PSALM 23 – MAKE IT PERSONAL
In the middle of the night, the Holy Spirit woke me to his Psalm. And that awakening led me to his VIDEO and to make Psalm 23 personal.
PSALM 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He maketh ME to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth ME beside the still waters.3 He restoreth MY soul: he leadeth ME in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.4 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.5 Thou preparest a table before ME in the presence of MINE enemies: thou anointest MY head with oil; MY cup runneth over.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow ME all the days of MY life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
As I read each scripture, the words I, ME, MY, and MINE popped off the screen at me.
4 references to the word ‘I’
8 references to the word ‘ME’
2 references to the word ‘MY’
1 reference to the word ‘MINE’
WOW! 15 TIMES > PSALM 23 IS DEFINITELY A PERSONAL PSALM!
PSALM 23 – MAKE IT PERSONAL
In fact, when David (a SHEPHERD) wrote this PSALM, it truly was HIS PERSONAL HEART reflecting on his LOVE for his LORD.
34 I work as a shepherd for my father. Whenever a lion or a bear has come and attacked one of my lambs, 35 I have gone after it and struck it down to rescue the lamb from the predator’s mouth; if it turned to attack me, I would take it by the chin, beat it, and kill it 36 I have killed both a lion and a bear; and as your servant I will kill this uncircumcised Philistine, too, since he has dared to taunt the armies of the living God.
AND THEN …
The revelation of ‘IT IS PERSONAL’ came to view. This Psalm was PERSONAL to DAVID and it is PERSONAL for ME.
Psalm comes from the Hebrew origin meaning SONG. the Holy Spirit led me to this SONG. And it was this song that led me to write this article.
METAPHOR: PSALM 23 uses the metaphor of a shepherd’s care for his sheep to describe the wisdom, strength, and kindness of God. David was familiar with shepherding, 1 SAMUEL 17:34-36, as he describes God’s care in providing refreshment, guidance, protection, and abundance.
I SHALL NOT WANT
PSALM 23:1 The LORD is my SHEPHERD, I shall NOT WANT
SHEPHERD: a person who takes care of and guards a flock of sheep.
WORDS OF PROTECTION: Takes care of and guards (THE LORD) his sheep (me). Sheep are mentioned in the Good Book > Bible more than 500 times, more than any other animal. It appears in the Gospels of MATTHEW 18:12-14 and LUKE 15:3-7. It is about a shepherd who leaves his flock of ninety-nine in order to find the lost ONE. That ONE is ME. As the shepherd provided the NEEDS of his sheep in the Old Testament, Jesus is the SHEPHERD who provides MY needs in the New Testament.
In addition, this word is used throughout the Holy Scriptures to symbolically refer to God’s people. Sheep obey the SHEPHERD because they hear HIS VOICE and have confidence in that voice.
I shall not want. I do not want because THE LORD takes care of and guards ME.
GOD PROVIDES REST AND PEACE
PSALM 23:2 He maketh ME to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth ME beside the still waters.
Consequently, when David says that GOD maketh ME lie down, he’s not communicating the idea of force. God doesn’t make ME lie down; He offers ME peace and contentment every day when I seek Him. The next action word is leadeth (to encourage someone to do something). Maketh and encourage are two different action words.
As parents, we MAKETH our children NAP when they need it because it is BEST for them. GOD wants the best for ME > LIE DOWN to refresh MY soul and body.
Green Pastures: “pastures of tender grass,” are mentioned, not in respect to food, but as places of cool and refreshing rest.
The SHEPHERD created areas where the sheep can rest at night in safety. They TRUST in their SHEPHERD and follow his VOICE. Green pastures are MY areas of RESTING under MY SHEPHERD (God’s) watchful eye.
STILL WATERS
AND THEN God leadeth (to encourage someone to do something) ME beside still waters.
STILL WATERS are not swift-moving rivers or streams, but a shallow trickle of water gently flowing along. Ankle-high and bubbling make it calming to the soul. A place where I can breathe deeply and take in the sounds of nature. A place where I can BLOCK-OUT the world.
God leads ME to green pastures and along still waters; a great verse to focus on when I am feeling stressed! It reminds ME that GOD is guiding MY steps. All I have to do is TRUST in HIM.
RESTORETH MY SOUL – MAKES IT PERSONAL
PSALM 23:3. He restoreth MY soul; He leadeth ME in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
RESTORETH: to revive, to give new strength or energy
SOUL: Souls belong to the Lord. He created them when he created ME.
Our soul perceives things in the psychological realm. In fact, in Greek—the original language of the New Testament—the word for soul is psuche, which is also the root word of psychology.
