THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD by clutz40@gmail.com

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I 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 have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23 (NASB)

“The Lord is MY shepherd.”
What comfort those five words bring! Young and old alike are soothed and assured by the thought and the promise of God as a personal shepherd to care for them throughout life.

I shall not want.  In our present economy, it can be stressful to think of planning for the future. The Scripture says, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippines 4:19

"He makes me lie down in green pastures."
He provides rest and time to be fed by His Word.

"He leads me beside the quiet waters."
Peace! "God, who gives us His peace, extends rest to the weary and renewal to the exhausted. He wants our souls to be at peace, and He promises to accomplish that peace!" (Elizabeth George, Powerful Promises for Every Woman)

"He restores my soul!"
He heals us when we are downcast.

"He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake."
He leads, we must follow.  We must develop holy habits.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me."

"Remember we walk in the divine presence.  No matter the twists and turns, the entanglements and obstacles along the way.  God is always with us. And He never fails." (Elizabeth George, Powerful Promises for Every Woman)

"Your rod and your staff they comfort me."
 God disciplines us with His rod and rescues us with His staff.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over."

"In the midst of affliction, my table is spread; With blessings unmeasured my cup runs over; With perfume and oil thou anoint my head; Oh, what shall I ask of Thy providence more?" J. Mongomery

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  In the midst of life's journey, remember that "goodness" and "mercy" are always following you! Remember, this is not our home.  We are ultimately preparing for heaven!

What about you?

Do you desire greater: Strength? Guidance? Comfort? Hope?

Spend some time meditating on The 23rd Psalm.  You'll be glad you did!

Cheryl Lutz is passionate to teach women how to tear down strongholds and find freedom in Christ. A pastor’s wife for twenty-five years, Cheryl possesses a vibrant love for teaching the Word of God. She is the founder of Securely Held, LLC, where she works as a trained and experienced lay counselor and speaker.

You may contact Cheryl through her blog www.securelyheld.com

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/securelyheld

Twitter: @clutz40

Email: clutz40@gmail.com