Normally, Psalm 23 is read during the eulogy at a funeral service to suggest to the family and friends of the deceased that their loved one is in a better place. That is what I always thought. But, after studying each verse and thinking about what God is saying to us about trusting Him, I realized He was confirming that we could be in a better place while we are still alive. His care for us is the same on earth as in eternity, IF WE completely TRUST IN HIM.
Before we can experience the Peace of God, we have to realize and believe that He is the One who provides our every need and that He also Protects us and everything He provides for us. We must not take what we have for granted. As we digest each verse of Psalm 23, we will see how He Provides for us and Protects us and also all that He gives us.
Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
This means everything we need and does not always include everything we desire. A need is something essential we cannot survive without and can only be given to us by God. Such as, The breath of life, the ability to move about and think, Seeds to grow food, Animals to provide meat and milk, Families to love and care for, Shelter, clothing, rest and sleep. A pessimist has a half-empty cup, an optimist has a half-full cup, but a person blessed by God has an overflowing cup.
Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head With oil; My cup runneth over.”
The phrase “in the presence of my enemies” seems to say that unbelievers are watching you to see how God is taking care of you and how you are responding and sharing these blessings. We are a living example of how God provides for us and it is important that you tell others and be sure to give God the credit.
Psalm 105:1 “ O, Give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His Name; Make known his deeds among the people.”
I experienced a personal connection with Psalm 23. As a brand new Christian under the mentoring of my daughter who had led me to the Lord I was also newly widowed for the second time. My daughter had invited me to join her at a prayer meeting. I was nervous about praying out loud. But, I did listen to the prayer requests and silently prayed for God to answer their prayers. It never occurred to me that He would prompt me to be involved in bringing about the answer to one of the woman’s prayer requests. She was asking for financial help to pay for her children’s Christmas toys that were on layaway at a nearby department store. Her husband had recently left her for another woman and she was devastated, and unsure of how she would be able to give her children a nice Christmas. Since I had set aside enough money to pay for my deceased husband’s final medical bills, I felt secure in being able to also pay anonymously in cash for this mother’s Christmas layaway. The total bill for the toys was $100.00 and my husband’s final medical bills was $100.00 less than I had expected to pay. I learned quickly that the Lord would take care of my needs as a widow and would also allow me to help others. That was many years ago and He has never failed to provide me with everything I needed. It was the beginning of my placing my complete trust in Him, which is as real today as it was then.
Thank you for reading this,
Great Granny Witt
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