****psalm 23

(Psalm 23:1-6

Psalm 23:1–6 (NRSV)

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I 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 goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

“Surely Goodness and Mercy” was written in 1958 by John W. Peterson and Alfred B. Smith. The hymn appeared in a collection from Singspiration. The two men were inspired to write this hymn from the words of Scripture we find in Psalm 23.

This Psalm has been an encouragement and source of hope for many in life and in death. This Psalm is one of the most, if not the most, popular Psalm in all of the Bible. This Psalm and this hymn will help to remind us of God’s goodness and mercy in our lives. Why? Because in this fast-paced world we live in it is easy to forget about God. It is easy to forget about His divine nature, His creation, and His care for His children.

David declared the concern, comfort, and care of God for His children. We can rest in God’s guidance, rely on God’s protection, and we can rejoice in God’s salvation. May we learn to follow the Lord, trust in the Lord, and worship the Lord Jesus Christ through this study.

This Psalm gives us some reasons why Goodness and Mercy follow us.

Goodness and Mercy follow us:

I. Because we have God’s presence in our lives. (vs. 1–3)

God’s presence is in our lives:

(A.) By our faith in Him. (vs. 1)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

David had God’s presence in his life because he knew God as Lord. This is a statement of faith by King David, he is testifying that the Lord is his shepherd. David knew that God was with him because he had faith in the Lord.

David said, “Yahweh is my shepherd.” This is a personal and intimate statement. The Lord was David’s shepherd is He yours?

John Phillips wrote, “It is not enough to own Him as a Shepherd, for that only equates Him with the founders of the world’s religions. It is not enough to own Him as the Shepherd, for that simply sets Him apart from everyone else. We must establish a personal relationship with Him. We must be able to say He is my Shepherd.”

Jesus said in John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” We have God’s presence in our lives by faith in His Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The word shepherd in verse one is the metaphor used for God. In the ancient Near East, the loyalty and care the shepherd showed for his sheep was common knowledge. The Shepherd was the guardian of the sheep and the sheep knew the voice of the shepherd and followed him. The shepherd cares for his sheep and knows which are his.

David was a shepherd boy before God called him to be King of Israel. David knew what a shepherd did and he knew that God was his shepherd and that he was God’s sheep.

Are you God’s sheep? Is the Lord Jesus Christ your Shepherd?

Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, “No man has a right to consider himself the Lord’s sheep unless his nature has been renewed, for the scriptural description of unconverted men does not picture them as sheep, but as wolves or goats.”

If we are to have God’s presence in our lives we must place our faith in Him.

Hebrews 13:5 states, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

In David’s declaration about the Lord being his shepherd, David was declaring that he was the Lord’s sheep, the Lord’s servant and the Lord’s property. David had a personal relationship with the Lord! We must have a personal relationship with the Lord!

David continues by stating that because the Lord is his shepherd, and because his faith is in the Lord, “I shall not want.”

After a Sunday-School lesson one week, a little girl was heard quoting Psalm 23:1, which many of the children had learned. The little girl didn’t quote the verse quite right but she had the right idea. The little girl was overheard saying, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I’ve got all I want.”

David declared in Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.”

The Bishops sing a song, “When Jesus is all that I have, He’s all that I need.”

Great Bible Truth: When Jesus is our Shepherd we truly have no want.

When God’s presence is in our lives we will not want. We have God’s presence in our lives by our faith in Him.

Next, we see in verses 2–3, we have God’s presence in our lives:

(B.) By our following of Him. (vs. 2–3)

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

God’s presence in our lives is evident by our faith in Him and our following of Him. We follow Jesus as a sheep follows their shepherd. David followed the Lord and the Lord led His saint. God leads those who surrender to Him. He guides those who He knows as His sheep.

A Good Word: The Lord rules, guides, feeds, and protects His sheep; and His sheep follow, obey, love, and trust Him.

Phillip Keller, once a shepherd himself, relates, “The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very makeup, it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. Due to their timidity, they must be free from all fear. Because of their sociability, they must be free from friction with others of their kind.

