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The Lord Our Shepherd
Psalm 23
Good News Translation (GNT)
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have everything I need.
2 He lets me rest in fields of green grass and
leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.
3 He gives me new strength. He guides me
in the right paths, as he has promised.
4 Even if I go through the deepest darkness,
I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me.
Your shepherd's rod and staff protect me.
5 You prepare a banquet for me, where all my
enemies can see me; you welcome me as
an honoured guest; and fill my cup to the brim.
6 I know that your goodness and love will be
with me all my life; and your house will be
my home;as long as I live.
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Commentary taken from from the 'word-on-the-web' supplied by the Scripture Union'
Some popular religious imagery is misleading.
When Easter is confused with spring, and portrayed with
new-born chicks and fluffy lambs, we have travelled far
from the Bible.
When Psalm 23 is interpreted as the promise of an easy life -
held in the arms of Jesus, like a fluffy lamb cuddled by a
shepherd - we have lost sight of the text completely.
This psalm,
beloved of weddings and funerals, speaks to joy and sorrow,
to young and old, to male and female.
For followers of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11),
the psalm conjures up both David and Jesus.
Its opening sentence summarises the whole psalm,
for if the Lord is my Shepherd then I can face anything with him.
There is a gracious patience in his provision for his sheep,
both of pasture and of accessible refreshment.
So, contrary to our world of factory farming, there is a dignity given
to the sheep and time expended on each one's welfare.
Then the psalmist describes how the sheep need to find the right
path to travel, or protection when danger and darkness loom.
The shorter, heavier rod:
1 As a club or throwing stick to defend against predators.
2 For disciplining wayward sheep.
3 To assist in examining and counting individuals in the flock.
The staff serves different purposes:
The large crook at the end was used for
1 Rounding up sheep into a flock.
2 Guiding sheep by applying pressure to an individual's flank.
3 Extricating sheep from bad situations.
We are not excused the responsibility of making decisions,
nor do we get a pass that allows us to bypass hardship.
Far from it, as the early church found out.
But the promise is that guidance is on offer for those who ask,
and protection provided through the gloomy glen.
Beyond the valley comes the sunlight, at the end of the journey
comes a haven, and there awaits rest, refreshment and renewal.
It is easy to have a strong relationship with the Lord in hindsight;
the challenge is to trust him for the unknown future.
However, looking back, we can recall testimonies
to his goodness and mercy that give us confidence
to trust him for the next day's journey.
And all the time we are heading, not away from home but
homeward bound.
There he has prepared a place for us and is now preparing us
for that place.
Other versions are available here
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