Did you ever consider what a beautiful thought God has revealed to us through the twenty third Psalm? Perhaps you are like many other people and have not taken the time to consider the greatness of the message found in the words to this Psalm if David. Let’s take a careful look at the contents of this Psalm, please note the text is from the N.K.J.V. Bible.
Psalms 23:1-6; The LORD the Shepherd of His People A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths 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 You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs 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.” NKJV
COMMENTS ON VERSE 1:
“The Lord is my shepherd;” David acknowledges that Jehovah is his leader (i.e. shepherd) and that implies that he is ready to follow him wherever he leads.
“I shall not want” David knows that whatever he needs God will provide. Many times we are not satisfied with what we need, we are dissatisfied, but if one could really understand as did David — nothing is important but having a right relationship with God and if that relationship is right all other things are easy to accept and deal with in life.
COMMENTS ON VERSE 2:
“He Makes me to lie down in green pastures” This statement surely implies that David considers himself blessed for the peacefulness of mind he enjoys.
“He leads me beside the still waters” This statement implies peacefulness and quietness of mind {i.e. spirit}. That peacefulness and quietness of mind is to be understood whenever one puts their life into the hands of Jehovah cf., Romans 8:28, “And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, (even) to them that are called according to (his) purpose.” ASV
Note also 2 Timothy 1:12, “For which cause I suffer also these things: yet I am not ashamed; for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed unto him against that day.” ASV
COMMENTS ON VERSE 3:
“he restores my soul” This phrase indicates that David felt renewed constantly as a result of his relationship with Jehovah.
“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name sake” This phrase indicates that David is convinced that Jehovah is leading him correctly, for his own sake and for the glory of Himself.
COMMENT ON VERSE 4:
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” What great confidence and trust David possesses in Jehovah, indicated by the fact that he is not afraid or concerned even of death.
“for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me,” The grounds of David’s lack of fear resides in his knowledge of Jehovah’s power and ability {cf., indicated by the use of the words; rod and staff in the text} to preserve and protect him even though he die.
COMMENTS ON VERSE 5:
“You prepared a table for me in the presence of mine enemies; You anoint my head with oil.” This reference is an indication of the thankfulness that David has toward Jehovah in view of the fact that he has been anointed King of Israel. David is conscious of the fact that his office as king is a result of God’s kindness and confidence in him.
“my cup runneth over” This phrase indicates that David feels confident that his life and good fortune as provided by Jehovah is complete (i.e. as full as possible).
COMMENTS ON VERSE 6:
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” David indicates that he looks forward to living a good life supervised by God’s care for all time he is permitted to reside in His Care.
“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” David has sufficient confidence in God’s care to look forward to a future home with God beyond the grave. As others of the Old Testament period hoped for — cf., Hebrews 11, shows that they shared David’s hope of a resurrection to be with Jehovah.
DO YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?
You can have that kind of confidence in God and your future if you will make a decision to be a Christian and live as a faithful disciple the rest of your life on the earth. Indeed, it may be difficult at times to hold fast to the faith {cf. Jude 3, “Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.” ASV} but the example of David and the example of the faithful ones listed in Hebrews 11 will encourage us that it can be done. Since this is so, let us endeavor with all our ability to apply our hearts to serving and glorifying God, as HE would have us do.