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The Lord is my shepherd. These five simple words have brought comfort to millions across generations. In this season finale exploring Psalm 23, we journey through one of the most beloved passages in scripture, written by King David from his perspective as both a shepherd and a king.
What makes this psalm so powerful isn't just its poetic beauty, but its deeply personal promises. God doesn't just lead us - He makes us rest when we need it. He doesn't just guide us - He restores our very souls. And when we encounter those inevitable dark valleys, He doesn't redirect us around them but walks through them with us.
Whether you're traversing a dark valley right now or enjoying green pastures, remember that the Shepherd who watches over you is personally invested in your well-being. Your relationship with Him isn't dependent on your performance but on His faithful character and everlasting love.
Ready to experience the comfort of being personally shepherded by God? Listen now, and let ancient words bring present peace to your heart and mind.
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Episode Transcript
Ciao and welcome to Life Out Loud.
I am your host, desireeMelfi-Bozzo.
We are going to use this spaceto share experiences and help
you find lasting, unshakable,unwavering, unmessable.
With joy and gratitude.
We're going to be throwingaround encouragement a little
bit like confetti, and givingyou support to live your very
(00:28):
best life.
Ciao, friends.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Welcome to episode eight of season four of the Life
Out Loud podcast.
I am the creator and your host,desiree Melfi-Bozzo.
We have reached the end.
This is the season finale, ifyou've hung around here.
This season we focused onprayers in scripture that have
shaped the world, so we coveredthe Lord's Prayer.
(00:54):
God suited us up for battlewith Ephesians 6.
We leaned into the protectionof God with Psalm 91.
We learned how to go from rockbottom to overflowing with
Hannah and Jabez.
We prayed about immeasurablymore from Ephesians 3.
And last episode, we learnedabout repentance and restoration
(01:15):
from the great King David inPsalm 51.
Today we're stepping intoperhaps one of the most beloved
passages in scripture Psalm 23.
It was written by King Davidand has comforted hearts for
(01:36):
thousands of years with itstimeless promises.
We're never alone, we are neverabandoned and we are always
cared for by our good shepherd.
David's Psalm 23 reflects hisintimate relationship with God,
and David drew on hisexperiences as a shepherd to
(02:00):
give us such vivid imagery.
Scholars believe that Psalm 23was written later in David's
life.
It was after the dangers andthe betrayals and the hardships,
and he was reflecting a deeptrust in God that only comes
with great maturity.
Psalm 23 is super short.
(02:22):
It's six verses and it readsthe Lord is my shepherd.
I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in greenpastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the rightpaths.
For his name's sake, eventhough I walk through the
(02:42):
darkest valley, I will fear noevil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff.
They comfort me.
Verse five you prepare a tablebefore me in the presence of my
enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Surely, your goodness and lovewill follow me all the days of
my life and I will dwell in thehouse of the Lord forever.
(03:06):
Psalm 23 is incredibly popular.
That being said, it isn't foreveryone.
There's a tiny little word inverse one that everything hinges
on.
The Lord is my shepherd.
I lack nothing.
Did you catch it?
Everything hinges on the tinylittle word my David doesn't say
(03:32):
the Lord is a shepherd, or eventhe shepherd David declares the
Lord is my shepherd.
It takes God, jehovah Rohi,from being distant and out there
to personal and close andintimate in here.
And I'm pointing to my heartit's not enough for God to be
the shepherd of our churches andour homes.
(03:53):
He has to be ours, yours, mine,personally, in our hearts.
One commentary says unless heis my shepherd, then the rest of
Psalm, unless he is my shepherd, then the rest of the Psalm
doesn't belong to me.
On the other hand, if he reallyis mine and I really am his,
(04:14):
then I have everything in himand I encourage you today to
figure out what it means to getto know the Lord as your
shepherd, and go do that.
Verse two and three read.
He makes me lie down in greenpastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
(04:35):
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the rightpath for his name's sake.
The Hebrew of still waters meansbeside waters of rest.
He leads us not aimlessly, butintentionally.
God shows up and leads usintentionally.
(04:55):
It's not hurried and it's notharsh.
It's present.
He shows us how to relinquish,control and guide and lead with
love.
The restoration of our souls isan indication of life and
vitality returning to us.
I love verse two.
(05:17):
He makes me lie down.
Sometimes we need that right Inour homes.
Are we creating still waters,or are spouses and children
drowning in stress and pressureand chaos?
We have to think about thesethings so we can make them
better.
(05:37):
When David penned that Godguides us on the right path for
his namesake.
We have to remember that inancient times the very
reputation of the shepherddepended on how well the sheep
were cared for.
God's loving guidance hasnothing to do with us, and it
has everything to do with God.
What a good and faithful andloving shepherd he is to us.
(06:00):
He shows us how to be properlycared for, so then we can
properly care for the people inour lives as well.
God is a perfect model of agood shepherd.
Verse 4 of Psalm 23 says eventhough I walk through the
darkest valley, I will fear noevil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff.
They comfort me.
To understand the depth of this, we have to remember David's
(06:26):
humble beginnings.
