The Psalm 23 It has been one of my favorite Bible passages of all time. I have read and reread this chapter over and over again, and it never fails to cheer me up. It talks about how God is our shepherd and all the wonderful things he does for us, his sheep. I remember reading Psalm 23 at times when I’m worrying about things and feeling lost, just to remind myself that God is in charge. He is the good shepherd who watches over us.
Reading Psalm 23, I immediately recall the image of a shepherd that someone had put on his wall. In the image, the shepherd is surrounded by sheep of all shapes and sizes. The best part, however, is the little lamb that he carries in his arms. I tell myself: “That’s me. I am the weakest of the herd, but God carries me. There’s nothing I need to worry about.”
In this article we will tell you what each of the fragments of soul 23 means and the lessons that we can extract from each of them. You will be surprised how much some verses can encourage you. I know this information will bless you as it has blessed me. You can use this as inspiration for your daily walk.
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Psalm 23. Meaning
Let’s explore more of this widely recognized Psalm because chances are what you’re imagining in your mind isn’t quite right.
western green pastures
An online dictionary defines a grassland like this: “Plants (such as grass) grown for food, especially grazing animals; land or parcel of land used for grazing; cattle feeding; grass.”
The dictionary paints a picture in our minds of an open field full of tall grass and lush, maybe some flowers and some trees. Basically we think of a beautiful and serene meadow. We also commonly take the green pastures of the Bible to mean that God supplies everything we need in amazing abundance. But this is not what David was saying. let me explain.
In the areas around Jerusalem, the slopes are mainly dirt and sand. Not much lush green grass. All you find is a bunch of rocks and maybe a sprig of grass sprouting up here and there, which you can see here.
So what might David have been referring to when he says that God makes him lie down in green pastures? To our modern eyes, we detect no grasses and certainly no vegetation. But look at a biblical point of view:
Biblical Green Pastures
Just like where you live, there are certain times of the year when it rains frequently and there are times when it is a bit dry. Psalm 23:2 refers to those dry seasonsnot only in the environment, but also in our lives.
In Israel, Pastor Vander Laan explains that the west wind blows its moisture against the slopes where it condenses on the cold rocks at night. That little bit of moisture (along with the scant 23 inches of rain Jerusalem receives each year) is enough to grow those little twigs of grass.
If you walk away from the scene after it rains, you’ll see those sprigs of grass in some areas of the slopes facing the wind. These are the green pastures the Bible talks about. The photo here shows the grass during the rainy season, but you can imagine how sparse it becomes in the dry season.
Take another look at the image that is created in your mind, and you will see dirt roads that cross the slopes. These trails are where the shepherd allows his sheep to stroll on those little twigs, and they are spaced far enough apart that the sheep can reach the middle for a mouthful of grassy goodness.
It’s not much grass. Just little twigs. But it’s enough to take one bite and then walk a little further and have another slice. The shepherd guides the sheep through the twigs until each sheep has had a chance to eat. Sometimes there isn’t much grass, but it’s enough for today’s meal.
The shepherd meets our needs
This is how God shepherds us. He does not lead us to lush green pastures where we have everything in abundance. Nope, God guides us on the right paths through the twigs that give us enough for today. Tomorrow he will guide us through other paths to meet our daily needs. Some days he may bless us with lots of twigs, and other days there may be only a few. But there will always be enough for what we need.
As to lie down in green pastures, the shepherd creates pens where the sheep can safely rest at night and eat. In this sense, green pastures are a place for us to rest under the watchful eye of the shepherd (God). God does not “make” us lie down, but he offers his peace and joy every day to those who seek it.
Isn’t that beautiful? It certainly changes our perspective of what David meant by green pastures, doesn’t it? Now, let’s take a look at the other half of Psalm 23:2 and what David meant by “still waters.”
Calm waters
Here in the western part of the world it is a challenge to find someone who can take life easy. We tend to focus on staying busy, working hard (sometimes to an extreme), managing our turntables, and finding the perfect work-life balance. Some days go by so blurry it’s hard for us to catch our breath. God offers us the opportunity to stop all that.
