INSPIRATIONS PSALM 23 By Joanne E. De Jonge Have you ever been discouraged? Confused? Upset? Everyone is at some time. The next time you are, try reading Psalm 23. It’s wonderfully comforting. Let’s go through it right now; you’ll see what I mean. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Sheep are quiet, timid animals. They don’t make their wants known. If they’re ill or upset, they don’t make a lot of noise. If their food is bad or water is filthy, they quietly make do. Usually, they quietly take whatever treatment is given them. A good shepherd knows that his sheep depend totally on him. He must know his sheep so that he can sense when they’re ill or upset. He must know and do what’s best for them. When God is our shepherd, we can be content. God knows us and truly cares for us as a good shepherd cares for his sheep. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Because sheep are so timid and easily upset, they usually won’t lie down unless they sense that all is well. If they are afraid, at odds with other sheep in the flock, pestered by flies or parasites, or if they’re hungry, they won’t lie down. When we say that God makes us lie down in green pastures, we’re not talking only about a good place to rest. We’re saying that God calms our fears and keeps us peaceful and content. Therefore, we can rest. He leads me ... Good shepherds lead rather than follow their sheep. That way, they can find the pasture or water first, and decide if it’s fit for the sheep. When we say that God leads us, we’re saying that God goes ahead of us in life to find what is best for us. All we need do is follow. . . .beside still waters. Rushing rivers or rocky mountain streams frighten sheep. They’ll drink the water because they need it, but they are much calmer if they can drink from a clear, quiet pool. We need calm places too, at times. God will lead us there. He restores my soul. Sometimes when a sheep rolls over on its back, it cannot stand up again by itself without help. Some shepherds call this a cast sheep. A cast sheep will die unless the shepherd helps it. When the shepherd puts the sheep back on its feet, he usually talks gently to the sheep to soothe it and let it know that all is well again. He restores its sense of well-being. Other Psalms talk about our souls being cast down and disquieted. Here we recognize that, although God is our shepherd, we still at times become frightened and frustrated. But God knows this fright and frustration. Like a good shepherd with a cast sheep, God restores our souls. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. When this Psalm was written, shepherds used hard wooden clubs covered with nails at the end to beat away wild animals. Their staffs were wooden sticks with curved ends, used to rescue sheep that had fallen into ravines or become caught in brambles. We know that God has the power to protect us from enemies and to help us when we’re in trouble. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. When someone entered a Jewish house, the owner of that house had a duty to protect his guest. A meal was a pledge of this protection. A guest who had eaten at someone’s house was assured that all of the host’s power and strength would be used to see that no harm came to the guest. And so it still is with a God who feeds us. You anoint my head with oil. Sheep have a way of wandering and getting into trouble. Often, in Israel, they’d catch themselves in brambles or thorn bushes and become scratched and bruised. A good shepherd always carried olive oil to rub on such sheep. That would soothe the pain and help heal the scratches. Even when we go our own way and get into trouble, God is there to soothe the pain and to help. My cup overflows. It isn’t only full, it’s more than full. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. We know that God will shower us with goodness and love throughout our lives. We will live with God—in the house of the Lord—forever. We will be forever blessed. Read Psalm 23 again. Isn’t it beautiful? What more can we want? THANK YOU TO JUST FOR KIDS FOR PSALM 23 JUST FOR KIDS