Toronto UBF Bible Study : THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

Bible Study Materials

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

by 10/02/2009

Question

1. Read verse 1. What are the leading words of this Psalm? What kind of relationship does the Psalmist have with God? Think about this relationship. How does he describe his satisfaction and happiness? How can this be possible? 2. Read verses 2 and 3. What does his shepherd do for him? Think about these one by one. 3. Read verses 4 and 5. What does he say his life is sometimes like? (4) How can he overcome such times? (4) What do such times mean to him? (4) How does he describe his victorious life? (5) 4. Read verse 6. What kind of assurance does he have for his future? How can he have such assurance? What does he desire in the end?

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Message

It is said that Psalm 23 is the best Psalm of all Psalms. It is simple and profound, touching the hearts of the range of all people, young children and grown-ups as well. David who was a shepherd wrote this Psalm concerning the shepherd God around 3,000 years ago, and still moves the hearts of current people, even those who do not know about shepherding. It is the Psalm of all times including our post-modern time. In particular, it is the Psalm of those who are keenly aware of human problems, such as sickness and helplessness, loneliness and weariness, poorness, fear and anxiety, uncertain and insecurity, disappointment and defeat, etc. May this Psalm be ours. First, “The LORD is my shepherd” (1-3). Look at verse 1a. “The LORD is my shepherd…” These words are the beginning of Psalm 23, yet they are the central message of this Psalm. There is no need of any preceding introduction. “The LORD is my shepherd,” though it comes first, is understandable, even to those who read the Bible for the first time. All people made in the image of God have their own concept of God, whether negative or positive. But verse 1 says, “The LORD is my shepherd.” Our God is the shepherd God, in brief, the God of care. The Psalmist was so satisfied with his God the LORD that he said, “The LORD is my shepherd.” Of course, there were times when the Psalmist cried out to God, saying, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts?…” (Ps 13:1-2) However, he confesses, “The LORD is my shepherd.” He is satisfied with and proud of his shepherd God. The Psalmist himself was a shepherd boy in “Bethlehem. “Shepherd” was not a prestigious title. Rather it was a disreputable one. But as a responsible and diligent shepherd, David knew what shepherd was, and said, “The LORD is my shepherd.” It was the best way of expressing his God. The LORD, the shepherd God was humble and remarkable to him. When David said, “The LORD is my shepherd,” it meant he was a sheep to the shepherd God. Sheep is a helpless animal with no ability of self-defense, compared to lions, tigers, or wolves. Humanly speaking, David was a valiant soldier and a king of a powerful nation. Yet, in life he was like a helpless sheep to his shepherd God. His shepherd God made him who he was. When David was a teenage boy, he was tending his father’s flock in the field. He was nobody in the eyes of people. But “God chose him and took him from the sheep pen; From tending the sheep God brought him to be the shepherd of his people Israel” (Ps 78:70,71). He was so happy with his shepherd God and so thankful to him. The LORD was his shepherd, is now his shepherd, will be his shepherd to the end. The LORD is his shepherd and he, his sheep. There is no comparison of this relationship in the world. To God, what did it mean to be the shepherd? The chapter proceeding Psalm 23, is Psalm 22, which is a prophetic chapter for the coming Messiah’s suffering. Especially Psalm 22:1 says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These were exact words Jesus spoke crying out on the cross. To be the shepherd for sinful mankind was not easy at all. The holy God came to this world and was born in a humble manger. He was familiar with all human sufferings and finally died on the cross as a ransom sacrifice for sinful human beings. In that context the LORD God could be the shepherd for mankind. Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” The Messiah Jesus’ suffering and atoning sacrifice assures us of God’s shepherd love. He bore all our sins and died on the cross. Our shepherd God loved us sinners to the point of crucifying his own Son. In that assured love of God one can say, “The LORD is my shepherd.” Jesus said in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The LORD is my shepherd, and I am his sheep, purchased and marked. Look at verse 1 again. “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” “Who in the world can say, “I shall not be in want?” What does this mean? It does not mean that God made him rich and wealthy. Even if a man has a palace-like mansion and drives the best car and eats gourmet food every day, he cannot say, “I shall not be in want.” On the contrary although a man lives in a tent-like residence and eats a piece of dried bread with a cup of water at his daily meal, he can say, “I shall not be in want.” The Psalmist could say, “I shall not be in want,” because his shepherd knows him perfectly and perceives all his needs and meets them without fail. The shepherd is rich beyond degree. The shepherd knows all his weaknesses. The shepherd covers his weaknesses and provides him with what he needs at each time. Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34, “…Do not worry about life…Look at the birds of the air…your heavenly Father feeds them…See how the lilies of the field grow…So do not worry…your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” David said in Psalm 34:10, ““The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good things.” In verses 2 and 3, the Psalmist describes what his shepherd does for the sheep. Look at verses 2 and 3. “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” The shepherd LORD knows where the green pastures are and lets his sheep be fed well and lie down there. They say that sheep cannot lie down unless they are free from fear, friction, aggravation and hunger. But the shepherd keeps them in his presence satisfied, and enables them to lie down in the green pastures. There seem to be no green pasture in this world. But there is, and our shepherd God let his sheep lie down in green pastures. And “he leads me beside quiet waters.” The place of quiet waters is the place of resting. The shepherd knows that his sheep needs rest. People hardly rest because of noises from inside and out. And they drink dirty and poisonous waters. But the shepherd lets his sheep drink and rest beside quiet waters. It is one of the most beautiful scenes in the world that the shepherd leads his sheep to green pastures and quiet waters and the sheep follow him and eat and rest there. “He restores my soul.” Living in this world our souls are often struck by the power of sin, sin of pride, lust, complacency, Laziness, selfishness, unbelief, despair, etc. But our shepherd God restores our souls when we come to him in repentance. Because of the restoration of our souls we can sustain our spiritual life and keep on our lives of faith in this world. There is the restoration of life in the shepherd God. “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” The shepherd is not only a graceful shepherd, but also a righteous shepherd. He does not lead his sheep to the wrong paths of life. He also does not lead them to live a selfish life. He leads them to the paths of righteousness and truth. He leads them to live a life of obedience to the words of God. He leads them to live a life of mission and fulfill his will for the glory of God. He guides us, and we are guided by him to the paths of righteousness each day. Jesus said to his flock of sheep, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” Second, “You are with me” (4-5). Look at verse 4a. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” They say that this Psalm describes a shepherd journey with his sheep for a year. Now they left their home ranch of green pasture and had to go to the higher ground passing through the dangerous valley. Every mountain has its valleys. One only gains higher ground by climbing up through the valleys. New fresh grass is there. In real life, the Psalmist confronted many deadly situations. His enemies, who were stronger than him, tried to devour him time and again. Yet, the LORD was with him and no evil could harm him. Now he is ready to confront any valley of the shadow of death. It is because he is not alone; the LORD is with him. When the Psalmist wrote this part, he was so sure of God’s being with him that he suddenly changed his way of speaking and used the second person pronoun, “you,” not the third person, “he,” saying, “You are with me.” “You are with me” is the most powerful factor for his people living in this hostile and ever-changing world. David knew the one who was with him; his shepherd was almighty Creator God and sovereign Lord over all things. With this mighty shepherd, David feared nothing and would fear no evil, even death and reach the higher ground of faith. There are or are going to be some valleys in life for all of us. These are the times of disappointments, frustrations, discouragement, dilemmas and difficult days. They are like sudden chilling storms of sleet, rain and snow that can sweep down through the valleys from the mountain peaks. No one can be with us in the valley of the shadow of death, but the LORD can. When we think about our life of mission in this mission land, It looks impossible to keep the life of mission and carry it onto completion. Our weaknesses and shortcomings and problems large and small suppress us. Yet, whenever we come to the LORD, he continually gives us his message, “I am with you.” Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God also said in Isaiah 49:6, “…It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Despite our hard reality, we can still listen to our faithful and almighty God, and confess, “You are with me” and thank him and renew our hope to reach our own mountains. Look at verse 5. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Now on the higher ground of the mountain the shepherd prepared a table. It was the summer time and the meal was so fresh and abundant that it was a table of feast. No one can eat in the presence of his enemies. Now the enemies like predators had no power to harm. This table can be the table of victory on a high mountain. “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” They say that summer time is fly time to the sheep. The sheep are easily troubled by various kinds of flies and insects and scab. The little flies buzz about the sheep’s head, attempting to deposit on membranes of the sheep’s nose. The sheep can be infected and even die. But oil heals and prevents. In our Christians life some small things can bother us and aggravate our lives. But the anointing of the Holy Spirit is the solution. We need daily anointing of the Holy Spirit. In this part we thank our shepherd God who is with us even through the valley of the shadow of death. He wants us to reach the higher level of life and enjoy the mountain table he prepares. Third, “Surely goodness and love will follow me…” (6). Look at verse 6. “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 are living in the time of uncertainty. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow and in the future. Their lives cannot but be the products of their generation. People can be the victims of wicked and ungodly generation. So many people become fatalistic and bitter, and sorrowful for themselves and their children. In their hearts they are afraid that surely misfortune and bad luck will follow me all the days of my life. Some say, “Maybe my life will be okay.” However, the Psalmist confessed, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…” What an assurance! He would not chase goodness and love. He was sure that God’s goodness and love would follow him to the end of his days. It was because the LORD was his shepherd and he followed his shepherd God. Our shepherd God is absolutely good and loving. He is a good, merciful, and faithful shepherd. And he ended this Psalm with the words, “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” This Psalm is not just an earthly Psalm but also a heavenly one. He longs for the house of the LORD, the kingdom of God, where he can live forever with his shepherd God. John 8:35 says, “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.” Our shepherd God is an everlasting shepherd. He is forever. May we newly accept our shepherd God and follow him as his sheep. That is the best and happiest life.

