Written by: Liz Bulkeley
Psalm 23 v 1-4
The LORD is my shepherd;
I have everything I need.
He lets me rest in green pastures.
He leads me to calm water.
He gives me new strength.
He leads me on paths that are right for the good of his name.
Even if I walk through a very dark valley,
I will not be afraid, because you are with me.
Your rod and your staff comfort me.
Notes
Right now you have everything you need. Challenging, isn’t it? That new DVD
or pair of jeans can so easily become an essential to life in our minds.
Or take supermarket shopping – no sooner have you finished unpacking the
bags from one shop, than you realise with annoyance that you’ve forgotten
something crucial. In our lives there’s always something extra to be got
- something, we convince ourselves, that we can’t live without. Yet God promises
to provide for us. Just as a shepherd ensures his sheep have all they need,
so the Lord looks after us.
God gives those who love him all they need, both physically and spiritually. To the stressed and overworked he gives rest; to the tired he gives new strength. When we feel confused or lost, he continues to guide us. If things get tough and we’re feeling scared or hurt, the Lord is with us, comforting us. As Jesus sent his disciples out into all nations, he promised: “I will be with you always, even until the end of this age” (Matthew 28 v 20).
This psalm speaks to me of finding contentment in God despite all else that’s going on in our lives. Take two or three minutes to simply enjoy the Lord’s presence. Imagine you are in a quiet place. There are no phones ringing, no cars roaring past, no people rushing around, no voices interrupting. Perhaps there’s a gentle breeze and birds singing, but there’s no one else; just you and God. Rest in God’s presence, allowing him to renew your strength and bring comfort and healing.
Suggestion for prayer:
Thank God that he knows all your needs and provides for you.
Psalm 23 v 5-6
You prepare a meal for me in front of my enemies.
You pour oil on my head; you fill my cup to overflowing.
Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life, and I will live
in the house of the LORD for ever.
Notes
This part of Psalm 23 has often struck me as being out of place. The first
four verses describe the Lord as our shepherd, providing for all our needs.
Suddenly, in verse 5, we’re taken from the green pastures and calm waters
to a banquet scene. But the theme of the Lord providing continues with a
different picture.
In the culture of the time, a host was expected to protect his guests at all costs. So God is likened to a host, offering protection against all our enemies. During a banquet it was the custom to anoint a person with oil. As Christians, we are like the honoured guest at a banquet; we have been chosen by God and anointed with the Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit, God lives in us. Let’s not forget just how amazing that is.
God continuously “tops up” our cup so that it overflows. Sometimes, though, we put our hand over the cup, refusing to allow God to fill us up. We let things like worry, pride and independence get in the way, preventing us from fully depending on God. Let’s ask God to remove all the barriers we’ve built so he can fill us up to overflowing.
In no situation are we outside the arms of God’s love. So we can praise God for his continuing blessing and be confident his goodness and love will be with us all our lives. Jesus says to his disciples in John 14 v 2: “There are many rooms in my Father’s house… I am going there to prepare a place for you”. It is through Jesus that we have the promise of eternal life. We too can rejoice and say with assurance: “I will live in the house of the Lord for ever”.
Suggestion for prayer:
Tell God how thankful you are that he has chosen you and lives in you by the
Holy Spirit. Ask him to show you areas in your life where you aren’t allowing
him in. Praise God for his goodness to you.
Psalm 24 v 1-6
The earth belongs to the LORD, and everything in it—the world and all its people.
He built it on the waters and set it on the rivers.
Who may go up on the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy Temple?
Only those with clean hands and pure hearts, who have not worshipped idols,
who have not made promises in the name of a false god.
They will receive a blessing from the LORD; the God who saves them will declare
them right.
They try to follow God; they look to the God of Jacob for help.
Notes
God created the world, and everything in it is his. We are just stewards, responsible
for looking after it all. How should this affect our attitude? Teaching young
children that not everything belongs to them can take time – so often when
they see something, they want and grab it, saying, “Mine!” We can have a
similar possessive attitude, and not just with material possessions. Friendships,
time, salary - to name a few. Yet it is the Lord who created all things and
has given us so much. Everything belongs to him. Let’s release our hold on
these things and mentally give them back to the Lord.
Today’s part of Psalm 24 seems to list some conditions for joining worship. “Only those with clean hands and pure hearts” – not you or I on our own merit then! Before I could say I have a pure heart, every thought and action would have to please God. What a great aim for life! Fortunately in our imperfect state we can claim admittance into the presence of God himself through the blood of Jesus. Jesus was “tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin” (Hebrews 4 v 15). So we can stand before the Lord with confidence and continue to seek his help in pursuing a pure heart, and he promises to bless us.
Suggestion for prayer:
Surrender to God those things you are clutching tightly to. Thank God for Jesus
and all that his death and resurrection mean to you. Ask him to help you
become more like Jesus, where every thought and action pleases him.
Psalm 24 v 7-10
Gates, open all the way.
Open wide, aged doors so the glorious King will come in.
Who is this glorious King?
The LORD, strong and mighty.
The LORD, the powerful warrior.
Gates, open all the way.
Open wide, aged doors so the glorious King will come in.
Who is this glorious King?
The LORD All-powerful—he is the glorious King.
Notes
According to my study Bible (NIV Life Application), this psalm would probably
have been used in corporate worship. There may well have been two groups
of people: one group outside the temple gates; the second, possibly priests,
inside. The two groups would call out to each other. The group outside would
call for the gates to be opened to let the glorious king in. Those inside
would question who he was, and the group outside would respond.
