Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  Psalm 23:4 Historically, the ‘rod and the staff’ portion of Psalm 23 has been addressed apart from the rest of the verse it sits in.  While it is both instructive and comforting to know that Jesus rod/staff will guide me and protect throughout my life, how does that apply […]

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of evil, You are with me.  Psalm 23:4 Of all evils we witness, the most frightening one is death.  As believers in Jesus, we don’t fear our final destination but the process of getting there.  The process is unknown and no one can come back to tell us what […]

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will feel no evil, for you are with me. Psalm 23:4a The definition of a shadow is an image cast by an object.  The word doesn’t usually bring warm feelings.  Someone hiding in the shadows is a person with a questionable agenda.  […]

He leads me in paths of righteousness . . . Psalm 23:4a The beauty of walking slowly through a passage is being able to look at every little thing as if it were a new gift to unwrap.  As someone well-seasoned in Bible study, I can just assume (especially if I can recite the 23’rd Psalm […]

He restores my soul.  Psalm 23:3 This morning, I thought ~ “I did really well coping with this last week but I don’t know what happened.  I’ve hit a wall with my faith!”  What I’m wishing for is that the state of my faith from last week could be restored. The basic word for ‘restore’ […]

He leads me beside still waters.  Psalm 23:2b From all my years of traveling and fighting the noise in hotels at night, a sound machine is my answer for getting to sleep.  I like the gentle water sounds especially.  They are conducive to resting.  That is why God promises to lead His children beside still […]

He makes me lie down in green pastures. Psalm 23:2 God ‘makes me’ lie down in green pastures. That sounds like it’s done by force against my wishes. It’s not like that! The picture is one of a shepherd who gently leads and this corresponds with the beautiful picture painted by Isaiah. He shall feed […]

I shall not want. Psalm 23:1b The Christian life is a steep climb.  Every plateau is a new level of understanding.  The once simple, sing-song recitations of scripture and cliches take on new dimensions that are both stunning and staggering.  Such is the case with ‘I shall not want.’   I’m doing what I love to do about more than […]

The Lord is my shepherd. Psalm 23:1 In the daytime, sheep are put out to pasture.  They graze, nap in the sun, even play.  At nighttime, they go back into the sheepfold to sleep in safety. Day after day, and night after night, their way of life is unchanged.  Their familiar routine offers security, abundance, […]

The Lord is my shepherd.  Psalm 23:1 Shepherding was a common occupation for those in the Middle East. The Patriarchs were all shepherds, as was Moses and, of course, David. The terrain and geography of the area lent itself to the raising of sheep. Everyone was familiar with shepherding so no wonder God used it so […]