Psalm 23

I couldn't wait to write about this.  Last night I was having a Jesus Date at Duos, writing in my journal and having a back and forth conversation with God in my heart.  I was reading the Psalm chapter that my young adult group would be reading and praying over, and my heart jumped when I started.  I want to share the insight of these 6 verses, and why these play such a huge role in my life.  I had been opened to newer ideas, and I can't keep silent about it.  I want to share.  I am also excited because this is what I would call my prophetic passage.  I was given this passage in a dream and draw from this very often.  

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

 This psalm takes the whole chapter and titles it one thing, but really there are two different pictures happening in these 6 verses.  Verses 1-4 talks about The Good Shepherd, but 5 and 6 don't talk about a shepherd, but a host to his guest.  I didn't make this connection until I dug into it more.  For now, let me divide the chapter up and highlight where my jump really feels comfort.  

"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack no good thing." 

What a statement...David starts off saying "God, you are all I need."  If I have you, I don't need anything else.  And then David explains why this is so true to him.  

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul."

Looking at this from a sheep/shepherd standpoint, we see that this points to God providing for us our daily needs.  Sheep need to graze and drink water.  God leads them to a rich supply of that and we can trust that God will lead us to what we need. 
 
Also, I LOVE this visual because it is God leading me to his creation and allowing me to soak in His Peace through that.  We get so busy we miss out of God's creation, and here it says "he leads me"  I don't go myself.  He shows me the beauty.  He reveals the glory.  He restores me.  I love water so much, and sitting beside a running creek or river fills me with absolute peace...the ocean takes my breath away.  I feel this section is where David and I really had a heart to heart about what the LORD does within our souls.  I feel so full of the Holy Spirit when he makes me quiet down in His creation, reminding me that He gives me all I need. 

"He guides me along right paths for his name's sake." 

Okay...last night was the first time I was really confused with the phrase "for his name's sake."  What did that even mean?  Did it mean that God was leading us to keep his name from being soiled?  Was His divine reasoning for guiding us to keep His name Holy and righteous?  Well...heh.  He keeps it Holy for sure, but it's deeper than that.  God does what He does because that's just they way He is. 

  

"...for his name's sake"  For the purpose of his name.  For the intent of his name.  

I feel this says "it is because of who you are that you act by guiding me in paths of righteousness."   It is a great assurance of His Presence and love because it is, Who He is.  The phrase makes me think of the part of "You are God Alone" where it says "You are God, that's just the way it is." 

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;" 

It doesn't say "I will never walk through the darkest valley."  Catch that?  As the sheep being led by our Shepherd, we are to trust wherever He takes us...and David isn't promising that it won't get iffy.  What he is promising is that the Shepherd will always be with us, so we don't have to be afraid.  

"your rod and your staff they comfort me."  

These tools of a shepherd are used to guide his sheep along paths and keep them out of harms way.  I imagine they are also used to keep pursuing predators away.  David understood full well.  

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."  

In these times, when a guest was invited into a man's home, they were held in highest esteem.  They were within security and strong protection of the host, assuring them safety as long as they were in that place.  Remember Lot and the guests (angels)?  Lot offered his own daughters to the angry mob before he turned his guests over.  Don't ask me my...

I believe that is what is being drawn in this verse.  David is assured that the LORD is offering him divine protection even in the presence of his enemies.  He has nothing to be afraid of.  

"You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."  

Again, showing high esteem for his guests and providing for them to the fullest.  

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,"  

I read this verse in another translation, and having one word changed made this verse all the more amazing.  "pursue"  Surely your goodness and love will PURSUE me all the days of my life.  (also, see how love and mercy are interchangeable?)  When I read follow, I pictured it more like "oh his love is just always with me"  But no...His goodness and love GOES AFTER me.  Not just sits with me.  It full-blown pursues me!  It initiates and continually wins me over the things of this world.  How amazing!  

"And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

 Amen.  Just another verse saying "All I know is I'm not home yet, this is not where I belong."  What a promise we have to look forward to.  

And it's because of Who God is...last night when I was sitting, I was challenged because of the phrase "for his name's sake" to see the attributes of God in everything I read last night.  I made lists of who God was in the things He did.  So awesome...it really felt like I was delighting in God the way He intended us to do it.  Sure, he gives us promises and may show us some amazing things that we can do, but it's beyond that.  God is God.  We can't understand fully, but what an amazing truth in itself!  Look deeper into Who God is by the attributes He reveals in His Word, and prepare to be blown away that this God pursues you all the days of your life.  

I love you all.