THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
BY EVANGELINE UNITY ESAABA FOLSON
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters
He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake
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.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies:
Thou anointed my head with oil;
My cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23 is one of the shortest among the Psalms. It is the most popular of the Psalms written by King David. He himself was a Shepherd and compared the character and attributes of God with that of a Shepherd.
In Israel, the work of a Shepherd was very difficult because shepherds could sacrifice anything for the safety of their sheep.
To throw more light on the meaning and message in the passage, short commentaries would be given on each of the verses.
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
Some translations of the same verse read:
The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.
There are verses in the bible that refer to God as “Jehovah Jireh” which means, the Lord our provider. If Jehovah Jireh is the one who looks after you (Shepherd) then all your needs that fall in line with his plan for your life will be met. He will ensure that you have everything you need.
VERSE 2
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Water, food, and shelter are the major needs of every living thing – plants, animals, and human beings. The Lord knows that we need a place to rest and food to eat to regain our strength.
Like a good shepherd, the Lord will lead us to water, food, and a place to rest. He has provided his children with the Holy Spirit to strengthen, lead, and guide us in our life here on earth.
His word or the bible is available to feed our soul and give us the strength to do what he has placed us here on earth to do – fulfill our destiny.
He has given us access to his presence through prayer, praise, and worship. As we pray, praise, and worship, He gives us rest.
VERSE 3
He restoreth my soul, He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for His name sake.
When you are beaten down by the storms of life and you are tired and do not know what to do – God steps on – brings back our strength and shows us what path to follow in life.
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.
In those times when we feel threatened and lost in fear and we have given up all hope. This verse says even in those times there is no need to fear evil or what the devil throws at us. He will give the comfort and protection we need.
VERSE 5
Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointed my head with oil, my cup runneth over.
When those around you have given up hope for your life becoming successful, God opens doors that have been shut before you and anoint you into for service to Him.
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.
According to this verse, God promises that you will experience His goodness and mercy in every area of your life. To show your gratitude you should also “dwell in the house of the Lord forever”. This implies that as long as you live, you should serve in the house of the Lord.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
With the Lord as your Shepherd, you can fulfill your destiny. God would guide and direct on what you should do. He will also use the Holy Spirit to strengthen and empower you to do all He wants you to do.
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