Well, I’m convinced that the Lord really wants me to memorize and meditate upon the 23rd Psalm for this season of my life. It seems to be everywhere I turn. I remember learning Psalm 23 the first time in Sunday school when I was a young girl. The teacher held up a beautifully illustrated poster each week and worked on it with us line by beautiful, soothing line. I’ve loved it ever since.
And now it seems keep popping up in my life. I was listening to Faith Radio recently and a man was telling about how deep depression and darkness had overcome him to the point that he was having difficulty forming prayers. So he wrote out Psalm 23, a very personal prayer written by David and started praying it many, many times a day. He testified that God really did “restore his soul.” Our family has gone through many changes lately, and my mind has very often gone back to that conversation I heard on the radio. It compelled me also to pray the words of Psalm 23, and yes, God does restore souls. The kids and I have been working on memorizing Psalm 23 because I want them to know this truth as well.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I took the kids to a tobyMac concert in San Diego. After a night filled with beautiful, powerful music, he sang his new song, “I Just Need U.” Right in the middle, he quoted
Yea Though, I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou are with me, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me…
“Wow! There it is again. I’m listening Lord,” I said in my heart. Here’s his new song…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skeRPKygTkk
Then, a few nights ago, I was shuffling through some papers I was given at a women’s Christmas event. I found a small paper that explained Psalm 23 in this way:
The Lord is my Shepherd…(that’s relationship)
I shall not want…(that’s supply)
He makes me lie down in green pastures…(that’s rest)
He leads me beside still water…(that’s refreshment)
He restores my soul…(that’s healing)
he leads me in the paths of righteousness…(that’s guidance)
for his name’s sake…(that’s purpose)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…(that’s challenge)
I will fear no evil…(that’s assurance)
For You are with me…(that’s faithfulness)
Your rod and your staff they comfort me…(that’s shelter)
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…(that’s hope)
You anoint my head with oil…(that’s consecration)
My cup runs over…(that’s abundance)
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…(that’s blessing)
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord…(that’s security)
forever…(that’s eternity)
This little paper helped me to see the richness of the 23rd Psalm. I popped it onto my fridge, and thought, “Ok, Lord, I’m going to listen to you. I’m really going to keep thinking about Psalm 23.”
God’s Word is an unending, comforting gift.
This is one of my favorites too, Annie! Thank you for sharing in this way – it is such a comforting and restorative Psalm. I often think of it with Spring 🙂
What a beautiful feature of the Psalm 23, of course one of my favorites, too. I don’t know how many times I’ve lullabied myself to sleep reciting that psalm in my mind. The pictures are beautiful and the music amazing.
Thanks for sharing, darling daughter.
Mom
Thank you Annie. I needed to read this for Bethany. It was beautiful.
Erik & Evelyn took their daughters to a Toby Mac concert in Denver. They too loved it!!!! Toby Mac is my oldest granddaughter’s favorite singer.
Thank you again Annie for your wise, profound words & knowledge.
Thank you, Jackie for y our kind words. I’m so glad they got to go to that concert. It was really life-giving! I have loved TobyMac since I was in elementary school, so he’s been influencing my life for so many years now.
Hope all is well with your family!
I love the amplified version you have and will copy it down!
I created a physical Psalm 23 one summer for a children’s Sunday school class. They each walked through it as we recited the Psalm.
They had to lie down on a green blanket for pastures and walk beside a blue sheet for still waters. For the paths of righteousness they were each handed a pencil and a sheet of paper with a maze and in the “dead ends” were wrong things to do but following the right path they went across right things to do. I created a valley of death to walk through by propping up a sliced refrigerator box in a “v” shape and covering the top with sheets that had evil eyes taped to the inside, but handed them a Bible before they walked through it, to represent “You are with me”. On the other side leaned a rod and a staff they grabbed. Then they sat at a table with “enemies” in front of them (my young son at the time helped draw mean faces), I anointed their head with oil and had a cup that looked like it was running over. The “goodness and mercy will follow” was a tough one, but I wrote each word on a large paper, tied them to string and had them pull them behind them to the next place, which was the one station I don’t remember. I think it was a model of a church, but you could use a picture representing Heaven, or Jesus welcoming you to Heaven. It certainly helped me learn the Psalm myself!
Thanks for the memories.
This is so cool! What a great way to get you kids to hide this Psalm in their hearts. Wonderful! I think I’ll have to try it with my bunch. 🙂