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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain Psalms 23:1:
Psalm 23:1-3
Excerpted from: What Kind of Life Do You Want?Psalm 23 is written from the perspective of a sheep. The very first phrase—“The LORD is my shepherd”—is a declaration that the sheep is overjoyed to have the LORD as his shepherd, and he is not ashamed to proclaim it.
We can contrast this with the wretched condition of other sheep, unmentioned here, who do not have the LORD as their shepherd. Those without the Good Shepherd suffer under the cruel authority of this world’s ruler. They do not have anyone taking care of them, so they are focused on survival. They compete for resources, pushing around other sheep, scared they won’t have enough, always striving and never at peace. It’s a terrible life.
But the sheep who are fed by, guided by, and protected by the LORD have confidence that they will not lack for anything of true significance as the Shepherd sees it, which could be a point of contention for any sheep that are not fully submitted. But the LORD’s sheep are led to green pastures and still waters. They are refreshed and restored. They are led in the paths of righteousness. It is an idyllic description, and it probably sounds pretty good to us, especially when compared to the stress and frantic busyness of modern life.
We can add to this picture what Jesus says in the Parable of the Good Shepherd. He says that He came so that His sheep could have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (John 10:10). The abundant life is quite different from the world’s idea of abundance. What we see in the ads, in our feeds, and in the posturing of influencers is gloss without substance. The abundant life is a quality of life that develops as one seeks to be conformed to God, which means coming out of the world, and letting go of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Those things separate us from the Father and the life He desires to share with us.
Yet the carnal mind is unable to recognize pastures that are truly green, or value waters that are still—not when it has an exciting city nearby to distract and stimulate it. The carnal mind cannot see why life with God is better. It sees godliness as stifling, as boring, as unattractive because it cannot see past its present circumstances to the end result. It does not trust that the Creator knows what He is talking about when He tells us how to live.
While Psalm 23 describes peace and serenity—which are sorely lacking these days—we must evaluate how much we want those things, and further, what we are willing to do, or to sacrifice, for them. The green pastures and still waters are available to us through our relationship with God, but as with any relationship, it takes work on our part. If we are not earnestly seeking Him, it is not realistic to expect to have peace and a sense of well-being.
The world does not know the way to the green pastures and still waters, which is why there is constant running to and fro, and restlessness in people estranged from the King of Peace. We have the opportunity they do not, but we must still seek and yield to His guidance. We have to want Him to lead us, not just in some things, but in all things.
Verse 3 mentions God restoring the soul, meaning the life or the strength. Those in the world do not seek out the One who truly gives that inner restoration. Instead, they pursue things like retail therapy, or binge watching, or cranking that song or playlist to 11 and putting it on repeat, or going to New Age retreats, or maybe the bottom of a bottle.
Those things may pacify for a time, but we must not mistake dopamine or distraction for God’s restoration. True restoration can only come through the relationship with the Shepherd. That’s what it says—the Shepherd restores us. Everything else is a counterfeit that not only cannot renew or restore, but could deplete our life even further. And yet at times, we resist seeking Him for what He will gladly give because … . . .
Psalm 23:1-5
Excerpted from: Holiness (Part 1)Now turn with me to Psalm 23 - this psalm that is supposed to be the most beloved of all pieces of the Bible. Most of us are not familiar with the very interesting fact that Psalm 23 is really a brief expounding of eight names of God. The names do not actually appear here; but in each verse - sometimes twice in a verse - the implication of God's name appears.
Now, I have no doubt that the psalmist, David, was meditating on the names of God, and this is what came out. What he knew of the nature of God is this most beloved section in all of the Bible. And it is nothing more than a study of the names of God.
Psalm 23:1-6
Excerpted from: Peace, Peace (Part Three): ContentmentWe need to read this with that in mind, with the optimism of joy and hope and faith and love. And I think that is how he wrote it. He writes as a sheep, content, at peace, and whole. And he is that way because the Lord is his shepherd. I will try to read it like this.
He was happy. He loved his life as a sheep of the Lord. He was content because God was with him.
You can see that in coming to know the Lord that David felt he had an ironclad guarantee that the abundant life and eternal life are his if he just follows the Lord, his Shepherd. Whatever happened, God would work it out.
Bible StudiesParable of the Good Shepherd (Part Two)
EssaysBeating the Rat Race (Part Two)
SermonsMicah (Part Two): Rest for the Restless
Christ's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension
The Commandments (Part Four)
The Third Commandment: Idolatry
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