I think this would have been a strong, powerful exchange - like a battle cry, not a weak whisper. Try imagining being part of a large crowd standing in front of spectacular temple gates. How do you feel as you shout these truths about the Lord?
Then the temple gates swung open, showing the people’s desire to welcome the king’s presence among them. The king is powerful, is majestic, commands armies, and reigns over the whole earth. The king is faithful and just. He is holy. What can you do now to show your desire to celebrate his presence?
When Jesus came to the earth, he humbled himself and lived as a man. He suffered and was killed, but on the third day God raised him from the dead.
Jesus has won the victory. Jesus’ return is described in Revelation. The imagery used is that of a great warrior commanding heaven’s armies, and he is given the title “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19 v 16). So this psalm could also look forward to Jesus’ return when there will be great rejoicing in the glorious king.
This is an uplifting psalm. Perhaps you could re-read it, thinking of gates opening all the way as referring to your heart. Allow our all-powerful God to strengthen you and reign in your heart.
Suggestion for prayer:
Spend some time celebrating the presence of your king.
Psalm 25 v 1-7
LORD, I give myself to you; my God, I trust you.
Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies laugh at me.
No one who trusts you will be disgraced, but those who sin without excuse will
be disgraced.
LORD, tell me your ways.
Show me how to live.
Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Saviour.
I trust you all day long.
LORD, remember your mercy and love that you have shown since long ago.
Do not remember the sins and wrong things I did when I was young.
But remember to love me always because you are good, LORD.
Notes
This appears to be a psalm written by someone in need. These opening verses
are filled with requests. The psalmist was especially concerned with not
being disgraced and desired God to guide him.
The author emphasised his trust in the Lord. He wrote, “I trust you all day long”. This implies it didn’t matter where he was or what was going on, he still trusted in the Lord. Learning to trust God in all circumstances is hard, but we see later in the Bible that trusting God is important in receiving his guidance. “Trust the LORD with all your heart, and don’t depend on your own understanding. Remember the Lord in all you do, and he will give you success” (Proverbs 3 v 5-6).
Look again at the first line of the psalm. It expresses complete reliance on God. We all know that people make mistakes; no one is perfect. Consequently there’s a natural reluctance to the idea of giving oneself completely to anyone. There are often parts of ourselves and things we’ve done in the past that we want to keep hidden from others. Fortunately God knows everything about us and still accepts us. So we can say that our God is good - he will never make fun of us, never forget us, never reject us. In him we can find true security.
Suggestion for prayer:
Thank God that he accepts you just as you are. Express your trust in him. Ask
him to guide you.
Psalm 25 v 8-15
The LORD is good and right; he points sinners to the right way.
He shows those who are humble how to do right, and he teaches them his ways.
All the LORD’s ways are loving and true for those who follow the demands of
his agreement.
For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my many sins.
Are there those who respect the LORD?
He will point them to the best way.
They will enjoy a good life, and their children will inherit the land.
The LORD tells his secrets to those who respect him; he tells them about his
agreement.
My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help.
He will keep me from any traps.
Notes
This part of Psalm 25 seems to focus on the Lord’s ways. It contains verses
of great encouragement for those who seek to follow Jesus. The psalmist gives
us the key to learning what God wants for us; we should be constantly looking
to him for help and seeking to please him.
There is hope for all of us; the Lord points sinners to the right way. He will teach the humble his ways. The question is, are we humble – are we depending on him, seeking him? Are we teachable? Perhaps we would find it easier to be humble if we spent more time focusing on who God is. Developing respect for the Lord brings great rewards.
Respect or fear of the Lord results in him sharing his secrets
with us – how totally awesome that the Lord would actually choose to confide
in us! For this to happen, though, we need to be tuned in to him. Do we come
to God with our own agendas or are we seeking his will? It’s hard to be like
Jesus and say “your will be done, not mine”. I find it all too easy to present
God with a long list of requests and not spend any time listening. Yet we need
to be listening to hear.
Suggestion for prayer:
Focus on how great God is. Seek his will. Spend some time listening and allowing
God to direct your thoughts.
Psalm 25 v 16-22
Turn to me and have mercy on me, because I am lonely and hurting.
My troubles have grown larger; free me from my problems.
Look at my suffering and troubles, and take away all my sins.
Look at how many enemies I have!
See how much they hate me!
Protect me and save me.
I trust you, so do not let me be disgraced.
My hope is in you, so may goodness and honesty guard me.
God, save Israel from all their troubles!
Notes
Having expressed his trust in the Lord and sought his guidance in the previous
verses of the psalm, the author then cried out to the Lord for help.
He poured out exactly how he was feeling to God; he didn’t try to hide, pretending that everything was OK. This is a good example for us to follow.
How many times have we turned a problem over and over in our minds when we could have committed it to God? It’s great how God can turn any situation around, for nothing is impossible for him. When we are willing, he will work through every situation.
When calling for God to rescue him, the psalmist didn’t say, “because I feel so bad” or, “because I deserve it”. Instead, he pointed to his trust in the Lord. This reminds me that we should always be motivated to ask God for help for his glory.
The words in the penultimate line of this psalm struck me: “may goodness and honesty guard me”. Despite his feelings of loneliness and hurt, which could so easily consume all his thoughts, the author looked to God - and more than that, he asked to be protected by goodness and honesty. Integrity is a rare quality in today’s society. It’s so important that we too pray for the Holy Spirit to guard us.
To finish, the psalmist called on God to rescue his own nation, Israel. We can also be praying for our nation whatever else is going on in our lives.
Suggestion for prayer:
Talk to God about how you’re feeling and the things that are bothering you.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to guard you, and to help you lead a life of integrity.
Pray for your nation.
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes