Psalm 23

 

Christians all across the world recite Psalm 23 most often. Some non-Christians are familiar with the chapter. Sunday school students often utilise opportunities to memorize the chapter at a young age. Although the chapter from the Holy Bible is very famous, only minority of believers know the power of Psalms 23. The Psalm is written by King David, a man after the heart of Jehovah. A deeper meditation on Psalm 23 reveals God organizes the life of a believer one step after another turning the life into the most beautiful one. Determination to live a life with God Almighty will bring rewards although the initial struggles try to make believers quit from believing the Lord.

Believers are encouraged here to meditate Psalm 23 as stages of life one verse after another. The chapter teaches that the Lord takes a person through one phase after another once they decide to choose the Lord as their shepherd. The flock under the shepherd know their life is fine as long as they obey the shepherd. 

First fact that shows up in the lives of believers that choose the Lord as their shepherd is that they shall not want. The Lord is their shepherd. A shepherd knows the needs of his flock. A shepherd tends his flock the best way considering their various needs, various behaviors and factors that endanger them. Believers under the guidance of the Lord are always satisfied by the Lord right in time. Such believers need not beg their own God or any other "Gods" ever in their life. Believers also know they recieve from heavens only the best. If some prayers are unanswered, then those needs are either reaching at the right time or rejected for safety reasons. A shepherd will never allow his flock to even taste poisonous water or food. The flock might not know the danger but the loving shepherd allows only safe matters. This is the very first stage of believers that decide to make the Lord their shepherd. This is a tough phase as only few understands the mind of their shepherd. Believers that cannot obey or wait on the shepherd will leave the shepherd behind for getting what they want. Certain believers that leave the shepherd returns after realizing the truth.

The second verse of Psalm 23 notes about a very comfortable life with content. While most people strive through various kinds of problems with no solutions, people under the authority of the Lord experiences a beautiful life. Problems of believers are solved by the Lord. Worries of believers are handled by the Lord. Mistakes of believers are corrected by the Lord. Here is seen lives that has boundaries set by the Lord yet lives that worth living with the Lord as the shepherd. Complaints, afflictions, diseases, shortages, shortcomings etc. do not affect beyond limits the body, soul and spirit of those who have the Lord as their shepherd. 

Restoration of the soul is obvious in the third verse. All that affected the souls of people before and during the times when God Almighty was chosen as their shepherd needs to be treated. The shepherd knows his duties very well. Individuals undergo various kinds of mental pressures leading to painful disappointments within the soul. Restoration of the soul is highly essential for all believers. However, this is possible only if the Lord is chosen as the shepherd. Living in submission to the Lord is highly rewarding. Hence, efforts are extreme. Believers that put efforts into shedding their ego and obeying the Lord at all times will have their souls restored in accordance with Psalm 23. Satan tries his best techniques to make children of God quit in between by forsaking the Lord to prevent their souls from being restored. Mark 8:36 teaches the value of a soul is worth higher than the entire world. The Lord looks after his believers in tye most beautiful way. The Lord ensures those who chose to be His flock walks in paths of righteousness. This means every step of believers who have the Lord as their shepherd is watched by the Lord. Righteousness is ensured fully.

The fourth verse of Psalm 23 confirms there are times when believers might walk through the valley of shadow of death. Fear, disappointments or related emotions set in most often, forcing believers to quit from being under the authority of the Lord. Those who are not spending time in the Word of God will easily fade away from the Lord. Discontinuing from the presence of the Lord will look better decision initially. However, life turns worse as a person that gives away the blessings of verses 1 to 3 of Psalm 23. Returning back to the shepherd hence becomes extremely difficult. A believer will have to repeat all over again. Believers who cling to the Lord in spite of all that appears as "valley of the shadow of death" will not fear ever. Believers that remain firm in faith experience the presence of the Lord. Believers also experience the rod and the staff of the Lord; meaning interruptions and corrections from the shepherd, the Lord. This phase filters faith in order to achieve fruit of the Holy Spirit. With that comes the comfort that only the Lord can provide. The training period of the Lord takes believers to the rewards for their faith.

All the efforts each believer who held onto the shepherd turns into manifold results. The Lord then raises each one of his flock while their enemies watch. The shepherd remembers each enemy from both the physically seen world, the spiritual world and everything in between. The Lord honors his flock right in front of their enemies, with expectation that his flock show spiritual maturity during this period. Only those from his flock that have attained the fruit of Holy Spirit can reach this level. The shepherd values righteousness. While the enemies of the flock are dealt by the Lord directly, the Lord expects His flock to maintain spiritual maturity. Believers that remain focused on the Lord will refrain from boasting, mocking or taking revenge against their enemies. Believers that are under the authority of the Lord are expected to remain different than the others. The Lord anoints believers that reached the expectation of the Lord all the way from verse 1 of Psalm 23. The cup of a believer that experienced all of the above overflows. Overflowing is a great reward especially when devil prowls around all the time to devour everything and everyone. Human efforts fail to the Lord when it comes to overflowing every single time.

Most precious reward of clinging onto the Lord all throughout is revealed in the final verse of Psalm 23. Confirmation of a worthy life is written in the verse. Goodness and mercy from the Lord is guaranteed while life to believers that devoted themselves to the Lord all throughout, including those that returned to the Lord after their falls. This final stage happens in believers that reached until this stage because they have become how the Lord wanted them to be. Believers in this stage obey the Lord at all times no matter what. Believers in this phase experience long life, spending almost all their time with the Lord. 

The Psalm 23 is drawing out the life of faith one step after another. Close meditation of the chapter pictures a life in itself; a life that begins by deciding to choose God and goes through various experiences, falls and deliverances all the way to a rewarding rest of life. Blooming Staff calls out to all readers to identify which verse each reader is living at present. May each reader win the race with never fading faith.

Prayer: Abba Father, increase our faith everyday. Deliver us from our countless mistakes and pits of devil. Guide us in living Psalm 23 to the fullest. Amen.