He was a shepherd before he wasever a king.
David understood the deadlyterrain in the desert of Judah.
There were steep, narrowravines that literally like
valleys.
To traverse the darkest valleys, or as the King James Version
(06:49):
calls them, the valley of theshadow of death, were dark and
treacherous paths that shepherdsand sheep had to pass through
to get from one pasture toanother.
Maybe there are dark valleysthat you're traversing through
right now, or seasons thatyou're walking into, that are
going to test everything youhave in order to get you through
(07:09):
them.
God never promised to keep usout of the valley, but he always
promised to walk through themwith us.
David knew what it was like towalk on paths where the dark
shadows concealed real danger.
One misstep for him and it wasover.
David walked confidently inthese places because he knew,
(07:32):
without a doubt, to the gut ofhis soul, that God was with him.
Where God is, there can be nofear.
I'm going to say it again forthe people in the back when God
is, there can be no fear.
The reason is because fear isfrom the enemy and the enemy
cannot stand in the presence ofJesus.
(07:53):
I want to take us through thelast two verses of Psalm 23.
You prepare a table before mein the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Surely, your goodness and lovewill follow me all the days of
my life and I will dwell in thehouse of the Lord forever.
In verse 5 we move from thevalley to the banquet where the
(08:18):
shepherd is our host.
He sets a table of provisionand peace right in the middle of
chaos.
When the people we do life withare privy to this beauty, they
realize that they can trust Godtoo.
(08:39):
When our children and ourspouses see us trusting God, it
invites them in and they realizethey can trust him too.
I love the anointing with oilthat David refers to.
To understand this imagery, I'mgoing to take you back out to
the fields, to when David was ashepherd.
(09:01):
David's adorable little sheepand let me stop now.
I have to pause.
In my mind they're adorable.
The reality is they probablyweren't adorable and leaned a
little on the dirty and smellyside.
That's fine.
I imagine these cute littlesheep would come to David with
cracked skin and scratches fromthe days traversing and various
(09:24):
wounds from situations they gotthemselves into, and the oil was
a healing balm that soothed thescratches and wounds.
Friends, I can't help but thinkabout us, the wounds we have
from situations we foundourselves in Hurting places that
(09:46):
we didn't deserve.
Sorrow that hangs heavy over us, scratches and wounds that
maybe sometimes we walk directlyinto right, like, let's be
honest, some of them we'vegotten ourselves into ourselves.
My loves, there is one thingthough, my loves, there is one
(10:12):
thing though I know for sure,and I know it as sure as I have
breath in my lungs.
God longs to soothe the hurtsthat life on this side of heaven
has left us with.
God pours out healing in morethan enough.
So ask him for it, receive itand let him restore the hurting
places, because I promise you assure as I am talking, he will.
(10:37):
He will restore the hurt, hewill restore your heart, he will
restore you to life before thepain.
Verse 6 finished Psalm 23,.
With surely, your goodness andlove will follow me all the days
of my life and I will dwell inthe house of the Lord forever.
(11:01):
This word follow is actuallystronger.
In the Hebrew it means topursue or to chase down.
This is saying my goodness,which are his active blessings
and his mercy, which is actuallyhis loyal love.
This isn't casual.
They are in relentless pursuitof you, relentless pursuit of
(11:26):
you Even on your worst day.
God's mercy is chasing you downwhen you feel like you're
failing.
His goodness hasn't stoppedflowing my loves.
(11:49):
If you showed up weary,todayite him to restore your
soul.
If you're unsure, let him guideyour steps.
If you've messed up, let hismercy renew you.
I want to end this season andthis episode praying over you, a
prayer inspired by Psalm 23.
Praying over you, a prayerinspired by Psalm 23.
(12:12):
Our God, our Jehovah-Rohi, ourfearless shepherd, today we rest
in the truth that you're herewith us.
We lack nothing because of you.
God, guide us along the pathsof right.
Standing with you, give us yourpeace, restore our weary souls,
(12:42):
protect us, guide us andcomfort us, and we ask all of
this in Jesus's mighty name.
Amen.
Friends, I hope you enjoyedthis season.
Come back next time and, if Ican be completely transparent,
I'm not entirely sure when nexttime is going to be, but come
back for season five.
We're going to throw moreencouragement and more scripture
(13:02):
around like confetti.
You already know that when youget close enough, you're going
to get some on you and remember,no matter what no matter where
life takes you.
no matter where your days takeyou, there is always something
to be thankful for.
Thank you for sharing this timewith me.
(13:23):
Thank you for sharing thisspace with me, Ciao.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Thank you for joining me, desiree Melfi Bozzo, for
this episode of Life Out Loud.
I would love to hear from you,leave me a comment, tell me what
topics you want to talk aboutand how you take your coffee.
If you enjoyed what you heard,text a friend the link.
Share it on social media.
If you enjoyed what you heardtext a friend the link.
Share it on social media.
Or if you're interested inbecoming a supporter, beep up
(13:51):
over to my webpage,lifeoutloudme, and sponsor a cup
of coffee that keeps thispodcast fueled.
Until next time, sweetlisteners.
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