LEADETH: to encourage someone to do something
Paths of righteousness–those of safety, morally correct and justifiable, as directed by God, and pleasing to Him.
For His name sake: Jesus, My Lord
Likewise, it is God’s desire to restore MY soul, to revive ME in Him. It is only through His power and grace that I can be restored. He alone deserves all the glory and worship for it. This verse references MY and ME. Two personal words. God renews MY mislead SOUL and guides ME to his WORD (SPIRIT) in the name of the LORD > Jesus Christ.
I FEAR NO EVIL
PSALM 23:4 Yeah, 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.
Two powerful action words > WALK THROUGH, not taking up residence. When I stay in the darkness, I will remain in the darkness.
David could walk through dark areas, perhaps even death, fearlessly because the LORD walked with him. David explains his lack of fear because ‘you are with ME.” If he was with DAVID, he is also with ME.
ROD AND STAFF
These two words created a vivid image in my mind. It was the TOOL that the shepherd used to lead and guide his sheep to safety and refreshment.
The ROD was a cudgel; a short, thick, heavy stick similar to what modern people might call a baton or mace. It was worn at the shepherd’s belt.
The STAFF was a long, lightweight pole with a curved end – a crook, that the shepherd used to move, to count, and to examine the sheep at evening when they returned to the fold. The shepherd used both as weapons to protect the sheep. David trusted the Lord to protect him, just as the shepherd protected his sheep from attacking animals.
Jesus is MY GOOD SHEPHERD (JOHN 10:11, 14)
With ME always (MATTHEW 28:20)
Never abandons ME (DEUTERONOMY 31:6)
He is with ME when I walk over rough ground and still waters (PSALM 23:2)
Gives ME eternal life (JOHN 10:28)
PREPARE AND ANNOINT
PSALM 23:5 Thou preparest a table before ME in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest MY head with oil; MY cup runneth over.
PREPAREST: make something ready for use
ANOINTEST: a symbol of consecration (declaring something sacred)
RUNNETH: overflows
As a result, God is MY gracious host who provides a banquet for an honored guest, ME. His feast for ME is so great that it is MORE THAN ENOUGH for MY needs. They are so plentiful that they overpower MY enemies. The cup David depicts as overflowing may refer to a Shepherd used to give water to thirsty sheep. The Lord provides ME with more generously than MY heart can desire.
David compares the SHEPHERD with his LORD throughout PSALM 23.
GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME
PSALM 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow ME all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
SURELY: used to emphasize firm belief
GOODNESS: the quality of being morally good or virtuous
MERCY: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm
DWELL: live in or at a specified place
WOW! Verse 6 summarizes PSALM 23. I have a Firm belief in God’s virtue, compassion, and power and that I am to stay there FOREVER. This verse makes it abundantly clear > The near presence of the SHEPHERD with His LOVING care is an indisputable TRUTH that I CAN BELIEVE IN.
IN CONCLUSION
PSALM 23 took on ME on a journey of a SHEPHERD’S life with His SHEEP >ME. He protects ME and then fills ME with HIS BLESSINGS.
In conclusion, As YOU read PSALM 23 for yourself, PLACE your name as the I, ME, MY, MINE!!!
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He maketh ME to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth ME beside the still waters.3 He restoreth MY soul: he leadeth ME in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.4 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.5 Thou preparest a table before ME in the presence of MINE enemies: thou anointest MY head with oil; MY cup runneth over.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow ME all the days of MY life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
150 PSALMS IN THE OLD TESTAMEMT
There are 150 PSALMS in the OLD TESTAMENT. They give us the means to come to prayer in a fresh state of mind.
Start with PSALM 1:1-6 called the WISDOM PSALM because we learn that happiness results from our choice to FOLLOW God’s direction of life.
PSALM 117 is the middle of the Bible. It consists of two verses, the shortest PSALM and also the shortest chapter in the whole Bible.
PSALM 117:1-2 Oh PRAISE the Lord, all ye nations, praise him, all ye people.
2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us; and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise the Lord.
The last PSALM 150:1-6 is the conclusion to a collection of FIVE praise PSALMS 146-150 where everyone and everything are to PRAISE GOD everywhere.
Are you ready to make the LORD YOUR SHEPHERD? FOLLOW his VOICE and you will never be the same!!!
2 thoughts on “PSALM 23 – MAKE IT PERSONAL”
Beautiful Nancy! As usual! This post really emphasizes the goodness of God and that when David says that His rod and His staff, “they comfort me,” that’s exactly what he meant! Jesus is LORD!
Thank you, Star! You have inspired this post with your life as evidence of YOU MAKING THIS PSALM PERSONAL!!! Blessings to you, Nancy