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Message

Happy Thanksgiving Day! On this Day of thanksgiving we want to study Psalm 23. This is a personâ€™s thankful and happy song to his shepherd God. As you know, thankfulness and happiness cannot be separated. Without thankfulness, one cannot be happy. Have you ever seen a complaining happy person or a thankful unhappy one? Thankfulness and happiness go together, side by side. As we study this Psalm, a Psalm of David, may we learn what we should be thankful for and how to live in this world. First, â€œThe LORD is my shepherdâ€ (1-4). Look at verse 1. â€œThe LORD is my shepherd. I shall not be in want.â€ These are the leading words of Psalm 23. Here we see a shepherd and sheep relationship between the LORD God and a man, one on one. This is the most dependent relationship, one-sidedly dependant, among all relationships. The sheep is totally dependent on the shepherd. Among all the animals the sheep is most helpless. The sheep is easily frightened not only by the attacks of wolves but also by any unusual sound. The sheep is very near-sighted and cannot see even a little bit ahead, and has no sense of direction, so easily go astray. The sheep has short legs and often falls down and cannot get up by themselves. The sheep needs absolute care of the shepherd. So the sheepâ€™s happiness and future totally depends on the shepherd. David himself was a shepherd boy. So he knew about shepherdâ€™s job. And he had seen various kinds of shepherds. Some shepherds did not care for the sheep. In that case the sheep suffered a lot, wounded and abandoned and gone astray. Once Jacob described how he did his shepherd job: â€œThe heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.â€ (Ge 31:40). As a shepherd, he cared for the sheep day and night. David said about his shepherding, â€œWhen a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouthâ€ (1 Sa 17:34,35). He cared for the sheep sacrificially, even risking his life. So as for the sheep, who their shepherd is matters. It is indeed the matter of happiness and tragedy, and of life and death. In this Psalm David confessed, â€œThe LORD is my shepherd.â€ David was marveled at who his shepherd is: The LORD is my shepherd. Who is the LORD? He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all things in them (Isa 44:24). He is the only true God (Isaiah 45:5 says, â€œI am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no Godâ€). All nations belong to him (Ps 86:9 â€“ â€œAll the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name). He is the sovereign Ruler of history, and the destiny of all is in his hand. Psalm 50:11 says, â€œI know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.â€ Then how much more his sheep! His sheep is obviously his. And he knows his sheepâ€™s name and all about his sheep, both strengths and weaknesses. He is all knowing and all powerful, and holy and loving and caring at all times. When David said, â€œThe LORD is my shepherd,â€ this short sentence was the full expression of his joy and happiness in life. As we studied, sheep is not that great. No one can be proud of being a sheep. But because the LORD is his shepherd and so being his sheep makes David so great and proud. This identity is much greater than his being a valiant soldier or even being a king. He is declaring to the world, â€œThe LORD is my shepherdâ€; I am his sheep. In this he was so proud and so fully satisfied that he said, â€œI shall not be in want.â€ He has no worry or anxiety in life, because he has full trust in his shepherd. He feels that he lacks nothing, for his shepherd knows all his needs and will provide him for everything he needs at the right time. While on earth, Jesus said, â€œI am the good shepherd.â€ He is none other than the LORD shepherd. He came down to this world to shepherd mankind wandering and going astray. Before Jesusâ€™ coming no one could be the good shepherd. Jesus said, â€œAll who ever came before me were thieves and robbersâ€¦The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the fullâ€ (Jn 10:8,10). Those who have Jesus as their shepherd, namely, those who are Jesusâ€™ sheep, are most blessed people in the world, whoever they may be. There is no even a hint of doubt for this. Jesus says, â€œI know my sheep and my sheep know meâ€ (Jn 10:14). He knows our names and every thing about us. He is bigger than the universe and greater than all. On this Thanksgiving Day we can be assured that the LORD is my shepherd and I am his sheep and be eternally thankful for this amazing blessing. Now the Psalmist describes what his shepherd God does. â€œHe makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul, he guides in paths of righteousness for his namesâ€™ sake.