The 23rd Psalm Explained
Verse 1: “The Lord is my Shepherd”—He is the one I love and obey. I keep His Ways and do His Will daily upon this earth. I live only to do good each day for Him and do things that are pleasing in His sight. “I shall not want”—Everyone who seeks God’s kingdom by practicing righteousness for Him will have all needs and wants taken care of by the Lord. This is a God’s guarantee (Matt. 6:33).
Verse 2: “He makes me lie down in green pastures”—The Lord satisfies my every need and gives me peace (green pastures). “He leads me beside quiet waters”—He keeps my life peaceful. My soul is at rest (Matt. 11:28-30).
Verse 3: “He restores my soul”—God continually keeps my soul in the state of rest. “He guides me in the paths of righteousness”—He is continually teaching me about His word and His Way, which I do live. “For His name’s sake”—Yes, I do all that I do in good works or good words in the name of Jesus Christ to glorify Him—for His name’s sake (Col. 3:17).
Verse 4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”—Even though there may be times when there are great calamities that happen in my life, I fear no evil because I know my God is with me and not against me, so I know He protects me from all evil (Job 5:19-27). “Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me”—God’s word is a rod of correction; also, the Lord is a staff and His word is a staff, as it guides me in God’s Ways so that I might do God’s Will daily (Heb. 12:6).
Verse 5: “Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”—God is continually blessing me in the presence of my enemies. “Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows”—The Lord has blessed my whole life with rich blessings to a point that there are so many, there is no room to receive all of them (Mal. 3:10; Luke 6:38; Prov. 3:9-10).
Verse 6: “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life”—I know that God will continue to bless me for the rest of my life because I know His truth and I practice His truth every day that I live (John 3:21). I continually live to be a servant of others for Jesus Christ, as He gave us example to do (Matt. 23:11; 20:16, 26-28; Mark 9:35; 10:43-45; Rom. 15:2-3; 1 Cor. 10:24; 11:1). “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”—I know I will live forever in the house of the Lord, in the Lord’s temple, because I am overcoming Satan’s influence in my life (his pulls on my flesh) by keeping the works of the Lord by doing good continually, as Jesus said we should, and enduring to the end (Rev. 3:12; John 8:51; 11:26; Rev. 2:26; Rom. 2:7; 12:21).
I will live forever, because I have overcome Satan’s influence in my life by keeping Jesus Christ’s works as He commanded us to do, and I have overcome evil by doing good, as Jesus said we should (Rev. 2:26; Rom. 2:7; 12:21).