They must be free from flies or parasites if they are to relax. They will not lie down unless they are free from hunger. It is only the shepherd who can provide release from all these anxieties.”

As our Good Shepherd, the Lord meets all these needs for us, so that we can “lie down in green pastures,” with our souls restored by His care.

Verse 2 states, “He leads me beside the still waters.” Leads (nahal) means to conduct, to protect, or to guide. God will guide our lives, and with His awesome and fulfilling presence, He will guide us to a place of rest and tranquility. God revives our spirit and gives us strength to our bodies to continue on the journeys of our lives.

Understand this, we will never experience God’s presence in our lives without faith in Him and following Him. God is omnipresent, but if we are not following Jesus we will never sense His presence in our lives.

Amen Statement: I don’t believe that God is omnipresent because someone told me so, but because He told me so!

We follow the Shepherd because He is our Savior. Many of us do not have God’s presence in our lives because we don’t have faith in Jesus and we do not follow Jesus. We have no direction!

Many of us are like the late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes that was on a train when the conductor came through collecting tickets. Holmes was unable to locate his ticket and became rather distraught. The conductor tried to console him by saying, “Mr. Holmes, don’t worry. When you find your ticket, just mail it in. We trust you.” The justice responded in continued frustration, “My dear man, that’s not my problem. I need my ticket to tell me where I’m going.” Like Mr. Holmes, we all need to know where we’re going.

When we follow Jesus we will know where we are going. John 10:1–5 states, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. And when He brings out His sheep, He goes before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Verse 3 states, “He restores my soul.” Restores in the Hebrew literally means, “He brings back my soul.”

God brings back our soul from eternal death and from extreme despair. When we follow the Lord Jesus He will restore our souls. Has God restored your soul?

Verse 3 states, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” The word for leads in Verse 3 is a different word than the word for lead in Verse 2. Leads (nahag) means to drive forth, to carry away, and refers to the panting induced by effort.

God will not only guide us beside still waters, but He will drive us forth unto righteousness for His name’s sake. If it could be possible, God would wear Himself out driving us on to righteousness. He does that for His name’s sake.

God will not lead His followers into anything that would contradict His nature, will, or word. God’s honor is at stake each day that we live. When we name the name of Jesus we must be people that are righteous and holy.

2 Timothy 2:19 declares, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity’.”

God’s presence in our lives guides us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. When the Spirit of God leads us we will live righteously.

In a restaurant in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, a sign hangs on the exit of the kitchen door: “My reputation is in your hands.” The owner of the restaurant signed his name below.

God has put into our hearts His Spirit to lead us and guide us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. We must understand that His reputation is in our hands.

Goodness and mercy follow us because we have God’s presence in our lives, and

II. Because we have God’s provision for our lives. (vs. 4–5)

(A.) It is a provision of safety. (vs. 4a)

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;”

Provision means to supply or to provide that which is needed. God cares for His children and He provides for us. David here makes a bold declaration of faith. Every man, woman, boy, or girl will one day walk through the valley of the shadow of death. When Jesus is our Shepherd, we can know that His protecting hand keeps us. Each of us will travel through the valley of the shadow of death.

The first wife of Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse, a well-known pastor in Philadelphia, died from cancer while she was in her thirties. All three of his children were under 12. Dr. Barnhouse had such victory that he decided to preach the funeral sermon himself. En route to the funeral they were overtaken by a large truck, which, as it passed them, cast a large shadow over their car. He asked one of his children, “Would you rather be run over by that truck or by its shadow?”

The 12-year-old daughter replied, “By the shadow. A shadow can’t hurt you.”

With that answer, Dr. Barnhouse said to his three motherless children, “Your mother has been overrun not by death, but by the shadow of death.” Death has no power over a child of God.

