23 Psalm

[AggieCatholic22]

just got off a Young Adult ACTS retreat and our theme was from the 23 Psalm verses 1-4
" The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want…Even though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me"

and our theme song was you never let go by matt redmen and these two could not have fit together more perfectly…God doesnt ever Let Go of us…anyways just wanted to see what people thought of the verse or how they interpret it!

 

[puzzleannie]

. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me"
!

National Geographic had a beautiful issue a few years ago where the verses of this psalm illustrated pictures of sheep and shepherds in modern day Palestine and Israel. Some of them showed the shepherds using “rod and staff” (there is a difference, they are different tools for different purposes) to not only control the movement of the sheep, but to gather them into the fold or corral, keep them from harm, rescue them from danger, beat off predators, haul them out of creeks and so forth.

To me this verse means that God shows his love and concern most clearly as a loving Father when he corrects and disciplines us in ways that at first seem harsh or what we would call “controlling” and only later, do we see the love, care, protection and comfort we gained from learning obedience and submission to his will.

I just heard that song again today on the radio and really listened to the words and agree it is a lovely expression of what the psalm can mean.

 

[Wolfsbane]

I think it’s really about trusting the Lord. Since God will always lead us and protect us, we should trust in Him (sadly, that’s easier said than done). It reminds me of the protection promised by God as illustrated in Psalm 91, and it reminds me of the frequent phrase “His love endures forever” found in another psalm.

On a sadder note, though, I find this psalm is often used at funerals. That’s for good reason (“even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” fits perfectly), and it reminds us that in death we are entrusted to God alone, but it can sometimes make this psalm painful for people in its recurring connection to funerals (one of my relatives, for instance, hates this psalm, because she always remembers that it was on the cards at her husband’s funeral). I can’t think of a better psalm for use at funerals, though.

 

[AggieCatholic22]

i agree with both of you i like the way that you both interepted it! and puzzleanne the song is awesomes and i think that to get through anything it takes two and God is that second person that helps us get through anything=)