â€ As for the sheep, green pastures and quite waters are directly related to their life. The sheep, however, cannot go to the green pastures by themselves. It is easy for them to be exposed to wild and poisonous herbs or weeds. But the shepherd leads them to the green pastures and quite waters. In the pastures the sheep eats the fresh and abundant grass and are satisfied. After the full satisfaction he lies down in the green pastures and takes a rest at the watchful eyes of the shepherd. Afterwards the shepherd leads the sheep to quiet waters and he quenches his thirst. In this way the sheep has a full-course meal. So the description, â€œhe makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me besides quiet waters,â€ is the expression of the utmost happiness of Godâ€™s sheep. I thank God that this year he led us to the green pastures of the words of Colossians, Revelation and Matthewâ€™s gospel, and EBC and CSBC and Genesis Bible worship. We could enjoy the fresh grass on the pastures and our souls could have rest and satisfaction. Also, thank God that whenever we come to our Lord Jesus each morning, he leads us to the green pasture. We can come in and go out, and find pasture (Jn 10:9). People in the world are exposed to various kinds of obnoxious and poisonous weeds, such as evolution theory, enlightenment (reason), hedonism and post-modernism, Islam, communism (Marxism) and secularism and Buddhism (meditation). May God lead them to the green pastures through us. May we continue to have fresh and abundant grass through hearing the voice of our shepherd Jesus. Then, it says, â€œHe restores my soul.â€ There is no restoration, the restoration of a soul, in the world. But in the LORD there is. The shepherd LORD himself restores. Not only he feeds and cares but also restores. He is the restorer. When the sheep David sinned against God, his soul groaned day and night. He cried and longed for the restoration of his soul. The LORD indeed did so and David could have joy and happiness again that came from the forgiveness of sin and right relationship with God. Our soul can be wounded and our spirit crushed because of our sins and failures in life. Thank God that he restores. Thank God for his restoration work in and among us. Look at verse 3. â€œHe guides me in paths of righteousness for his nameâ€™s sake.â€ Now the shepherd treats his sheep differently. He wants the sheep to live on a higher level, after feeding and making him lie down and restoring him. Now the shepherd gives the sheep direction in life to walk in the paths of righteousness and live for his nameâ€™s sake in this godless world. It is to help the sheep not to live a selfish life but to live a life of mission to serve Godâ€™s purpose so that the life may be fruitful full of meaning. Second, â€œYou are with meâ€ (4-6). Look at verse 4. â€œEven though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (the darkest valley), I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.â€ Life is not easy to every one. Although he was a happy sheep under his shepherd God, David confronted many dangers in life even close to death. Our dark and dangerous life situations drive us into fear. But David said, â€œI will fear no evil, for you are with me.â€ Here we see the sudden change of subject from â€œheâ€ to â€œyouâ€. Of course, â€œyouâ€ is closer than â€œheâ€ in relationship. When he goes through unbearably difficult life-situations, he feels that the LORD shepherd is closer to him. His shepherd is right there. So he says, not â€œHe is with me,â€ but â€œYou are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.â€ One of the most common but greatest messages in the Bible is â€œGod is with us,â€ â€œYou are with me.â€ According to Matthewâ€™s gospel, the last words of the Risen Christ, our Good shepherd, is â€œSurely I am with you always to the very end of the ageâ€ (Mt 28:2). He is with us not only in our favourable times but also hard times. This is the sure promise of our Good Shepherd who rose again from the dead. He is with us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of the Risen Christ. We must always recognize that he is with us and in us, especially at difficult times. Then we can sense that we have more intimate relationship with him. This year we really thank God that the Risen Christ was with M. David and helped him all the way until he could complete his Ph.D. study and became Dr. David Kim. He confessed that Jesus was indeed the resurrection and the life to him. We also thank God that he was with M. Moses and helped him to rise and stand up against his present failure. He realized that God was most important in his life and felt that God was closer to him at this time. The Good shepherd Jesus is surely with him all the way and to the end of his life on earth. Now the sheep becomes like a victorious general. Look at verse 5. â€œYou prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.â€ What a table it is! No one can eat in front of the enemies. But here the enemies were all captured and became helpless. So this is a victorious table set by the LORD shepherd. We can celebrate victories in God, one victory after another. Our enemy devil will be unhappy and jealous of us, but we can please God, the LORD shepherd and glorify him. When the LORD shepherd is with us, we can also be victorious generals and more than conquerors. May the LORD continue to be with us in pioneering U of T through disciple-raising ministry. Look at verse 6. â€œSurely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.â€ The people of this world pursue goodness and good fortunes. But they cannot be sure of good things. The Psalmist did not pursue such good things in life but pursued and followed the shepherd God. Then he could have an assurance that surely goodness and love would follow him all the days of his life. The evidence was that the LORD was with him here and now. This assurance gave him the hope of dwelling in the house of the LORD, his eternal shepherd. Thank God that the LORD is my shepherd and he is with me, â€œYou are with me.â€ On this Thanksgiving day we thank our shepherd God Jesus for leading us to green pastures and being with us. May we live our life in this world with the utmost blessedness of the LORD being my shepherd and being with me.

