Psalm 23

Psalm 23

Verse 1

'The Lord is my shepherd.' What condescension is this, that the infinite Lord take on the office and character of a shepherd for your people! Must be a reason for grateful admiration that the great God allows Himself to be compared to anything that shows your great love and care for your own people.

David had been a shepherd and understood the needs of the sheep as much as the many cares of a shepherd. He compares himself to a weak, defenseless, and foolish creature, and he considers that God is his Provider, Preserver, Director and, in fact, your everything. No man has the right to consider the sheep of the Lord unless their nature has been renewed, because the written description of unconverted men does not depicts like sheep, but like wolves or goats. A sheep is an object of property is not a wild animal; its owner places great importance on it it is often purchased at a great price. It's good to know, as surely did David, that we belong to the Lord. There is a noble tone of confidence about this phrase. There is no "if" or "but", not even "I hope that". yes; but he says: "The Lord is my shepherd". We need to cultivate the spirit of guaranteed dependence on our heavenly Father. The sweetest word of all is that monosyllable 'mine'. We need to cultivate a spirit of dependence guaranteed by our heavenly Father. The sweetest word of all is that monosyllable "mine". We need to cultivate the spirit of guaranteed dependence. from our heavenly Father. The sweetest word of all is that monosyllable my He does not say: "The Lord is the shepherd of the world in general and guides the crowd. like your flock, nobody else, he is a shepherd for me; he takes care of me, takes care of me and it preserves me. The words are in the present tense. Whatever it may be the position of the believer, he is right now under the pastoral care of Jehovah.

The following words are a kind of inference from the first statement they are expressive and positive - "I don't want to". I could want the opposite, but when the Lord is my Shepherd, he is able to meet my needs, and he is certainly willing to do so, for his heart is full of love and, therefore, "I don't want". I will not lack temporal things. He does not feed the crows and makes the lilies grow? How, then, can he leave his children to die of hunger? I don't want them to be spiritual, I know that your grace will be enough for me. Resting in him, he will say to me: 'Thus how your day will be your strength." I may not have everything I desire, but I don't want to. Others, much wealthier and wiser than I am, may want to, but "I must not". "The young lions lack and suffer hunger: but those who seek The Lord does not want anything good. "It's not just that I don't want it, but" I don't want. Come what may, if hunger devastates the land or the calamity destroys the city, 'I do not want.' Old age with its weakness It will not bring me any lack, and even death with its sadness will not find me deposed. I have all things and they abound; not because I have a good the amount of money in the bank is not because I have skill and shrewdness to earn my bread, but because 'the Lord is my shepherd'. The wicked they always want, but the righteous never, the heart of a sinner is far from to be satisfied, but a graceful spirit dwells in the palace of content. hunger devastate the earth, or calamity destroy the city, "I won't want". A old age, with its weakness, will not bring me any lack, and even death, with its sadness, you will not find me destitute. I have all things and they abound; not because I have a good amount of money in the bank, not because I have skill and intelligence to earn my bread, but because "the Lord is my pastor." The wicked always want, but the righteous never want; the heart of a sinner is far from satisfaction, but a gracious spirit dwells in the palace of content. If hunger devastates the land, or calamity destroys the city, "I don't want to." Old age, with its weakness, will not bring me any lack, and even death, with its sadness, will not find me deprived. I have everything things abound; not because I have a good amount of money in bank, not because I have the skill and intelligence to earn my bread, But because "the Lord is my shepherd". The wicked always want, but the the just never want; the heart of a sinner is far from satisfaction, but A graceful spirit dwells in the palace of content. Not because I have skill and intelligence to earn my bread, but because "the Lord is my pastor." The wicked always want, but the righteous never want; the heart of a sinner is far from satisfaction, but a gracious spirit dwells in the palace of content. not because I have the ability and intelligence to earn my bread, but because 'the Lord is my shepherd.' The wicked always they want, but the just never want; the heart of a sinner is far from the satisfaction, but a graceful spirit dwells in the palace of content.

Verse 2

'He makes me lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside' the calm waters." The Christian life has two elements, the contemplative and the active, and both are richly supplied. First, the contemplative. "He me makes you lie in green pastures." What are these "green pastures," but the Writings of truth - always fresh, always rich and never exhausted? No there is fear of biting the ground where the grass is long enough for the herd to lie down on her.

