I decided I would write something about who God is to me on each Sunday leading to Christmas. I am starting with one of my favorite passages. This brings such comfort in all seasons of our walk.
Psalm 23
- The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
- He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
- He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
- Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I 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 have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
- Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
I love Psalm 23. It’s words have brought me comfort since I was a little girl. Over the course of my life, different verses from it have stuck out depending on what I was going through. This Psalm brings peace and hope. It is a reminder of who our God truly is.
When David wrote this psalm, he knew exactly what it meant to be a shepherd to the sheep in his care. After all, this was his lowly beginning before he became king. He knew the importance of the shepherd being everything to them, protecting them from all harm, guiding them down all paths. This Psalm is very personal. David could have said ‘THE Shepherd” but instead he said “MY Shepherd”. Then he wrote how his God cares for him. He fully understood that without a Shepherd, sheep would wander aimlessly. They needed someone to guide them.
I believe before this Psalm can mean anything to us, we must see ourselves as “sheep”. Sheep are completely dependent on their shepherd. I have read that sheep have a hard time relaxing and lying down unless their conditions are perfect. Here David shows us that the Shepherd takes his sheep to green pastures and quiet waters. He leads them back when they wander off, comforts them and guides them. He protects them from the enemy. He makes sure they have food when they are hungry and water when they are thirsty. He is with them from beginning to end meeting their every need.
How fascinating that the God who created the heavens and earth chose to be our Shepherd. Meditate on that!!! Find comfort and security in that. See yourself as a sheep in need of the Great Shepherd!!!!!
The Lord is MY Shepherd!!!! He is MY leader. He is MY protector. He is My guide. MY rest. MY comfort. MY Savior. MY everything.
PLUS….It’s pretty cool to think that when Jesus was born, the angels came to the shepherds and their flock. The sheep may have been one of the first to see baby Jesus….just saying!!!!!
Journey To ALL Health 