One of the most beloved passages in the Bible is Psalm 23. This Psalm has comforted and encouraged countless people over the centuries. It unveils a beautiful picture of how God wants to guide and bless us throughout our lives. In this 5-Day Bible Plan, Evangelist Matt Brown shares key lessons from this beloved chapter of the Bible.
Think Eternity
Day 1
Scriptures: Psalms 23:1, John 10:11-17
The Lord is my Shepherd
One of the most beloved passages in the Bible is Psalm 23. This Psalm has comforted and encouraged countless people over the centuries. It unveils a beautiful picture of how God wants to guide and bless us throughout our lives.
Knowing who God is and what He does in our lives is critical for every believer. A.W. Tozer once stated, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Our view of God will shape every other aspect of our lives. It is important we read our Bibles to know who God is, not just what He can do for us. God is the center of Scripture, and the Scriptures reveal His glory. We are His beloved children.
Psalm 23 begins with these beautiful words, “The Lord is my Shepherd”.
There are many names for God, but one of them is Shepherd. God wants to lead and guide us as our good Shepherd. He is the good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep.
Jesus told us this in John 10:11-17, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”
We give our lives to Jesus because He laid down His life for us. We love Him, because He loved us first. While we were still far off, dead in our sins, and enemies of God – He gave heaven’s best to draw us close and make us His own. Only a good Shepherd would do such a thing, and there is only One who is good.
He tends to us as a good Shepherd would. He searches for us and seeks us out when we have gone astray. He guards us. He guides us. He protects us. He cares for us. He tends to our needs. He gathers us in His arms. He carries us close to His heart. He gently leads us. He speaks softly over us. He guides us to living water and quenches our thirst. He feeds us. He lays down His life to give us abundant life. It is His good pleasure to give us the Kingdom.
Day 2
Scriptures: Psalms 23:1, Philippians 4:11-13, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Psalms 34:10
Because of God, I lack nothing
When the Lord is our Shepherd, we can confidently say we have everything we need.
David said he lacked nothing. That is a profound and powerful thought to consider as a believer in Jesus.
What did David mean when he said he lacked nothing? Weren’t there things he wanted? Did he not have big goals and dreams? He meant that God had already provided so much in His life. Blessings. Grace. Beauty. Hope. All the things he really needed deep down, he had been given and had found in his relationship with God. This didn’t mean He didn’t still pray and ask for things, or that He didn’t dream big. He simply trusted God had given him everything he truly needed.
We need to rediscover the power of Christian contentment. Paul said he had learned to be content in all circumstances, whether he had much or little. He had learned that God’s grace was sufficient and enough for any circumstance and that God would always help him with anything he needed.
What a powerful thing to be able to say: Because of God, I lack nothing.
David said it another way later, “those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”
Every good thing in our lives has come down as a gift from our good Father in heaven. He knows how to give the righteous good things. He blesses all the earth, even those who don’t know Him. But when we truly seek Him, we will find we truly lack nothing.
Day 3
Scripture: Psalms 23:2-3
God leads me to a place of rest
Where does God want to lead us? To a place of rest.
Have you ever thought about where God wants to lead you in your life? Maybe you’ve prayed about His direction and longed for His wisdom? Yes, God has great things for you. God has a purpose for your life, to bring Him glory, and make a difference in the world. But Psalm 23 also makes it clear to us that God is intent on leading us to a place of rest.
God isn’t looking for you to be a cog in a machine. You are not someone he uses for an agenda. Rather, you are someone He loves. You are someone He wants to lead to a place of rest and also to experience the joy of being part of His incredible purposes on the earth.
We can’t find lasting fulfillment in ourselves. We were made for God. He made us to love us. He made us to give us purpose. He made us to lead us to a place of rest.
When is the last time you let God lead you to “green pastures” and beside “quiet waters”? God wants to lead you there. He wants to lead you to a place of rest.
Too often we let our emotions run the show. We live under the constant oppression of comparison, shame, and guilt. What if you let it all go? Surrender your worries, surrender your fears, surrender your emotions to the Lord and let Him fill you with a peace that passes understanding. He can and He will refresh your soul when you come to Him.
God “guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” It is these right paths that lead us to places of rest and renewal. We build barriers to God’s rest when we try to walk our own way, or the ways of this world.
You come to know complete peace, contentment and fulfillment in God. You can gain perfect trust that everything you need will be given from His loving hand. No more guilt. No more shame. No more worry. No more fear. No more self-reliance. You can keep coming back to these green pastures and quiet waters anytime you need. They are found in God’s arms.
Day 4
Scriptures: Psalms 23:4-5, 2 Timothy 1:7, Joshua 1:9
Because of God, I will not fear the valley of the shadow of death
Sometimes life leads us through dark places.
Billy Graham has said: “Much of our lives are lived in the valley.” Sometimes those valleys get dark and treacherous. Life isn’t all easy traveling, even with Jesus.
God doesn’t promise you will have an easy path, but He does promise He will be with you every step of the way.
Are you going through the valley? Is it dark? Remember God is with you. He can see what you cannot. You can trust Him in the most difficult and disappointing moments in your life. You will come through the other side. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The sun will rise again. God’s Word is a lamp for your feet, and the light for your path. He will show you where to go each step of the journey – even when it’s foggy, rainy, stormy, or dark.
You never need to live in fear.
Why no fear? God will guard and guide you through everything you face. He will walk with you, even when you aren’t sure of His presence. God does not give us a spirit of fear. God gives us power, love and sound mind. He calls us to be strong and courageous, for the Lord our God is with us wherever we go.
We don’t even need to fear death. Death has lost its sting, because we serve an eternal God who loves us with an everlasting love. When we are in Christ, Death is simply a graduation into His perfect presence. The valley of the shadow of death has nothing on God.
Give your fears to God. Let Him guide you through every season. His Shepherd’s “rod and staff will comfort you” because He will prod and pull you wherever you need to go. As long as you are surrendered to Him, you can be sure He will keep you on the right path. His rod and staff are at work in your life – they are of great comfort because they ensure you will always go where you need to go.
Even when we sit before our enemies – those people who have sinned against us – we can trust God is with us there. God anoints us in these dark moments. In the dark places, our roots grow deeper, and we bear fruit that is greater. There is something God is going to grow through dark seasons and confrontations with your enemies. The anointing will overflow from this place out of your life onto others.
Day 5
Scripture: Psalms 23:6
God’s goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life
When we are following Jesus, the best is always yet to come.
When you follow Jesus, your future is bright and full of joy, peace and hope. Good things are always coming.
When we follow Jesus, goodness and mercy follow us.
Some translations say it this way: God’s goodness and mercy “pursue us” or chase us down!
This is important to know because life is not always easy, and sometimes even our faith in God will bring with it challenges, but ultimately we know we are much better off because of Jesus.
Not only do we get the Lord as our Shepherd, caring for us in every season of life, but we know at the end of the day that goodness and mercy are always what’s ahead.