Sweet and full are the doctrines of the gospel; it serves as food for the souls, because tender grass is a natural food for sheep. When by faith we are able to find rest in the promises, we are like the sheep lying in the middle of the pasture; we found at the same moment both provisions as well as peace, rest and refreshment, serenity and satisfaction. But He makes me lie down. It is the Lord who graciously enables us to to realize the preciousness of your truth and to feed on it. How grateful we must be by the power of appropriating the promises! There are some distracted souls that would give worlds if they could do it. They know the blessedness of this, but they cannot say that this blessedness is themselves. They know the 'green pastures', but they are not made to 'lie down' in them. Those believers who for years enjoyed a "full assurance of faith." they should greatly bless their gracious God.

The second part of the vigorous Christian life consists of gracious activity. We not only do we think, but we act. We are not always lying down to to feed, but we are moving towards perfection; that is why we read: he leads me beside still waters. What are these 'waters'? stop”, but the influences and graces of your blessed Spirit? Your Spirit it serves us in various operations, such as the waters - in the plural - to purify, refresh, fertilize, warm. They are 'still waters', for the Holy Spirit but loves peace and does not blow a trumpet of ostentation in his operations. He can flow for our soul, but not for our neighbor, and therefore, our neighbor You may not perceive the divine presence; and although the blessed Spirit may be pouring its floods into one heart, however, that which is sitting next to the favored one, you will know nothing about him.

In the sacred silence of the mind My sky, and there my God I find.

Still, deep waters run. Nothing is noisier than an empty drum.

This silence is indeed golden, in which the Holy Spirit meets with the souls of your saints. Not for furious waves of conflicts, but for flows peaceful of holy love or Spirit of God leads the chosen sheep. He is a dove, not an eagle; the dew, not the hurricane. Our Lord us leads to the side of these 'still waters'; we couldn't go there by ourselves same, we need your guidance, that's why it is said: 'he guides me'. He does not he guides us. Moses drives us through the law, but Jesus guides us by his example is by the gentle design of your love.

Verse 3

"He restores my soul." When the soul is sad, he revive; when it is sinful, he sanctifies it; when it is weak, he strengthens it.

He does this. His ministers could not do it if he did not do it. His A word would not be worth by itself. 'He restores my soul.' Some of us Is it not very fun? We feel that our spirituality is at its peak. low? The one that transforms the ebb into the flood can restore our soul soon.

Pray to him then for the blessing - "Restore me, you Shepherd of my soul!"

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. delights in being obedient, but it is the obedience of love, to which he is limited by the example of his Master. "He leads me". The Christian is not obedient to some commandments and neglects the others; he does not choose and chooses, but cede to all. Note that the plural is used - "the ways of justice." Be the that for which God gives us, we will do this, guided by his love. Some Christians they ignore the blessings of sanctification and yet, for a heart completely renewed, this is one of the sweetest gifts of the alliance. If we could be saved from wrath, and still remain sinners no regenerated, unrepentant, we would not be saved as we desire, for mainly and mainly we aspire to be saved from sin and guided by the path of holiness. All of this is done by pure free grace; "because of your name." It is for the honor of our great Pastor that we must be a holy people, walking in the narrow path of righteousness. If we are guided and Guided, we must not fail to praise the care of our celestial Pastor.

Verse 4

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear" I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

This indescribably delicious verse has been sung in many beds. agonizing and helped make the dark valley shine in the mind.

Every word has a wealth of meaning. "Yes, though I walk", like if the believer did not quicken his step when he came to die, but still calmly walked with God. Walking indicates the constant progress of a soul. who knows their path, knows their end, decides to follow the path, she feels quite secure and, therefore, is perfectly calm and serene. the dying saint is not agitated, does not run as if alarmed, Don't stand still as if he isn't further away, he doesn't get confused either. is embarrassed and therefore maintains its old rhythm. Note that it is not walking in the valley, but through the valley. We went through the dark tunnel of death and we emerge in the light of immortality. We do not die, we sleep to awaken in glory. Death is not the home, but the porch, not the goal, but the passage for her. The moribund article is called valley. The storm it breaks into the mountain, but the valley is the place of quietness and, thus, many times the last days of the Christian are the most peaceful of their entire career; the the mountain is deserted and empty, but the valley is rich in beams of gold, and many Saints gathered more joy and knowledge when he came to die of that he never knew while he lived. And, then, it is not "the valley of death", but "the valley of the shadow of death," for death in its substance was removed, and only her shadow remains. Someone said that when there is a shadow, there must be light somewhere, and so there is. Death remains the side of the road we have to travel on, and the light of the sky shining on it casts a shadow on our path, then let us rejoice that there is a light beyond. No one is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop the path of a man even for a moment. The shadow of a dog does not can bite, the shadow of a sword cannot kill, the shadow of death it cannot destroy us. Therefore, we should not be afraid. "I will not fear no evil." it does not say that there will be no evil: he even overcame the great security and I knew that Jesus had put away all evil, but "I will not fear" "bad any"; as if even your fears, those shadows of evil, had gone forever. The worst evils of life are those that do not they exist, except in our imagination. If we didn't have problems, the not If there were real problems, we shouldn't have a tenth of our sorrows. current. We feel a thousand deaths in fearing one, but the psalmist was healed from disease of fear. "I will fear no evil," not even the evil itself.

