This prayer of faith has deep meaning.—Psalm 23
This chapter of Psalms is a prayer signifying how lovingly God takes care of his flock. Yahweh the gracious loving Father takes very serious His devotion to His followers.
The Lord signifies that God is our Leader our King. This prayer is a song of praise for the wonderful care that our Lord our Leader our King takes in making sure that all is well in our lives. It is a song that can be sung in the good times and tough times. In the good times as a praise and a thank you and in the tough times it is sung in faith knowing that our most gentle Father will care for our every want and our every need.
“Is M”’ could be translated to mean He is very personal to us, mine, for me. He is mine and I am His. “Shepherd” is a term used to signify a person in charge of a herd watching over them, overseeing their every move, feeding them, keeping them safe from harm, leading them to water, mending their hurts and seeking them out when they are lost. It is a safe word. When someone is charge of watching over you and making sure you are taken care of you feel an endearment to them. You really can’t help yourself from bonding with this person. They tenderly keep you from the enemy that is out there waiting for the opportune moment to run in and grab you and destroy you. The Shepherd looks to and fro making sure the lion and bear cannot come near you. He risks His own life to save you from destruction and gives it no thought. Ezekiel 34 11-13 describes God love for His sheep very intimately.
“He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” This represents the rich of the land. Green pastures are lush and soft and fertile. Green pastures receive a lot of rain and feed a lot of animals. The green grass is sweet and savory unlike the dried up brown grass. I don’t walk past the opportunity for success, oh no, God encourages me to stay, lie down enjoy the good of the land. He insists on it.
“He leads me beside still and restful waters.” Our Lord and our King gives an ever so gentle nudge when we turn the wrong way and guides us to just the right spot where the waters are still where I can find solace in the beauty of loveliness of His care.
“He refreshes and restores my life.” No matter what I have done to ruin or mess up my life He doesn’t judge me or criticize me, no He carefully refreshes me fills me full of His presence and restores my life to the way He intended it to be.
“My God and my King my Leader directs me into the path of righteousness ( good standing with Him ) not that I have earned it on my own but He freely gave it to me. He put me in right standing with Him. In other words I am in His good graces. I have done no wrong in His eyes. He fills me full of His wisdom so I may follow straight the path of righteousness. Proverbs 4:11. He sees me as the apple of His eye and all for Jesus” sake or His names sake as the Psalmist describes it.
“Yeah, though I may walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . .” in other words in a place where the enemy is lurking over me planning to do me harm . . . to kill me if necessary, I will fear no evil for God is with me. He never leaves me. He walks beside me. He stands before me protecting and guiding me and this is a great comfort to me. Isaiah 43:2 NASV says it well " When you pass through the waters I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. This is demonstrated so well in the story of the fiery furnace when King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3:6 threw Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego in the fiery furnace as they refused to worship the golden image the King had set up. He told his servants to stoke the fire hotter than ever before and then they threw them in and when they looked in the furnace the men were walking around in the fire unharmed and another person was seen with them which was God.
