“The LORD is
my shepherd, I shall not want…” Sound familiar?
Psalm 23 is one of the
most recognizable chapters in the entire Bible. We learn it in Sunday school,
see it in funeral programs, and notice it on church décor. Even those who do not
attend church have likely heard this psalm before.
When verses and
chapters become familiar, we tend to not pay close attention to them. When we
see it in our Bibles, it can be tempting to think, Oh, I know what this says
already.
Here’s
why — because the Bible is a living document. In 2 Timothy 3:16–17, Paul writes,
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, equipped for every good work.”
The Bible never changes, but it
always changes something in us when we read it. The Word of God always has
something new to teach us, even if it’s from a familiar
passage.
Recently, I was reading through Psalms and scanned over chapter
23. I almost skipped it, but decided to read it again. As I did, the familiarity
faded, and I felt as though I was reading it with new eyes. Has that ever
happened to you? As I read, three questions came to mind. They challenged me.
I’m passing them along in the hopes they will challenge you,
too.
Question 1: Am I allowing God to lead me?
God is always
in control of what is happening, but we also have free will. That means we can
choose to let God lead our lives. When we don’t, it’s the same as choosing to be
led by our selfish desires. The opening of Psalm 23 beautifully shows what we
can gain from surrendering and allowing God to lead our lives.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me
lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my
soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (vv.
1–3).
As I read this again, I realized that if God is our Shepherd,
that means means we give Him control of our life. When we do, look at what there
is to gain!
- God will meet our needs.
- He will give us peace.
- He will restore us.
- He will lead us down a path of righteousness and not destruction.
If your world seems chaotic or unfulfilling, ask yourself, “Am I
allowing God to lead me?”
Question 2: Am I camping in the
valley?
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they
comfort me (v. 4).
I heard a pastor say that this verse clearly
states that the “valleys” of life are to be walked through, but some people tend
to put up a tent and camp there. Convicting, huh?
Sometimes we get bogged
down in our circumstances and just decide that’s the way it will always be. We
figuratively pitch our tent in the valley. This tends to rob us of the joy that
can come from our relationship with God.
During the valleys of life, you
must remember the last two lines of this verse, that God is with you and will
comfort you as you walk. Don’t choose to camp out and wallow in your misery. Put
one foot in front of another while asking the Lord to provide a way
out.
If you are going through a season of sin, discouragement, or despair
in your life right now, ask yourself, “Am I walking or
camping?”
Question 3: Have I lost sight of God’s
faithfulness?
Let’s keep thinking about valleys for a moment. Sometimes
in the valleys of life, we take on a “woe is me” attitude and completely ignore
all of the blessings that God has given us.
Let’s circle back to Psalm
23.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of
the Lord forever (vv. 5–6).
This means that if you could put
your blessings in a cup, they would run over the top. Goodness and mercy will be
following you everywhere, and you will spend eternity with God. That’s the
ultimate blessing!
Ask yourself, “Have I lost sight of God’s
faithfulness?” If you feel like you have, even if you are not going through a
hard time, stop and make an actual list of all the ways that God has been
faithful to you. You can start in the comment section below. Even on your worst
day, you will see God’s blessings overflowing in your life if you look for
them.
As an added bonus, you will feel your spirit lift as you write. You
literally cannot dwell on bad thoughts and the blessings of God at the same
time. Seriously. Try it!
[written by Sarah Garrett]
