Psalm 23 (TPT)
I always enjoy reading Scripture from a variety of translations each day. Today, I have chosen to share Psalm 23 out of The Passion Translation.
The Good Shepherd
David’s poetic praise to God
1
The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd.
I always have more than enough.
2
He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love.
His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.
3
That’s where he restores and revives my life.
He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure
and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness
so that I can bring honor to his name.
4
Lord, even when your path takes me through
the valley of deepest darkness,
fear will never conquer me, for you already have!
You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way.
Your authority is my strength and my peace.
The comfort of your love takes away my fear.
I’ll never be lonely, for you are near.
5
You become my delicious feast
even when my enemies dare to fight.
You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit;
you give me all I can drink of you until my heart overflows.
6
So why would I fear the future?
For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life.
Then afterward, when my life is through,
I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!
Are you afraid of the future? When you look at the world do you see only problems; therefore, you look to assign blame and hate others for causing them? Do you think if you could position folks who think just like you everything in the world will be fair and all right? When that is our take on life, we are deceived and have made ourselves, the world, and the world’s system our god instead of the Almighty, because God tells us the real problem with the world is human sin and rebellion against His Word (authority).
In our passage today, King David reminds us that no matter what we face, the Shepherd wants to lead and guide us into the authority and peace of God. The Lord told David’s son, Solomon, that when human sin causes Him to bring judgment, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chr. 7:14). I pray we all realize it is the heart of God to bring salvation, goodness, and love to humanity not judgment.
Prayer: Lord, I pray for our world, our nation, our states and communities, and every human heart to turn and seek you, because only you can save us and lead us into your goodness and love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.