A Psalm Of Promise, Psalm 23
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
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 goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
We all know this Psalm, most of us recognise it as one read at funerals as a passage of comfort for those mourning death. For me this Psalm is not only a comfort in times of mourning but an encouragement to enhance our living.It fosters ideas that lead us to holy confidence in our God. God's word, the Bible is so deep and rich, and the message within is one of hope and expectation of getting to know Him more intimately as we choose to follow Him. Lets look at what this Psalm promises those who choose to make God their All.
Promise #1 - God is our Shepherd, our care taker, protector,rescuer,provider, Under His care ALL of our needs are met.
Promise # 2 - God takes us to places of plenty He fulfills our lives, brings peace to our chaos, offers us His best, again meeting our needs.
Promise #3 - When God brings us to this place of peace and fullness, he doesn't just leave us there to fend for ourselves, He restores our souls, nourishes our spirits and fill us to overflowing with His love and peace. Restoring means bringing something back to its original condition. Sometime, by the time we come to God we feel beaten down and broken from being out in the storms of life on our own. When we finally find God and enter His flock His work on restoring us begins. God takes our hand and leads us down His path of righteousness. This Restoration and transformation brings glory to His name, we become a witness to His faithfulness and love.
Promise # 4 - Even though there may be times in our lives of great struggle and sorrow, trial and tribulation, hurt and pain, frustrations and illness, even when it feels like to world has dumped all of its garbage right on our heads, we have nothing to fear because God is right there with us. God is always with us bring comfort, encouraging, strengthening, and helping to dig us out from under the garbage heap. As a shepherd tends his sheep, so God tends to us. We may find ourselves in some pretty precarious situations over the course of our life time but Fear Not! God is there and working to free you from your mess.
Promise # 5 - God promises peace, protection, and confidence in Him, so much so that we are able to "dine" in the presence of our enemies. Imagine feeling calm enough to sit right in from of someone wanting to kill you and enjoy a meal. It's that kind of peace and protection that we find in God. We are under His special anointing, His silver spoon is in our mouths. I like the picture of our cups overflowing and washing the enemy away!
Promise # 6 - Surely, yes surely, when we are walking with God, goodness and love will follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell in His house forever.
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
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 goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
We all know this Psalm, most of us recognise it as one read at funerals as a passage of comfort for those mourning death. For me this Psalm is not only a comfort in times of mourning but an encouragement to enhance our living.It fosters ideas that lead us to holy confidence in our God. God's word, the Bible is so deep and rich, and the message within is one of hope and expectation of getting to know Him more intimately as we choose to follow Him. Lets look at what this Psalm promises those who choose to make God their All.
Promise #1 - God is our Shepherd, our care taker, protector,rescuer,provider, Under His care ALL of our needs are met.
Promise # 2 - God takes us to places of plenty He fulfills our lives, brings peace to our chaos, offers us His best, again meeting our needs.
Promise #3 - When God brings us to this place of peace and fullness, he doesn't just leave us there to fend for ourselves, He restores our souls, nourishes our spirits and fill us to overflowing with His love and peace. Restoring means bringing something back to its original condition. Sometime, by the time we come to God we feel beaten down and broken from being out in the storms of life on our own. When we finally find God and enter His flock His work on restoring us begins. God takes our hand and leads us down His path of righteousness. This Restoration and transformation brings glory to His name, we become a witness to His faithfulness and love.
Promise # 4 - Even though there may be times in our lives of great struggle and sorrow, trial and tribulation, hurt and pain, frustrations and illness, even when it feels like to world has dumped all of its garbage right on our heads, we have nothing to fear because God is right there with us. God is always with us bring comfort, encouraging, strengthening, and helping to dig us out from under the garbage heap. As a shepherd tends his sheep, so God tends to us. We may find ourselves in some pretty precarious situations over the course of our life time but Fear Not! God is there and working to free you from your mess.
Promise # 5 - God promises peace, protection, and confidence in Him, so much so that we are able to "dine" in the presence of our enemies. Imagine feeling calm enough to sit right in from of someone wanting to kill you and enjoy a meal. It's that kind of peace and protection that we find in God. We are under His special anointing, His silver spoon is in our mouths. I like the picture of our cups overflowing and washing the enemy away!
Promise # 6 - Surely, yes surely, when we are walking with God, goodness and love will follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell in His house forever.
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