Psalm 23
Psalm 23:1
The Lord is My Shepherd.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
23:4 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.
23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
The 23rd Psalm is one of the most quoted passages in all of Scripture. It’s message is endearing, poetic, and soothing to the soul. In it one catches a glimpse of the tender soul of David who had once watched over his father’s sheep. This psalm reflects the relationship that David had with the Lord:
The Lord is my SHEPHERD: a shepherd is (lit.) one who guards / tends sheep; (fig.) one who cares for, guides or teaches.
The LORD is my shepherd: Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” (Jn. 10:11-15); the “Great Shepherd” (Heb. 13:20); the “Chief Shepherd” (1 Pet. 5:4).
The Lord is MY shepherd: this is a possessive term implying ownership – as in “…my Lord and my God!” (Jn. 20:28)
Whoever obeys the gospel becomes a Christian and is, therefore, a lamb of the Lord’s pasture. Only then can we say, “the Lord is my shepherd”.