Maranatha Bible Church

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; he guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23)

Psalm 23 is one of the most recognized, read and cherished portions of Scripture in the Bible. And for good reason. These words, originally written by David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, provide great comfort to us who belong to God through faith in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. As those who belong to Him, we enjoy the marvelous blessings of having God Himself as our shepherd and the security that comes with His love, care, protection, wisdom and discipline.

As a good shepherd, He can be trusted to provide everything we need, in every circumstance and at just the right time. Even in the darkest days when we "walk through the valley of the shadow of death", we can remain calm, confident and comforted without any fear, knowing that our shepherd is always there for us; O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Psalm 34:8).

Sometimes the problems of this life can be overwhelming and even can cause us to lose all hope. But our shepherd will never leave us or forsake us. As those who are in the Lord's flock, we enjoy our shepherd's goodness and His lovingkindness all the days of our life. And when this life comes to an end we have His promise that we "will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!" I hope you have memorized this comforting verse and that you repeat it often; "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Maranatha!