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Psalm 23 is the psalm of David. They say David wrote this Psalm when he became old and mature after going through all the experiences of life. This psalm has been loved by numerous people throughout all generations, whether they are believers or not. This psalm has been the source of comfort and strength for the afflicted, the discouraged, and even the dying. This Psalm described our relationship with God in the most excellent way. The Lord is our Shepherd, and we are his sheep. Is there any better way to describe our relationship with God? Through this study, we may know why the Lord is â€œmyâ€ Shepherd, and accept him as â€œmyâ€ shepherd very personally. Look at Verse 1, â€œThe Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.â€ This verse tells us our relationship with God. God is depicted as our Shepherd in many parts of the Bible. In the New Testament, Jesus is also described as the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep. David himself was a shepherd before he became a king, and shepherding was one of the major occupations in Israel. So people understood what it meant when David confessed that the Lord is his shepherd. It is interesting to think of the nature and characteristics of sheep. Sheep have very short legs relative to his body. So they cannot run away or defend themselves when they are attacked by wild animals. They also have poor eye sight and lack sense of direction. So they are easily lost, and when they are lost, they have no ability to come back. Not only that, sheep are very stubborn and want to go on their own way. So Isaiah once said in Isaiah 53:6, â€œWe all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.â€ In one word, sheep are â€œhelpless.â€ They need absolute care of shepherd. Without shepherd, sheep cannot do anything. That is why they are fully dependent on their shepherd. That is the only way of survival. Shepherd means everything to them. That is how David felt when he confessed that the Lord is his shepherd. It was his humble recognition of his own helplessness and desperate needs of his shepherd. He felt that he lacked nothing as long as the Lord was his shepherd. This is also true in our relationship with God. As long as the Lord is our Shepherd, we lack nothing. In the new version of NIV, it says, â€œThe LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.â€ NLT Bible says, â€œThe Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.â€ And MSG Bible says, â€œGod, my shepherd! I donâ€™t need a thing.â€ We do not need anything else when the Lord is our shepherd. May God also bless us to make such a confession faith like David. May God also bless us to make a decision to rely on God alone as our Shepherd. Then what does it mean that the Lord is our Shepherd? What does he do for us as our Shepherd? Look at verse 2, 3a. â€œhe makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.â€ We usually image the beautiful scenery as we read this verse. But in Philistines, the natural environment is not favorable for sheepâ€™s life due to wilderness in many areas. Following their shepherd means the matter of life and death for sheep. But as long as they follow their shepherd, he never fails to lead them to green pastures and quiet waters. According to Philip Keller who wrote a book â€œA Shepherd looks at Psalm 23,â€ sheep cannot lie down in green pastures unless four conditions are met. First, they never lie down when they are afraid. Second, they will not lie down if there is friction among the sheep. If flies or parasites trouble them they will not lie down. Finally, if sheep are anxious about food or hungry they will not lie down. They can lie down and rest when the shepherd has dealt with fear, friction, flies, and famine. The shepherd leads them besides quiet waters. Quiet waters gives them deep rest and peace. We need rest living in this troubled world. Our shepherd gives us rest when we follow him. Our shepherd makes us lie down in green pastures, and leads us beside quiet water. The green pastures and quiet waters symbolize the word of God and the Holy Spirit. When we come to Jesus our Good Shepherd, he restores and refreshes our souls with his word and the Holy Spirit. Then we can find true rest in our souls. Look at verse 3b. â€œHe guides me in paths of righteousness for his nameâ€™s sake.â€ What does the Shepherd do after restoring our soul? He guides us in paths of righteousness for his nameâ€™s sake. When our souls are fully restored by the abundant word of God and the refreshing work of the Holy Spirit, God leads us to the paths of righteousness. In the past we wanted the paths of success. The path of success in this world seems to be the best way, and everyone seems to follow that way. But when the Lord restores our soul, our eyes are opened to see the paths of righteousness. God changes our view of life. The path of righteousness is not popular in worldly view, rather seems hard and difficult. But this is the path that leads to life and glory. This is the way of the cross that our Good shepherd Jesus went through ahead of us. This is the path of righteousness where the Lord leads us for his nameâ€™s sake. Look at verse 4. â€œEven though I walk through the valley of the shadow of the death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.