Psalm 23

What Psalm is more recognizable than this?  None!  Thus we need to ask God to help us to meditate truly and deeply on it.  Familiarity breeds contempt.  It breeds a casual approach, or pride that says “I have benefited from this one many times; there is no more to learn.”  May we say the obvious: none of us has EVER studied this Psalm in the life-context of this moment?  We will find today fresh and unique applications of what our Lord and Shepherd provides for us. 

Often our familiarity comes from what someone else said.  We have perhaps heard Psalm 23 at nearly every funeral service we ever attended.  Or maybe it was committed to memory back in the recesses of our childhood minds.  We would do well to ask: have you really studied this Psalm? 

With this in mind we will ask you to fill in some blanks that require at the very least thinking about each of the phrases.  The point of the Psalm is that we have such a Shepherd as Jesus, the Good Shepherd, that as sheep we never lack anything.  And may I say, by the way, that Jesus is Israel’s Shepherd.  In Ezekiel 34:23-24 Jesus is the future Davidic Shepherd who will care for Israel.  The “Good Shepherd” sermon of John 10 is initially directed at the woeful shepherds of Israel, with Jesus saying that He will have sheep both from the fold of Israel and the fold of the Church (Jn. 10:16).  Remember Jesus is preeminent over all; He is both King of Israel and Head of the Body.

I have filled in the first and last blanks.  Please do the rest, answering the question “I shall not want for ….”  And by all means meditate on the word!  What issue in your life today has been a source of complaint to you because you have not followed your Shepherd?  Submit yourself to the One who has given us everything for life and godliness, in Whom we have every spiritual blessing!

        "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want" for...

He makes me to lie down in green pastures	Rest
He leads me beside the still waters	Refreshment
He restores my soul	Restoration
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake	Righteousness
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil	Refuge/Resolve
For You are with me	Reassurance
Your rod and Your staff they comfort me	Relief
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies	Resources
You anoint my head with oil	Rejuvenation Ps. 92:10 Rejoicing Ps. 45:7
My cup runs over	Richness
Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life	Redemption
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever	Relationship