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The Switch In Psalm 23

Psalm 23 (NKJV)

  1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
  2. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
  3. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
  4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 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 runs over.
  6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

This psalm must be the all-time favorite of the complete 150 Psalms in the Bible for many Christians. I have memorized this psalm since my youth days.

While praying for our nation this week, I used this psalm. I prayed that the LORD would continue to be our Shepherd and that we would lack nothing.

I noticed a switch in the use of pronouns from "He" in verses 1-3 to "You" in verses 4-6. There is also a corresponding switch from good times to not-so-good times.

It seems to me that it is in the bad times that we are drawn nearer to the Lord, and that we get more personal with Him. In our good times, we can be easily distracted by the blessings that we forget the Blesser.

As we are entering into a new change of times, I reckon that it is also time for us to switch from knowing God second-hand to first-hand. From impersonal to personal. Drawing close to God. Direct accessing and not going through a subsidiary. Not just hearers but also doers of His Word! God wants us to hear directly what the Holy Spirit is saying.

Revelation 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

Not simply downloading mindlessly volumes of knowledge about God but truly knowing Him in greater measure each day and doing His will faithfully. He will tell us everything over and over again. One line at a time, one line then another line, a little here, and a little there!

Isaiah 28:10
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.

Truly, we will lack nothing if we let Him lead, guide and guard us!