Some years ago a medical missionary came to the end of life’s journey. He had served the Lord for years and was dying of leukemia. Being a doctor, he knew just how far the disease had progressed, knew just about how long he had life to live. He wrote a letter to the circle of churches that he had fellowshipped with. He wrote, “Brethren, David speaks of the valley of the shadow of death. I have now come to the valley, but I find no shadows there. On the contrary, I have found that the path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

Great Truth: God gives us life in death and light in darkness.

David says, “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

God will always protect His children from spiritual harm. All evil ultimately comes from Satan and his wicked army. When we follow Jesus we can be like David and fear no evil.

When He chooses, God also protects and keeps us safe physically. John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. John Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave.

A year later, the chief of the tribe was saved by Jesus. Paton remembered what had happened and asked the chief what had kept them from burning down the house and killing them.

The chief replied in surprise, “Who were all those men with you there?”

Paton didn’t know any men where there that night, but the chief said, “We were afraid to attack that night because there was hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station.” That really did happen!

In 2 Kings 6, the Syrians had surrounded Dothan where Elisha was. His servant saw the multitude and was much afraid. Elisha prayed to the Lord that He would open His servant’s eyes. 2 Kings 6:17 states, “And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

David says he will fear no evil because the Lord is his Shepherd.

During the initial construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, no safety devices were used and 23 men fell to their deaths. For the final part of the project, however, a large net was used as a safety precaution. At least 10 men fell into it and were saved from certain death. Even more interesting, is the fact that 25% more work was accomplished after the net was installed. Why? Because the men had the assurance of their safety, and they were free to wholeheartedly serve the project.

God has given us a provision of safety. In verse 4, we also see:

(B.) It is a provision of security, (vs. 4b)

“For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

The sheep can be killed by wild beast, robbers, and by many other troubles. The child of God faces dangers of all kind on this earth. As the shepherd cares for his sheep and keeps them safe from the dangers of life, so also God’s children should never fear for He is always with us.

We have security because we know that Jesus is with us. It gives us security in knowing that Jesus is always with us. Isaiah 41:10 declares, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Someone has well said, “Believers are never in situations the Lord is not aware of, for He never leaves or forsakes His people.”

We have security because He is with us. We have security because His rod and His staff comfort us. The rod and staff were common instruments used by the shepherd for protecting his sheep. The rod was used to defend the sheep against attacks from wild beast, thieves, and robbers. The staff was used by the shepherd to guide and control the sheep. God uses the rod of the Holy Spirit and the angels to protect His children through the perils of life. God also uses the staff of conviction and discipline to guide and control His sheep.

David was saying, “Lord your direction, protection, and correction is a comfort to me.” David knew what the shepherd had to do to direct, protect, and correct his sheep.

The most outstanding characteristic of any sheep is that they are stupid. We do not always do what the Father wants us to do, always go where the Father wants us to go, watch what the Father wants us to watch, or say what the Father wants us to say. Sometimes we are just plain stupid! We are sheep and we go astray sometimes. Thank God for His rod and staff that comfort us.

We know that we are children of God when we receive correction. Hebrews 12:5–8 states, “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord love He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’ If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.”

God’s rod and staff are a comfort to us because we know that with them God directs us, protects us, and He corrects us. We are His children.

Psalm 100:3 declares “Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

God’s protection for us gives us great security. People in America spend millions of dollars a year on home security systems because they feel threatened or insecure. People feel like they can rest better with an ADT system hooked up to their home. For a child of God, we should always know that God is with us and we are in His hands. God can protect us in ways that ADT cannot even begin to imagine. A man on an ADT commercial said, “I can finally live my life with peace of mind.” When Jesus is our Lord we can truly live life with a peace of mind.

John 10:27–30 states, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” Is God’s rod and staff a comfort to you?

Goodness and mercy follow us because we have God’s provision for our lives. God gives us a provision of safety, a provision of security, and in verse 5 we see:

(C.) It is a provision of satisfaction. (vs. 5)

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.”

In this verse of Scripture, we see that God takes great care of His children. Prepare (arak) means to arrange or to set in order.

God will justify His children one day before the whole world. David was a satisfied customer! God loves us so much that He shows His love for us before a lost world.

