A Study of Psalms 23

A Study of Psalms 23

A verse by verse outline study of the Shepherd's Heart

David was a shepherd tending his father's sheep when God sent Samuel to anoint him as King over Israel. The work of the shepherd was to devote himself:
to feed and water the sheep

to guide the sheep

to protect the sheep

to seek and save the sheep that had strayed.

To be a good shepherd it took a person with a very special heart His heart had to be tough and disciplined, but also had to be tender and compassionate. David had the heart of a good shepherd.

A shepherd's life also required him to spend a great deal of time alone out in the countryside. With no one to talk to, the shepherd had time to think about many things. He could (if he so desired) just allow his mind to wander aimlessly from thought to thought or else he could utilize the time to develop his thought processes and to draw near to God. The shepherd life gave great opportunity for a person to use the time to become a man of great devotion and prayer.

Obviously David spent his time doing just that. Psalm 23 is a testimony of David. Every verse of it testifies of a truth about God and the relationship David had developed with Him. In Psalm 23, David painted with words, a picture of God as the Great Shepherd of his life. What David was to his sheep, he considered the Lord to be that and even more to himself as one of God's sheep.

As we study this Psalm, I pray that we too will want to say as David said:



The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for His Names's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil;
My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

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