Psalm 23 is the world’s most popular Psalm and you’ve probably even said these words at a funeral.  “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”

But wouldn’t you like to discover the secrets that are hidden inside this Psalm?  These hidden gems are so powerful, so far beyond poetry, that they can make you stronger, braver and better!  Stay to the end and I promise, you will never read this Psalm the same way again!

And what better place to start than verse one, which says, “The LORD Is My Shepherd.”  Here the word “LORD” expresses a deeply personal, relational meaning between God and his people. This is far different from an abstract or even flippant god such as “the force” or “the universe.” On the contrary, when we say, “The LORD” we are proclaiming there is only one true God, who is set apart, holy, and present in our lives.

The word “my” means that we have a personal relationship with God. We belong to him, and he belongs to us. It’s like the little boy who runs up to his dad and cries, “Daddy.”  Both boy and dad know they are united and together as a team.  This is how God wants us to see him!

And the word “Shepherd” reminds us that just like sheep, we sometimes wander and get lost. Sometimes we get lost in emotions of worry or offense.  Sometimes we can even get so lost that it seems like we have lost our faith.   Our shepherd here is Jesus – our God who has put his very life on the line to save us, his sheep.   No wonder we call Jesus the Good Shepherd! (John 10:11).

In the second verse, we learn how our Shepherd sustains us, as we read, “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. (Psalm 23:2).   And what better place does our shepherd want us to go, than to lush green meadows with a gentle little creek.  This message is so important in our fast-paced, I have no time world that can feel like a raging stream of turbulent water.

And what is more joyful, or pleasing to our souls than to spend time, drinking in the peacefulness of God’s presence.  Where else can we go, and to whom else would we ever go, to find this kind of peace.  Here we get to simply rest and say, “Thank you, God.  Thank you for watching over me,” “Thank you for loving me,” and “Thank you for keeping me safe.”  Can you feel that gentleness of praise!

After the Lord, our shepherd, has led us to green pastures, verse three tells us what happens once we arrive!  The text says, “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.”

What a comfort to know when we feel lost or broken, we can turn to God to be restored.  When we are with God, our hearts are calmed, our decisions are put into perspective, and we are filled with peace.  Being restored means God will give us the strength, wisdom, and courage we need to face our challenges and live according to His will.

What a beautiful circle we have seen so far:

— God, our shepherd, loves us, his sheep and keeps us safe

— He leads us to green meadows and quiet waters amidst the busyness of life

— There our souls are restored as we fill ourselves with him

— Then we turn to thank our Shepherd who loves us

We find ourselves saying, “Thank you, God, for loving me.” “Thank you, God, for leading me.”  “Thank you, God, for your peace that fills my heart.”  We cannot help but to praise and thank God.  This is why verse three ends with, “for the sake of His name.”

Verse 4 is one of the most loved verses in the Bible because it speaks volumes about fear and worry.   The text says, “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” (Psalm 23:4).

Here we find ourselves walking through a dark and scary valley where the shadow of death is present and real fear is all around us.   It’s a steep valley, where the trail is narrow and a fall deadly.  A valley where we feel hemmed in and trapped.  And isn’t this often how our lives are today?

Of course, we know that shadows cannot hurt us.   The shadow of a wolf cannot bite us, the shadow of a gun cannot shoot us, and the shadow of death cannot destroy us.  But lingering in nearby dark shadows, danger lurks and we know it.  We hear of wars and rumors of war.  We are warned about sickness, recessions, and economic angst – all real, dark, shadowy, and potentially worrisome issues.   And yet…

And yet indeed.  For we are not walking into the valley of death, but rather we see it’s shadows as we walk through that valley with our eyes fixed on Jesus, our Shepherd.   When our eyes are watching our strong Shepherd, we will fear no evil.  And why not?

Because you, God, are with me.  Notice how, just as this Psalm turns from talking about green pastures into a time of danger, how the shepherd, turns from the third person, “He” to the second person, “You.”  Watch this incredible change of tense as we do not read, “I will fear no evil, for he is with me” but instead we say, “I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”   This shows that God has a personal relationship with us.   It’s not “he’s my God” but instead, “You are my God.”

And finally, we see how the shepherd’s rod and staff comfort us.  Simply imagine a shepherd carrying a long walking stick with a hook on the end.   While we know this can ward off the enemy, even more so, our shepherd gently uses this tool to nudge us toward safety.  To keep us on the path.  To correct us when it is needed – all because our Shepherd loves us.

