provider. Therefore, surely goodness and mercy will follow those who place their faith and trust in Him. When we dwell in Him, we allow Him to work in our lives in unimaginable ways.

So, one final thought, if God promises us that He will do all of this, what is holding us back from living a life 100% devoted to Him? What worries or responsibilities are we trying to hold onto that are keeping us from living a fully surrendered life to the Lord?