full dependence.
Has God ever led you to a passage of scripture and after reading it, you know exactly why? Or have you ever had a song “stuck” in your head and you can’t seem to get it to leave? Today, I would love to read Psalm 23 together. My prayer for you is that the truth of this chapter will be “stuck” in your head, that you will know why you read this with me today, and that it will be on “repeat” for the rest of your day!
Let's start with the highlights:
The LORD is my shepherd.
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me.
He is with me.
He comforts me.
His goodness and love follow me.
Take a moment and read that again. . .
Anyone else need their soul refreshed? When our souls are refreshed, we can think clearly, we begin to take our minds off of worldly things and begin to gain an eternal perspective. Our joy is often restored and peace that makes no sense is given to us.
It’s not by chance that ONE way the LORD describes himself to us is that He is our shepherd. Which means we are His sheep. Which also means we should and are created to have full dependence on God. If you know anything about sheep, they definitely need a shepherd to lead them and take care of them.
In verse 4 it says that His rod and staff comfort me. What does this mean? I’ve done a little research and it’s interesting how a shepherd would use his rod and staff when it came to taking care of his sheep. The rod would be used as a weapon to protect his sheep while the staff was used to bring the sheep back to him.
In our lives today, may the rod represent the Lord’s strength and protection while the staff represents His correction, guidance, and loving-kindness.
Verse 5 tells us that He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. I don’t know about you, but if I know there is an enemy in the room, there is no way I can rest, be comfortable, feel safe, let alone enjoy my meal. But, what this passage reminds us is that God sustains us, gives us strength, protects us, and we can trust Him completely. He also gives us victory over our enemies!
May this truth be “stuck” with you always, but especially today!
If you have an extra minute, Leanna Crawford has a song called, “Still Waters” I highly recommend you take a listen! https://youtu.be/WW0VJxPqeRc?si=1xJ01xms0XyiZGnh