The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 23:1-6, The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

4 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.

5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

It is often said that the best-known Scripture verse in the New Testament is John 3:16. I believe that is true. But, probably the best known passage in all of the Bible is the 23RD Psalm. It is a Psalm of David, and as you can see from the verses above, this Psalm has only six verses; but, oh, what superb value is packed in those short verses! Let’s examine them.

1. Relationship: “The LORD is my shepherd….” The Hebrew word for LORD is Yahweh and it carries the meaning of absolute faithfulness. We need not question His ability or His concern. The Shepherd cares in every way for His sheep. We who have trusted in Christ are His sheep, His true, eternal concern.

2. Reliability of Provisions: “I shall not want.” The Hebrew word for want is chaser, meaning that we who are in Him will never be lacking anything that meets our physical and spiritual needs and keeps us looking to Him alone for our provisions.

3. Restoration: “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.” Our bodies and our souls need rest. We all need refreshment, both spiritually and physically. As the Good Shepherd, He gives everything that restores us. In all of this, we are bound willfully to Him.

4. Redirection: “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.” It is vital not only that we commit ourselves to Christ, but that we follow His leadership daily. What is it that He wants from you? What is His calling? I can tell you this with full assurance: You will never be completely at peace within yourself unless you are following the Holy Spirit’s guidance for your life.

5. Reliability of Protection: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (the valley of deepest darkness), I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.” While these are two different words (shebet and misheneth), it is difficult to distinguish their usages. One is probably the walking stick of the shepherd, the other, the “crook” with which he grasped and rescued endangered sheep. The LORD teaches us to walk in His ways and rescues us when we stray from His teachings.

6. Recognition: “Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.” The Shepherd lavishes good things upon His children. What is more, He does it in the presence of His enemies. He blesses us abundantly, in the face of those who resist Him and mock Him. See how blessed we are? Our excitement abounds, trusting that those outside of His love and grace will come to know Him as their own.

7. Resolution: “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” With the abundant blessings of the LORD falling upon His children, why should we want to stray? His house is more than His temple. We resolve to dwell in His truths and His righteousness.

Do these seven distinctives stir your soul? They certainly should! And they will if you belong to Jesus Christ. There is so much in store for us as believers! We owe our blessed LORD everything, starting with the will He has placed within us.

We love and pray for you earnestly,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”