So here we are, in the very heart of this great Psalm, where we experience something that God wants us to see throughout the Bible…. “I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”  Yes – you are with me.  And aren’t these the very last words that Jesus spoke on earth…. “I am with you always…” (~Matthew 28:20).  For God is with me…. What incredible words of comfort and peace.

And just when we thought it couldn’t any better, verse five has so much dramatic meaning and power that is hidden – right in plain sight.  As you take in the meaning of these words, you will be in awe.  The text says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Picture the preparations for a Thanksgiving meal as a family works together to clean and get ready for guests.  The turkey, stuffing, and desserts all come together for a feast.  As the food is being prepared, the tablecloth, flowers, and wine glasses are all being set.  Can you see the smiles, smell the food, and feel the anticipation!

This is the table, the joy, that God is preparing for us – even in the presence of our enemies.  And yes, we still have plenty of enemies such as worry, unforgiveness and sickness that want to destroy us.   But the best part of all, is how God has made us the guests of honor.  Notice it is God who anoints our head with oil and not the other way around.  God is the one who is preparing the feast.  God’s the one who is setting the table.  God is the one who is beckoning for us to rest in his presence.  And all we need to do is accept the invitation!

And when we do!!!  When we finally give our lives to God, despite all the enemies surrounding us…  When we finally give our time to God, despite all the demands made on us… When we truly decide to rest in God’s presence, oh wow, that is when we are blessed.

See – when we truly know how God wants to bless us with his feast, at his table, that is when our cup will overflow with peace, love, and joy – no matter what our enemies are saying or doing.  No matter if things are going right or wrong.   No matter what.  This is the picture of what our God wants to give you!

You, his child.  You, his creation.  You, God’s precious one.  And this is exactly who you are to him.  God wants to bless you, not because of what you’ve accomplished, how good your grades are, or how much money you give away.  He loves you and wants to bless you simply because you are his child.

Imagine going on a vacation where every single day was better than the last.  You could’ve never planned such a perfect trip, so you are filled with anticipation for what’s described as the most incredible day – the very last day.  This is what the final verse, Psalm 23:6 is ready to deliver to you as the text reads: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

To begin to see God’s power here, let’s recall the first words of Psalm 23 where we cry out, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”  As we’ve already discovered, we are sheep who look to our shepherd as we follow him to green pastures where we feast, and follow him through the valley of the shadow of death where fear surrounds us.  The key to the first part of this Psalm is that WE FOLLOW OUR SHEPHERD.

And this is so important because when we do, we see that goodness and mercy WILL FOLLOW US.   Wow!  We follow our shepherd, while God’s angels, called goodness and mercy, follow us.  We get to be surrounded by God’s presence.  We are in the saddle.  The sweet spot, where God leads and follows us both!

It is like we are being escorted, where we are the honored celebrities.  We’ve already seen how God prepares a feast for us.  He anoints us with oil.  He fills our cup.   Imagine this is how our King celebrates us!  This reminds me of the great verse that says, “God will take great delight in you…. He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

Psalm 23 shows us what a God we have.  Our God guides us like a shepherd.  Our God restores us. Our God protects us.  Our God prepares a feast for us.  Our God delights in us.  Our God leads us.  Our God follows us.  And best of all, we get to dwell in God’s house, with him, forever.   Who doesn’t want that?  To be safe, to be at peace, to feast and to be blessed by the one true God who loves us, forever.

So let me ask, do you want to experience the goodness and mercy of this God in your life? Do you want to dwell in His house forever? The invitation is open to you today and all you have to say is, “Yes, God, I want to follow You. I want to receive Your love and mercy. I want to live in Your presence forever.”

It’s a decision that will change your life!  You will no longer walk alone, but you will have a shepherd who guides you every step of the way. You will be followed by God’s goodness and mercy, and you will experience His love in ways you never thought possible.  Can you say this prayer with me right now, “Jesus, I want to follow You. I want to receive your love and mercy. I want to live in your presence forever.”

Psalm 23 is a personal invitation from God to each of us. Please comment, “I give my life to Jesus” if you want to accept his invitation today!  Then, please watch one of our recommended videos to help you on your faith journey.  And if you’d like to get our free, daily Psalm devotional series, visit PsalmsAreAlive.org.  We’ll see you there!