The table represents abundance and supply of our need. God will meet all our needs. Philippians 4:19 declares, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

David knew by experience that God would help him, that God would provide for him, that God would protect him. God meets all our needs and He is faithful to His children. David is saying that all his enemies will know that God is David’s Lord and provider.

verse 5 says, “You anoint my head with oil;”

For a tired and weary traveler the oil was used to refresh. This act shows the concept of a gracious host welcoming someone into his home. God welcomes us into His presence; He renews us and restores us in our great time of need. David was satisfied with the Lord!

We need to get back to where we are satisfied with Jesus! We need nothing else.

David says, “My cup runs over.” John Trapp wrote, “He had not only a fullness of abundance, but of redundance. Those that have this happiness must carry their cup upright, and see that it overflows into their poor brethren’s emptier vessels.” David had a spell as he thought about who the Lord is and what the Lord has done.

Michael Combs sings, “I’ve never had a fortune, it’s probably too late now, but I’ve got a friend in Jesus and I’m happy anyhow. As I go along life’s journey, I’m reaping better than I’ve sown. I’m drinking from my saucer, Lord, because my cup has overflowed.”

Are you satisfied with Jesus today? Has He been faithful to you? When the Lord is our Shepherd, we will indeed be satisfied!

Goodness and Mercy follow us because we have God’s presence in our lives, because we have God’s provision for our lives, and

III. Because we have God’s plan for our lives. (vs. 6)

(A.) Is to have fruitful days. (vs. 6)

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;”

David was assured that God’s goodness and mercy would follow him all the days of his life.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote, “Goodness supplies our needs, and mercy blots out our sins.”

God gives us goodness and mercy so that all our lives may be fruitful for Him. God’s goodness and mercy is evident in His humble servants. David did not make this statement because he was selfish or self-centered. When we get God-centered, we will realize how good and merciful God has been to us.

Great Bible Fact: God shows His goodness and mercy to us so that He can show His goodness and mercy through us.

God has a plan for our lives. His plan centers around His glory in His world.

God supplies goodness and mercy every day. Not just every now and then, not just on special days, but all the days of our life. God is concerned with all the days of our lives.

Psalm 139:16 states, “And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

God has a plan for our lives! His plan for our lives is that we have fruitful days. Also, we see that His plan for our lives:

(B.) Is to have a future dwelling. (vs. 6b)

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

God’s will for His children is to dwell with Him forever. David was assured that he would dwell or abide in God’s house (His presence) forever. Dwell (yashab) means to dwell, abide, inhabit, and remain. When the Lord is our shepherd we can have the same confidence that David had. David wanted to be in God’s house while he was still alive and he wanted to be in God’s house forever. David loved the Lord and wanted to spend time with his Shepherd.

Psalm 27:4 declares, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”

Psalm 122:1 also states, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

We know there is nothing magical or mystical about a church building. God’s temple or house represents the place of His presence, the place of worship, the place of celebration, and the place of service.

Many of us today need to get what David had. David longed to be in the house of God with the people of God worshipping the Lord God. If some of us begin to come to church on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights and Wednesday nights, we would think we had become sold out to God. When you’ve experienced God’s presence, received God’s provision, and understand God’s plan, you’ll not be hindered from being in the house of God.

Great Truth: A life dedicated to God’s plan, submitted to God’s will, and given for God’s glory will be blessed in this age and the one to come.

God’s ultimate plan for us is to dwell with Him forever. That’s why He came down from heaven’s glory. Jesus stepped out of heaven and died on the cross for our sins that we can have eternal life. If Jesus is not your Lord, then you are lost and will not dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23 is read at many funerals to comfort the families and encourage those who still remain. David was confident that he would dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Are you?

Bible Fact: We should not be confident at death if we have lived life for self.

God’s plan for you today is to have a future dwelling with Him in glory. Jesus has made the way, paid the price and opened the door for us. We must repent of our sins, call on the name of the Lord and ask Jesus to save us.