Malignant; I will not fear the last enemy, I will look at him as an enemy defeated, an enemy to be destroyed: "For you are with me". This is the joy Christian! "You are with me." The little child in the sea during the storm has not fear like all the other passengers on board the ship, sleeps in the bosom of mother; it is enough that her mother is with her; and it should be sufficient for the believer to know that Christ is with you. "You are with me, I have, in having you, everything that I can wish: I have perfect comfort and absolute security, because you you are with me. Your rod and your staff, by which you govern and rule the your flock, the flags of your sovereignty and your gracious care "they me I will believe that you still reigned. The rod of Jesse will still be about me as the sovereign help of my soul. I will believe that you you still reign. The rod of Jesse will still be upon me as help Sovereign of my soul. I will believe that you still reign. The rod of Jesse it will still be upon me like the sovereign help of my soul.

Many people profess to receive great comfort from the hope that not they will die. Certainly, there will be some who will be 'alive and will remain' in the the coming of the Lord, but there is so much advantage in such an escape from death that make her the object of Christian desire? A wise man may prefer that the two die, for those who do not die, but who "will be taken away" together with the Lord in the air," they will be more losers than winners. They will lose true communion with Christ in the tomb that the saints who are dying will have, and it is expressly told to us that they do not will have preference over those who are sleeping. Let us be of the mind of Paulo when he said that "to die is gain", and to think about "departing to be" with Christ, who is much better." This twenty-third psalm is not spending, and it is as sweet to the ears of a believer now as it was in the time of David, let the trend hunters say whatever they want.

Verse 5

'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.'

The good man has his enemies. He would not be like his Lord if he did not. it were like this. If we were without enemies, we could fear that we would not if we were friends of God, for the friendship of the world is enmity towards God. However, see the quietness of the pious man, despite, and in view of your enemies. How refreshing is your calm bravery! "You prepare a table in front of me." When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eating everything, he grabs a quick meal and rushes to the fight. But You prepare a table, just as a servant does when it... unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the party on an occasion common peaceful. Nothing is rushed, there is no confusion, there is no disturbance, the the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. Oh! the peace that Jehovah gives to your people, even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances!

Let the land be fully armed abroad, They live in perfect peace.

You anoint my head with oil. blessing, receiving a new anointing for the duties of each day. Every Christian he is a priest, but he cannot perform the priestly office without anointing and, therefore, we must go day after day to God, the Holy Spirit, so that let us have our heads anointed with oil. A priest without oil loses the main qualification for your position, and the Christian priest does not have his aptitude principal for the service when it is devoid of new grace from above. 'My The cup overflows. than enough, a cup that overflowed. A poor man can say this just like those in higher circumstances. "What, all this and "Jesus Christ too?" said a poor wretch as he broke a piece. of bread and filled a glass with cold water. Considering that a man can to always be so rich, but if he is unhappy, his glass cannot run over; it is cracked and leaking. The content is the philosopher's stone that transforms everything in gold; blessed is he who found it. The content is more than a kingdom, it is another word for happiness.

Versículo 6. "Certamente que a bondade e a misericórdia me seguirão todos the days of my life." This is a fact as indisputable as it is encouraging and, therefore, a true celestial, or "certainly", is placed as a seal about him. This sentence can be read, 'only kindness and mercy', because there will be mercy without mixture in our history. These guardian angels twins will always be with me on my back and my friends. Like this like when the great princes go abroad, they must not stay unaccompanied, so it is with the believer. Goodness and mercy always follow him. they follow - "every day of your life" - the dark days, the days of fasting, the fasting days, festival days, the sad winter days, and sunny days. summer. Kindness meets our needs and mercy erases the our sins. "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." A servant does not lives in the house forever, but the son remains forever. While I if I am here, I will be a child at home with my God; the whole world it will be your home for me; and when I rise to the upper chamber, I will not change it. my company, I will not even move the house, I will only reside on the floor superior of the house of the Lord forever.

May God grant us grace to dwell in the serene atmosphere of this psalm. but blessed!