Psalm 23 Explained

In Depth Study of Psalm 23

Did you read Psalm 23 this past Wednesday? It's one of my favorite Psalms. I hope you read it. I hope you can understand what it actually means. This is what we are talking about today. Psalm 23, what does it mean? Why is it a song you should claim as your own? Why you should sing it with great joy and thanksgiving? Why it should comfort your very Soul?

Let us begin..

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

Stop. The Lord is my Shepard. What does this actually mean? Jesus said this.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."{John 10:7-11}

Now there is a wealth of information there. Jesus is our Shepard. He is the only way to get from here, to Heaven. He is the one that stands by and watches as we simply live. He is the one that stands guard to protect us from any harm that threatens us. Even to the point of laying down his own life for us.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He also says that whosoever is of His Flock, will never worry about Food or Water. Remember, He is the door, we shall go in and out, and find pasture. Sheep need Pastures for what reason? To eat. Right? Jesus said this about Himself

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." {John 6:51}

He also told us that as Him as our Shepard, we should have no fear of the lack of needs..

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." {Matthew 6:25-33}

Let's move on to the next..

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

Well? Just like the Bread from Heaven, Jesus made this statement about Himself.

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." {John 4:14}

This is what the whole Communion thing is all about. When we break the Bread, and we Drink the Wine, we do this in remembrance of what Jesus did for us. The Bread is His Body, the bread from Heaven. The Wine is His Blood, that He shed for us. The Bread from Heaven, The Water of Life. Jesus our Lord..

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

What does this mean?

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."{John 14: 16-17}

Who?

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."{John 14: 26}

That's right. The Holy Spirit. He will come and He will commune with our Spirit. He will restore your connection with God. Cleanse you of all unrighteousness. He will strengthen us. He will Teach us. He will guide us. He will make it possible for us to declare, Greater is He in me, than in all the World.. {1 John 4:4}

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Not only should we be comforted, not only should we fear not that our needs will be met, we should have NO fear of ANYTHING..

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." {1 John 4:4}

Paul goes into great detail to explain this in his letter to those in Rome.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

We are MORE THAN Conquerors. We have already won the Battle. We already have the Victory. There is NOTHING that can defeat us.

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." {Romans 8:35-39}

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Think about this. Your enemies are plotting your harm. They are scheming and planning. They are preparing to do bad things to you. Yet, in the middle of all this, The Lord will prepare a table for you. He will say, sit and eat. Relax and enjoy the meal. Why? God loves us.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."{1 John 4:4}

But these people will hurt you. They will misuse you. They will mistreat you. That is their main goal. But the Lord says, sit and eat. Do not worry about those trying to knock down the door. Do not worry about those who are encircling you. Those that are coming against you..

"Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you." {Isaiah 35:4}

If they have attempted to harm you?

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." {Romans 12:19}

There is NOTHING you could ever do to anyone, that is even worthy to be compared to what God can and will do to them. So why worry about them. They are in God's hands. Let Him deal with them..

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Why? Again, we have the Holy Spirit, given to us by Jesus, because we have been CHOSEN by GOD. We are Children of God..

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." {Romans 8:16-18}

It doesn't matter what happens in the World. It doesn't mater what is happening all around you. Bad things will come. Bad things will happen. But we need not have ANY fear whatsoever, because HE is our Shepard. He is our Provider. God is our Daddy.

"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. " {Matthew 24:9-13}

We can endure til the end, because we know, the Victory is assured. We know that we have already won. We know, that the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, The Lord of lords, and the King of kings, God almighty is our Father, Jesus is our Shepard, and The Holy Spirit is in us.

We already know where we are going. Jesus told us so..

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." {John 14:3}

Now you know. Now you understand. Now you get why Psalm 23 is one that you should sing from the Roof Tops. Why it is one you can claim as your own and take to heart what it means. Oh sing it with Praise and Thanksgiving..

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth 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 thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." {Psalm 23}

Sing it Child of God. Sing it loud. Sing it with Joy. For there is nothing that can stand against it. Do you want to be able to sing this Psalm with all confidence, that it applies to you. You can. It really is this simple. All you have to do is ask the Shepard to become YOUR Shepard. All you have to do is be adopted into the Family of God All you have to do is accept Jesus..

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..