Fear no evil

Today I am going to tackle the most famous Psalm and probably one of the most quoted chapters of The Bible.

Psalm 23:1:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (KJV)

The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. (NIV)

This starts a very powerful, albeit short chapter of The Bible which is just six verses in length:

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

This Psalm, written by King David is a prayer of praise to God for all the good that God offered to him.  David puts everything in God’s hands, as we should, and knows that in doing so, God will comfort and protect him.

Many people have used this Psalm to comfort them in a time of loss, especially after the death of a loved one. I have my mom’s Bible displayed on a wall in our house, open to the 23rd Psalm, knowing that one day, we’ll meet again.

If we put everything in the Lord’s hands and let Him be our shepherd, we will lack for nothing, in this world, and the next. Learn this Psalm, commit it to memory and use it when you need a little extra comfort from your God.

I’m now going to make a special appeal.  If you or a family member suffers from mental health issues and you’d like to share your story (anonymously), please use the form below.  All information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with anyone. My goal is to set up a resource for people who are reaching out for help.  You can be part of the solution and maybe save a life.