Psalm 23
Like many, I have always loved Psalm 23. It is popular for good reason, and I love the poetry of the Elizabethan English.
Psalm 23 King James Version (KJV):
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
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.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 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.
I pray Psalm 23 daily, slowly, meditating on it something like this:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- The Lord, YHWH, creator of heaven and earth, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, true and living God, Master, King, Abba-Poppa
- YHWH guides me, directs me, cares for me, protects me, is my shepherd.
- Therefore, I want for nothing.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
- I rest in warm, lush, green pastures of grace, basking in God’s love.
- I drink long and often from deep, pure, cold springs of living water.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
- God restores, repairs, renovates my sin-damaged soul.
- God leads me to practice justice on behalf of the oppressed
- This enhances His reputation
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.
- The valley – a place of peacefulness, beauty, flowers, gentle streams, wildlife, long shadows and cool breezes.
- Death, for the believer, is but a shadow – it cannot hurt us.
- To have a shadow, there must be light behind it.
- Death is simply a transition into God’s living light.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
- The tableland, the plateau of lush vegetation is available. Enemies, demonic forces, surround, but cannot touch or harm me.
- The oil of the Holy Spirit, God’s anointing for healing and service, rests upon me.
- Like Joseph whose boughs bore abundant fruit, hanging down outside the garden to provide sustenance for all, so my cup overflows with God’s trinitarian love – an abundance of love for all with whom I have contact.
6 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.
- My life is filled with goodness and mercy.
- I dwell in God’s house now.
- I live in fellowship with the living God
- Nothing will ever separate me from Him.
