The Lord is my shepherd

What is the most popular chapter in the entire Bible? We know the most popular verse is John 3:16.

However when you think about a chapter and its entirety there seems to be a clear front-runner as far as the favorite chapter. That chapter is Psalms 23. The Lord is my shepherd.

As you examine this passage, you find some very beautiful imagery. Contained in its verses you also find some amazing promises.

Looking at the world today you see a society that is fraught with uncertainty, stress, anxiety, and depression.

Many psychologist attest to the fact that today’s culture is the most stressed out in all of civilization. People try to find rest and hope and peace in numerous things and always seem to come up short.

The turmoil in our culture and in our society today is not just a physical issue or an emotional issue that I would offer that the majority of stress will experience today is a spiritual issue.

Scripture teaches that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and rulers of the unseen. Supernatural forces are at work in our lives today.

This six-verse psalm addresses five major areas or pressure points in our lives that Satan tries to exploit.

The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not be in need, speaks of our first pressure point provision.

Who is our provider? Is it ourselves or is it God? If it’s God, then we must draw our strength from him who provides.

He lets me lay down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters addresses our second pressure point, which is rest.

We have become so insanely busy that we fail to rest as the Scripture teaches us to. Even our times a vacation and wrist are stressful because we pack so much into them. He restores my soul.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for your rod and your staff they comfort me and guide me. This is our third pressure point, our health and fear.

The apostle Paul writes that God has not given us a spirit of fear. We do not have to be afraid if the Lord is the center of our life.

The rod and staff comfort me is our fourth pressure point. No one likes to be wrong and no one likes to be corrected.

Therein lies the problem. If you cannot be corrected, you cannot learn from your mistakes because you assume you don’t make them.

The Lord wants us to learn from our mistakes and draw strength from him.

John Maxwell is quoted saying success is measured on the amount of failures you stand upon. We must allow the Lord to discipline us so we ourselves can live a disciplined life.

He set a table before me in the presence of my enemies is our fifth pressure point. Conflict is very real in our lives today.

However, when Christ is the center of your life that conflict does not have to consume you. In fact, you can know that God is going to provide even in the middle of a conflict.

So what is the benefit of living our life to please the Lord? The promise containing the last verse, surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Such an amazing promise.

I encourage each of you to read Psalms 23 and meditate on that Scripture and allow the Lord to take you from a place of stress and chaos to a place of rest and peace.