The Path of Righteousness

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

~Psalm 23

Some of the most touching and powerful prayers are in the book of Psalms. In King David’s psalms, there is much heartache, heartbreak, fear, and loneliness, but there is also much joy. David knew God was with him no matter the circumstances. He experienced great highs and great lows but his faith that God would deliver him never wavered. We, like David, also experience these same times of great highs and great lows, but are we always sure God is with us? The strength of our faith will determine how we handle the ups and downs of life.

Verse 1: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

A shepherd is one who keeps the sheep from danger. He will go to any lengths to fight off wild animals to keep his sheep safe. If we truly believe the Lord is our Shepherd, how much further will He go to keep us safe? The shepherd makes sure his sheep are fed and watered, they have no need to go in search of food because the shepherd provides for them. They want for nothing, and when we depend upon the Lord, neither will we (Philippians 4:19-20).

Verse 2: He leads me beside still waters.

Sheep can’t drink from running waters, it has to do with the shape of their mouths. They have to have a still pool to drink from to satisfy their thirst. Still waters also indicate peace, so when we trust the Lord, He will make sure we have His peace, no matter what’s going on in our lives (Ephesians 2:19).

Verse 3: He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

When we live in sin, our souls are in turmoil but when we have our lives in Christ, our souls are at peace. They have been completely restored by Jesus. He becomes our Shepherd and directs our paths for His name’s sake. Why? So that He will be glorified. We are the glory of God and when we walk the path He has for us, everything we do will glorify Him to the rest of the world (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Verse 4: Even 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.

The valleys we walk through can be dark and fearsome. The events in life can make us feel like life isn’t worth living, or if a lot of traumatic events have taken place in our lives, we can live in constant fear that something else is going to happen. But when we walk the paths of righteousness in Christ Jesus, we do not have to fear because He is our comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). When we trust completely in Him, our fears are put to rest.

Verse 5: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

I love this verse. Imagine your enemies all around you, the way they were David, yet, in the midst of the chaos, you sit down to eat the finest meal you’ve ever imagined, without a care in the world. I think it would blow the enemies’ minds! Jesus is like that. He will lead us right through the fire without letting us get singed even a little bit. He anoints us with heavenly oil that marks us as belonging to the only true King, Him! He provides for us to the point that no matter what we do, we can’t contain the provision that is pressed down, shaken together and running over (Luke 6:38). Our Shepherd cares for us, keeps us, loves us, provides for us beyond anything we can ever imagine.  

Verse 6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Because of Christ’s immense love for us, He pours out His goodness and mercy upon us all the days of our lives. We are His children, and like any proud daddy, He wants to give us everything we need. Of course, we will have trials in life but that’s just how a fallen world works, but unlike those who drudge through, we, the children of the Most High, can walk through life with our shoulders back and our heads held high. If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? We have all that Heaven offers through the blood of Jesus Christ and in the end, we will realize the fullness of that love when we step from this life into everlasting life in Heaven. We will dwell in the Lord’s house forever.

No matter what is going on in your life, Jesus Christ is with you and He will not leave you (Deuteronomy 31:8). Your Shepherd is with you and He will protect you.

Read Job 38-42

©2018 Marie McGaha