The still waters we read about in Psalm 23:2 they are not fast-moving rivers or even small streams, but a quiet, shallow trickle of water flowing gently along. Maybe you know of a small stream near your house or have seen one in a park somewhere. It’s not ankle deep at all, the flow is slow and the bubbling of the water is incredibly relaxing.
It is a place where you can take a deep breath and enjoy the sounds of nature. This is the kind of still water that David talks about. A shepherd would never lead his sheep into a fast flowing river. It would be too dangerous and noisy and would scare the sheep. God does not want this for us. He longs to give us peace, rest, and rest, so he takes us to where the water is pure, clear, and almost still so that we can refresh ourselves in Him.
It is a place where we can relax, be calm and still with Him, and experience His deep and pure love intimately. Because the water is so calm, we can even enter the Living Water and wade a bit, completely immersing ourselves in its grace and quenching our thirst. His invitation to drink of his peace is found in Isaiah 55:1 what does it say:
“Everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters.”
reminds us back in Revelation 7:17:
“For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living water.”
We cannot experience the serene power of still waters or quench our thirst when we only focus on our daily schedules and occupations. We must actively seek Him every day so He can bring us to a place of continual rest and prepare us for His kingdom work.
For the love of his name
God does not guide us through green pastures and still waters just for our sake. It’s all for his name’s sake and his glory alone. We can only benefit from everything thanks to his grace. After the psalmist talks about green pastures and still waters in verse two, he says this. He notes the use of the word “route” again:
“He restores my soul. He will guide me through paths of justice for his name’s sake”. Psalm 23:3
Meeting our daily needs and offering us peace and rest are part of God’s desire to restore our souls, to revive us in Him. It is only through His power and grace that we can. He alone deserves all the glory and adoration for it.
The next time you’re feeling stressed and wondering how you’re going to get through the day, remember the Psalm 23:2. Allow God the Shepherd to guide you along his paths, knowing that He has everything under control. He knows what you need and will help you get it. All you need to do is trust Him. Your green pastures and calm waters are closer than you think.
Lessons from Psalm 23
These are some of the teachings that you can obtain through the reading and analysis of Psalm 23:
1. Rest your mind from worrying (Psalm 23)
Worrying has been a regular part of our day, and that’s perfectly normal. What is most important is that you can rest your mind so that you can focus more on what needs to be done. Today, in this first section we will focus on the first 2 verses of Psalm 23. We will learn how God is like a shepherd who takes good care of us, his sheep, and how he can help you to keep your mind from worrying.
A shepherd gives provision (food and shelter) and protection (from danger and from other sheep). I learned that sheep are not the most intelligent creatures and they are easily scared! Aren’t they like most of us? We may not be afraid of ghosts, but sometimes we do fear and worry about the dangers around us.
I, for one, have the “gift” of foresight, and I can easily see what could go wrong in a given situation. Imagine how that can make me worry more! I think it’s more like a scary vision, if you ask me. My mind can go on and on and it’s really hard to rest it even when I’m about to sleep.
Good thing God, our shepherd, makes sure that we don’t lack for anything. We can rest our minds on what He can do for us. This is what God does for us:
1. It makes us lie down
Since sheep are easily scared, you can’t bring them into the pen, otherwise they’ll think it’s a dangerous place and never go inside. What the shepherd does is make the sheep “come to him.” Is not it wonderful? I don’t know what shepherds do exactly, but if I were the sheep, I would go to a kind and loving shepherd who would offer me coffee and donuts!
All jokes aside, try to remember the moments when God draws us to him. For me, these would be the moments where he has shown his love and kindness, even when I don’t deserve it. He is a very loving God.
2. He makes us lie down in green pastures
Have you ever seen a puppy stretch out on your belly and crawl around to feel the grass? Our pups do that, and they’re so cute! Now imagine yourself lying on clean grass under a cloudy sky, resting your mind and body.
This is how God wants us to be: refreshed, carefree and calm. Green is a sign of life, and God wants us to be alive, well fed, surrounded by provision that is more than enough to meet our needs.
3. He guides us
God shows us the way or gives us instructions so that we can have more than we need. Like a shepherd, he makes us draw closer to him so that we can lie down and rest. Then, in that restful state, we begin to trust him more and our hearts are more in tune with what he wants us to do next. The…