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PSALM 23 – GROWING UP IN GOD

Christian Life, ,

PSALM 23 – GROWING UP IN GOD

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. Psalms 23

There are many ways of interpreting this psalm and many fascinating images that emerge from the Hebrew text. One way of viewing it is to recognise in it a description of the process of growing up from spiritual infancy to mature and responsible adulthood. Each verse introduces us to the next stage in the process and leads us on to the final goal; to be, and to be in, the dwelling place of God.

Verse 1 describes, in the imagery of shepherd and sheep, God’s tender care and responsibility towards His people. The Hebrew implies that we will never be short-changed or become diminished in any way through our relationship with Him as our Shepherd. For the sheep it’s plus all the way.

Verse 2 describes the period of spiritual infancy when God cares for us like a mother cares for her baby, answering every prayer and taking care of every physical and emotional need. It’s all about grass and water, the concerns of the “baby” Christian which override everything else at this stage.

Verse 3 focuses on the “teenage” stage of spiritual growth, when the moral values are being formed and tested, and God’s training and discipline shapes the soul and teaches us to walk in His righteousness. He works on the failures of our childhood and exposes us to the values He treasures and wants us to embrace.

Verse 4 is the defining time of our lives when we either choose to remain in spiritual infancy or advance to spiritual maturity by submitting, in trust and obedience, to the tough discipline of our Shepherd. He takes us through “death valley” so that we can learn to stake our lives on Him instead of choosing our own way and living in the twilight zone between light and darkness. He may have to take us through “death valley” over and over again until our self-will is surrendered to His higher purposes and we submit to Him willingly and spontaneously without putting up a fight over every new instruction.

Verse 5 opens up new vistas of experience on this journey with our Shepherd; bounty, pleasure and satisfaction. The reward for enduring the process is beyond our imagination. Paul describes it like this: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared fro those who love Him – “(1 Corinthians 2:9, NIV). There is honour, abundance, and victory for those who stay with the Shepherd through the dark times, trusting in His goodness and mercy and never giving up until the valley is conquered and the way breaks out into the sunshine of God’s favour.

Verse 6 assures us that this journey is going somewhere. It is the Shepherd’s passion to make His home with us in the realm where His love and perfection rule. The final reward far outweighs the hazards and discomfort of the journey.

CHILDHOOD DAYS

Bible Study, ,

CHILDHOOD DAYS

‘He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.” Psalm 23:2.

Have you ever noticed how this psalm tells a story? One way of understanding it is to see it as a record of our progress on our spiritual journey.

The first verse speaks of our relationship and connection to the Shepherd. He is the reason for a life that is going somewhere. Because we belong to the Shepherd and are willing to follow Him, He takes charge of our progress and our wellbeing, and He is purposeful in where He leads us and what His intention is for us.

In the early days of our spiritual journey, we are like new-born lambs. Whenever we open our mouths and cry, “Maa-a-a, maa-a-a,” the Shepherd listens and answers us. New believers seem to have every prayer of theirs answered! We marvel at the way God waits on them hand and foot, like a mother responding to the cries of her new-born infant. What is God doing? He is building trust in the new believer. The baby believer is thrilled and excited. This new life in Christ is great!

But wait a minute! It’s not always going to be sunshine and roses. A lifetime of training lies ahead because this journey is not only about us. We lived long enough in selfish independence before we joined His flock. We have a new Master and we will have to learn to trust and follow Him instead of wandering around nibbling at any old tuft of grass or poisonous plant.

Instead of following our noses into dangerous places, or following other lost sheep who have no idea where they are going, we have to learn to discern our Shepherd’s voice among all the voices that are calling, and go where He leads us. It always amazes me how young animals instinctively recognise the sound of their mother’s voice. Among thousands of seals and seal pups, for example, mothers and pups are reunited after the mother’s feeding trip just by recognising each other’s voices.

The Shepherd knows, like any new mother, that His sheep need nourishing food and clean, fresh water if they are to flourish. His first task is to ensure that they follow Him to the pastures and water so that they grow healthy and strong. The Middle Eastern shepherd never drove his sheep; he led them. They were like his children, bound to him in a loving and trusting relationship.

His sheep would separate themselves from all the mixed-up flocks in the sheep-pen where they sheltered for the night, and strike out after him in the early morning when he called. It was time to move out to find grazing, but they had to do nothing more than follow the shepherd. He knew where the best pastures were and where the quiet streams were to be found, otherwise the sheep would refuse to drink from a fast-flowing river.

As David reminisced, all these thoughts would crowd his mind. Looking back over his life, he realised that he was just like one of the sheep in his father’s flock that he had cared for in his youth. He knew what it was to be responsible for a flock of dependent animals. If he was not there for them, watching over them every minute of the day, guiding them to the best feeding grounds, scouting ahead for resting places and fresh water, and driving off would-be predators, they would not have survived even a few days on their own.

David must have felt humbled and grateful for a God who cared for Him like a faithful shepherd. He felt loved and secure. Like a small child in his mother’s arms, he could rest in the knowledge that his God would never let him go hungry or die of thirst. He would never abandon him to his enemies, or leave him to tumble over a precipice or even wander alone in a frightening wilderness.

The Lord is my Shepherd. He leads me…

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.