Psalm 23 (NIV)
A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will 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 anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
***************************
I was just reading this and John 10 as I was preparing for Sunday school today. What a great Psalm! And to be honest, the first time I heard that line "as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" was in this cool rap song that was the soundtrack to this movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer as a teacher in a ghetto - great movie. Read this too. And I was reading somewhere else which reminded me...what was King David before he was king? a Shepherd! He would obviously know better what a shepherd is like. And I was reading in other places too, trying to understand what a shepherd is like and sheep.
Sheep
- they get can get tangled up in bushes and what not coz of their thick fleece
- they could fall down (maybe coz they're so fat from their fleece) and can't get up
- they really have no sense of direction. So they would get lost easily. Kinda dumb...they just follow where their shepherd (Guide) leads them and all they care about is eating in the green pasture.
A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will 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 anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
***************************
I was just reading this and John 10 as I was preparing for Sunday school today. What a great Psalm! And to be honest, the first time I heard that line "as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" was in this cool rap song that was the soundtrack to this movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer as a teacher in a ghetto - great movie. Read this too. And I was reading somewhere else which reminded me...what was King David before he was king? a Shepherd! He would obviously know better what a shepherd is like. And I was reading in other places too, trying to understand what a shepherd is like and sheep.
Sheep
- they get can get tangled up in bushes and what not coz of their thick fleece
- they could fall down (maybe coz they're so fat from their fleece) and can't get up
- they really have no sense of direction. So they would get lost easily. Kinda dumb...they just follow where their shepherd (Guide) leads them and all they care about is eating in the green pasture.
- weak and slow. No sharp teeth or claws (no weapons) and they move just faster than a tortoise. They don't know how to protect themselves - need a shepherd or a shepherd dog.
But the amazing thing about sheep? they know their shepherd's voice. They don't respond simply to anyone but their shepherd. If there were a few flocks and a few shepherds in one area, the flock only listens to its own shepherd and follows in his direction...
We are like sheep. Directionless and weak. Who is our shepherd?
Insightful..
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