When I was a young girl of about 5 -6 years of age, my wonderful Christian Grandma Hoeksema helped me memorize two important texts – The Lord’s Prayer, and Psalm 23. Let’s talk about the Psalm.
Because this was so long ago, the preferred translation was the King James Version. So I’m going to use that one in honor of my grandmother’s version of her Bible.
I can assure you that, as a five-year-old little girl, I likely had no idea exactly what this Psalm was telling me. I could take a guess at some of the phrases, but I don’t recall feeling any spiritual connection with this Psalm at the time. I was just happy to spend time with Grandma.
As the years passed and God sent both sunshine and rain into my life, this Psalm became more and more of a comfort, and a reminder of who Jesus is and what our relationship with him can and should be.
Let’s take a verse by verse trip through this beloved Psalm and see how God has opened my eyes on this journey called life.
Verse 1—The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
I now understand more fully the relationship between the Shepherd and his sheep. In many cases, the shepherd was also the owner, and that’s how we should view this relationship.
Not only were we created by Jesus (Col 1:16-17), but he went all the way to the cross, taking the penalty for our sins, to purchase our salvation through the blood of his sacrifice (1 Peter 1:19).
In the most personal of descriptions, we sheep recognize the voice of our Shepherd (John 10:27). What more could I want?
Verse 2—He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Don’t you feel more peaceful simply by reading this verse? That’s the goal here. God knows how incredibly important it is for us experience his rest. It was part of creation from the beginning. There are 344 references to the word “rest” in the Bible.
Where do we find this rest? Through a Sunday afternoon nap? Humanly speaking, I guess that’s possible, but true, soul-quenching rest comes when we rest in Jesus. Turn your troubles over to him (Matt. 11:28-30).
Verse 3—He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
That rest we just referred to in verse 2 is great preparation for the paths God is going to lead us down. Those paths of righteousness where he opens the door to opportunities for service and witness for him. If we will follow, God will lead us well. Never forget he has created good works for us to walk into (Eph. 2:10).
Verse 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.
With the possible exception of the opening phrase of this Psalm, I would guess this is the most quoted portion of Psalm 23. Why would that be? For me, it’s because I now know how it feels to “walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” I need the assurance that God walks with me.
The rod represents God’s strength to protect us from our enemies (Satan’s “wolves”), and the staff was used to lift the lambs into his arms. What a precious picture of strength and love this gives us. And it’s exactly the reminder I need when I feel stuck in that valley.
Verse 5—Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
If we look at this verse in the context of Host and guest, which is one interpretation, we can see that we are Jesus’ honored guest at this feast, while our enemies can simply watch without partaking. In this context, the anointing of oil is a sign that we are “set apart.” How could our cup of joy not overflow when we are in Jesus’ presence at a magnificent feast.
Verse 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.
A powerful reminder that, despite that valley we just walked through, God’s undeserved goodness and his incredible mercy will be constant companions on this journey. And the final reward and greatest hope and joy? Of course, it’s dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. It’s the cry of my heart on a regular basis!
Aside from the specific truths I’ve learned through each verse, there are three more important messages I want to share with you:
- The overall message is that God’s Word is “living and active” (Heb. 4:12). I understood virtually nothing about what this Psalm was teaching me as that five year old. But now, many years later, I can say I’ve experienced each and every verse in such a personal way. God is growing me through these experiences.
- The fruit that my grandmother sowed in this young heart so long ago, is growing. So, we are all likely the parents or grandparents or neighbors who can do the same sowing in the young hearts in our own lives. Don’t miss those precious opportunities!
- Even a text that we think we’ve heard or read so many times that it could never teach us anything new, God can use to open our eyes to new truths. May his Word never become too familiar.
Let them [God’s Word] not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:22-23
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