4 Personal Gifts from God
One of the things we learn from the familiar 23rd Psalm is that God is personal. We already know from the Bible some of God’s attributes. He is holy, sovereign, just, infinite, eternal, immeasurable (immense), all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, pure, perfect, loving just to name some. Psalm 23 focuses on the personal aspect of God. The psalmist David uses a personal pronoun 17 times to refer to his relationship with the Shepherd (God).
Psalm 23:1 identifies who the shepherd is. It reads, “The Lord is my shepherd . . .” meaning all mighty God is the shepherd, the same God who created the heavens and the earth. The Shepherd offers the psalmist David and us four things: provision, direction, protection and the security of his presence.
Provision. Psalm 23:1-3a says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me besides quiet waters. He restores my soul . . .”
Direction. Psalm 23:3b says, “. . . He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.”
Protection. Psalm 23:4-5a says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies . . .”
Security. The shepherd’s presence calms the sheep and assures them of continued safety. The psalmist says in Psalm 23:5b-6, “Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
God offers us the same personal relationship with Him that the psalmist David had. Let me encourage you to make sure “the Lord is your shepherd!”
-Tony Cooper
Celebrating 26 Years of Service as Exec. Director,
Jimmie Hale Mission
www.jimmiehalemission.com
