The 23rd Psalm

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me be anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever."

Oh how I love this Psalm. I have it memorized in the King James version but thought my NLT translation was easier understood by all. I like to take this verse by verse and really apply it to my life and circumstances, just as all of you can do too!
(vs.1)A shepherd takes care of his flock of sheep and like the parable in the New Testament even if one wanders away he goes to look for it, not to punish it but to make sure it is returned home safely and unharmed. God is our shepherd and because of this we can rest assured that He will take care of us at all times. Even in those moments when we go astray, He lovingly leads us back home. (vs.2) When you picture a green meadow and a peaceful stream what comes to mind? I picture a perfect spring day with endless deep blue skies, a babbling clear stream of water, me relaxing on a blanket in a field that has dark green grass and lots of pretty flowers, a gentle breeze blowing against my face, not a care in the world, just pure peace! It tells us in this verse that God gives us time of true rest. A time to renew our spirits and minds and strength. I think we are just too busy to accept those times when He brings them to us! (vs.3) When we allow Him, he will show us which "paths" to take in life. These paths are ones that are best for us and will bring honor to the Lord. We will be fulfilled by following God's plans for our lives. (vs.4) The hard times inevitably come to all of us, more than a few times in life, but the Lord promises to be right there in the midst of them. He never ever leaves us, not even for one moment. We don't have to allow fear to overcome us when we are going through this dark times in life. God's Word can be our source of comfort and guidance through these times, if we only let it. God's Word and will for our lives isn't something to make us miserable. It's what will bring about the greatest blessings on our lives. (vs.5) It doesn't matter what people say about you or try to do to you. God is bigger than anybody and everybody combined and he will bless you regardless of what others try to do. People who think you are crazy for accepting Christ and following Him will see his hand in your life as you become a new person, growing in your relationship with the Lord. God is not limited in way to bless you! He can and will cause your cup to overflow with blessings. (vs.6) God pursues you with his unfailing love and goodness! Isn't that awesome! We serve a God who pursues us our whole lives long, just to show us his love and goodness. And finally we can know for sure that we have an eternal home in Heaven by accepting Christ as our Savior. Being assured of that makes the worries of this earthly life seem a little less overwhelming in the light of eternity!