THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

Psalm 23:1-6 / Keywords 23:1

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

 

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

23:1 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.

Footnotes

a. Psalm 23:4 Or the valley of the shadow of death

 

1. In humility, David professed, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing.” It meant that he was a sheep to the Lord God, his Shepherd. Sheep are dumb and blind. They easily get lost and in dangerous situations like falling off a cliff. They are helpless without the shepherd guiding them. Likewise, we are helpless in this world of sin and against the devil. We need Jesus as our Good Shepherd who guides us to the green pastures and still waters, where we can find true rest and life.

 

2. Moreover, the Lord leads us in paths of righteousness to correct our sinful ways. He trains us in the right way to go. And no matter how dark the valley of the shadow of death is, the Lord is with us, and we are not alone, nor afraid. His rod of encouragement and staff of comfort enable us to pass through the hardest circumstances.

 

3. And then, we find that he has lifted us up to the place of honor before our enemies and prepared a table overflowing with good things for us. We are anointed as his chosen people, and our cup of blessing overflows. We can praise God, thanking him for his goodness and mercy all the days of our lives, with confidence that we will dwell in the house of the Lord in his kingdom forever!

 

Prayer Father, thank you for Jesus my Shepherd.

One Word The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing