Psalm 23 Part 1--I'm a WHAT?!?!
One of the most exciting parts of scripture study is reading a passage you've known forever in a fresh, new way.
I did that this morning with Psalm 23. Now, I remember memorizing that passage when I was a preschooler in my Wednesday night Mission Friends class (shout out to Mission Friends, right!?!?!) and the big hug I got from my teacher, even though I had to say "debts" instead of "transgressions" because a 3-syllable word was just too much for my 4-year-old brain.
So I've known Psalm 23 for well over 30 years. Which makes me, #1, OLD. But #2, especially excited when it jumps out of the text at me like it's the first time I've read it.
Of course, when God shines His awesome spotlight on a passage, we dig DEEPLY into it. So that's what I thought we'd do for the next few weeks. Let's take a long-handled shovel and see what we can find in Psalm 23.
The Psalm opens with this sentence:
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." (King James)
"The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack." (Holman)
"The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need." (Good News)
And now for the translation (Amplified Bible) that threw a glass of cold water on my face:
"The LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack."
[Pause: looking up a verse or passage in different translations is a GREAT way to kick-start a new study or draw out the meaning of a verse you can't quite grasp. There are many apps and websites that show you lots of translations of verses. Or there are Bibles that have 3-4 translations side-by-side, which are awesome. If you need a new idea for a Fall study, start looking up verses you know and journal on different translations!]
But to apply this passage to our own lives, we've got to get in line with King David in two ways:
1) We must acknowledge we are sheep.
2) We must accept God as our Shepherd.
Now don't agree to to the two statements above just yet. Consider this:
Sheep are, well, pretty hard to control. They want to stay with the flock no matter what. They are afraid of just about anything. They are also pretty dumb when threatened, baa-ing when they should be quiet and sprinting away when they should just chill. They have no natural defenses against predators, and almost everything in their environment is a predator. They are sitting ducks without a shepherd.
Just like us.
We are also hard to control. We get caught up in wanting to belong to some group, any group. We are afraid of many things, from death to growing up to handling money to being alone. We completely freak out when threatened, calling our moms or texting our best friends when we should run to God's Word and pour out our souls to Him. We have no natural defenses against our predator, Satan, and he is everywhere: in TV, movies, magazines, books, school, and even billboards. We are sitting ducks without our Shepherd.
So can you honestly admit that you're a sheep? That you NEED, more than you can express, a Shepherd?
Great. So now it's time to accept the only One who can Shepherd you: God, in the person of Jesus Christ. He said in John 10:14, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me..." We go to Him, admitting we are weak, fearful, sinful, pitiful little sheep, desperate for His feeding, guiding, and shielding (see the Amplified Bible translation above).
Now, be careful here. Because God won't settle for being A shepherd. He said in the Old Testament, "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God..." (Exodus 20:5) And even Jesus said, "I am THE gate; whoever enters through me will be saved," (John 10:9). One Shepherd. That means you yield to His teaching, His commands, His Word above everything and everyone else. He is your only Shepherd. Not your mom. Not your boyfriend. Not even your awesome Sunday School teacher. JESUS. ALONE.
And when He is our Shepherd, we lack nothing. He gives us everything we need, and blessings beyond. Now, in the moment it may look like we're missing out on something really great, but we trust Him and how He leads us. (More on that in days to come!)
So try this:
Spend a few days reflecting on that first sentence: The LORD is my Shepherd; I lack nothing.
Better yet, start to memorize the 23rd Psalm, maybe in a new translation if you already have it hidden in your heart.
And start your daily prayers asking God to show you where you need to admit your sheep-like tendencies, your sinfulness, your stubbornness, and follow Him. REALLY follow.
Young sister, He will lead you. But you've got to be willing to follow.
After all, you're a sheep.
:)
Hey! Follow me on Twitter! @leslienotebook
Or sign up above on the right by entering your email address.
Or email me! myleslienotebook@gmail.com
I did that this morning with Psalm 23. Now, I remember memorizing that passage when I was a preschooler in my Wednesday night Mission Friends class (shout out to Mission Friends, right!?!?!) and the big hug I got from my teacher, even though I had to say "debts" instead of "transgressions" because a 3-syllable word was just too much for my 4-year-old brain.
So I've known Psalm 23 for well over 30 years. Which makes me, #1, OLD. But #2, especially excited when it jumps out of the text at me like it's the first time I've read it.
Of course, when God shines His awesome spotlight on a passage, we dig DEEPLY into it. So that's what I thought we'd do for the next few weeks. Let's take a long-handled shovel and see what we can find in Psalm 23.
The Psalm opens with this sentence:
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." (King James)
"The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack." (Holman)
"The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need." (Good News)
And now for the translation (Amplified Bible) that threw a glass of cold water on my face:
"The LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack."
[Pause: looking up a verse or passage in different translations is a GREAT way to kick-start a new study or draw out the meaning of a verse you can't quite grasp. There are many apps and websites that show you lots of translations of verses. Or there are Bibles that have 3-4 translations side-by-side, which are awesome. If you need a new idea for a Fall study, start looking up verses you know and journal on different translations!]
But to apply this passage to our own lives, we've got to get in line with King David in two ways:
1) We must acknowledge we are sheep.
2) We must accept God as our Shepherd.
Now don't agree to to the two statements above just yet. Consider this:
Sheep are, well, pretty hard to control. They want to stay with the flock no matter what. They are afraid of just about anything. They are also pretty dumb when threatened, baa-ing when they should be quiet and sprinting away when they should just chill. They have no natural defenses against predators, and almost everything in their environment is a predator. They are sitting ducks without a shepherd.
Just like us.
We are also hard to control. We get caught up in wanting to belong to some group, any group. We are afraid of many things, from death to growing up to handling money to being alone. We completely freak out when threatened, calling our moms or texting our best friends when we should run to God's Word and pour out our souls to Him. We have no natural defenses against our predator, Satan, and he is everywhere: in TV, movies, magazines, books, school, and even billboards. We are sitting ducks without our Shepherd.
So can you honestly admit that you're a sheep? That you NEED, more than you can express, a Shepherd?
Great. So now it's time to accept the only One who can Shepherd you: God, in the person of Jesus Christ. He said in John 10:14, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me..." We go to Him, admitting we are weak, fearful, sinful, pitiful little sheep, desperate for His feeding, guiding, and shielding (see the Amplified Bible translation above).
Now, be careful here. Because God won't settle for being A shepherd. He said in the Old Testament, "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God..." (Exodus 20:5) And even Jesus said, "I am THE gate; whoever enters through me will be saved," (John 10:9). One Shepherd. That means you yield to His teaching, His commands, His Word above everything and everyone else. He is your only Shepherd. Not your mom. Not your boyfriend. Not even your awesome Sunday School teacher. JESUS. ALONE.
And when He is our Shepherd, we lack nothing. He gives us everything we need, and blessings beyond. Now, in the moment it may look like we're missing out on something really great, but we trust Him and how He leads us. (More on that in days to come!)
So try this:
Spend a few days reflecting on that first sentence: The LORD is my Shepherd; I lack nothing.
Better yet, start to memorize the 23rd Psalm, maybe in a new translation if you already have it hidden in your heart.
And start your daily prayers asking God to show you where you need to admit your sheep-like tendencies, your sinfulness, your stubbornness, and follow Him. REALLY follow.
Young sister, He will lead you. But you've got to be willing to follow.
After all, you're a sheep.
:)
Hey! Follow me on Twitter! @leslienotebook
Or sign up above on the right by entering your email address.
Or email me! myleslienotebook@gmail.com
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