â€ This verse tells us that David was going through difficult times of his life. He felt as if he was walking in the valley of the shadow of death. But he confessed that he would not fear evil because the Lord is with me. When we go through the difficult times of life, we must remember that we are not alone, but the Lord our shepherd is with us and walking with us. Also, we must know that we are not walking in the valley of the shadow of death, but walking through the valley of the shadow of death. We will not be in there forever, but we will pass through with our Shepherd walking beside us. When we walk through our difficult time by faith, we experience personal faith in God. We can call God â€œyouâ€ instead of â€œhe.â€ We will find ourselves stronger than before. Faith in God makes all the difference no matter what situation we might be in. Loot at verse. â€œYou prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.â€ David has been talking about his shepherd and sheep relationship with God. In verse 5, he uses different metaphor in describing his relationship with God, that is, host and guest relationship. A guest is invited to the house of the host, and a table was prepared for him. This table is the table of an abundant feast. But one thing sounds strange. What does â€œin the presence of my enemiesâ€ mean? What kind of feast is it? Maybe this feast was prepared as the last one before going to battle against enemies. Or more probably, after the great victory in battle the king invited triumphant generals to his table. It seems that the enemies are captured and bound and knelt down in front of the table. In such case, this table is the table of victory. This is what David felt when he accepted the Lord as his shepherd and followed his guidance with faith and trust. God gives victory to his people. Even though we talk through the valley of the shadow of death at some point of our lives, when we go through it by faith, a table of victory is prepared by our Shepherd. â€œHe anointed my head with oil.â€ Anointing a guest with oil shows that the host honored the guest greatly as honorable guest â€“VIP. God does not only restores our soul, but also restores our honor and self-esteem. Anointing with oil also symbolizes the anointing of the Holy Spirit. When the Lord restores our life with the grace of Jesus and anoints us with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with the Holy Spirit until we feel that our cup overflows. This is the exact description of our life when we accept Jesus as our Savior and are anointed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 7:38. â€œWhoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.â€ When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, Godâ€™s blessings overflow within us, and we become a channel of Godâ€™s blessing. As we learned in Galatians study, when Abraham believed in God, God credited it to him as righteousness, and blessed him first and then used him as a channel of Godâ€™s blessing. Through Abraham, Godâ€™s blessing of salvation overflowed to all Gentiles. â€œMy cup overflows.â€ This is the confession of a sheep whose shepherd is the Lord and who is satisfied with him. God fills his cup with overflowing of his blessings. Look at verse 6. It is the assurance of the sheep who wholeheartedly followed the guidance of his shepherd. When we follow our shepherd going ahead of us, we will find that his goodness and love will follow us all the days of our life, not just from time to time. Goodness and love are our two guardian angels following us behind when we follow our shepherd going ahead. What is the final assurance of David? When he followed his shepherd, he knew that this world was not his real house, but his final destination was the house of the Lord, the kingdom of God. We live in this world, but we do not belong to this world. We live as holy pilgrims looking forward to our real house in the kingdom of God. This psalm is the song of a happy sheep who has the Lord as his shepherd. All the blessings written in this psalm is what David experienced as he accepted the Lord as his shepherd. And this is the promises of God that will be given to us when we accept and follow the Lord as our shepherd all the days of our life. May God bless us to confess that the Lord is â€œmy shepherd.â€ He is the only one we trust and follow. He is the only one who truly satisfies our soul with his heavenly blessings. May this confession be our own confession as we continue to follow the Lord as his good sheep.

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