“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
– Psalm 23:4-6
Today, we’re going to continue our verse-by-verse breakdown of Psalm 23, as we examine and meditate on the sufficiency we have in Jesus. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. No matter what you go through, like the King James version says, even if death hovers over you, you have nothing to be afraid of. There is absolutely no place you can go where you are not in the presence of Jesus’ sustaining power! Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Almighty God is fighting for you. A rod and staff are used to protect sheep and ward off predators, and this is what the Lord does for you. Therefore, you can be comforted and not be afraid, no matter what comes your way. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You do not have to be afraid of those who are trying to harm you, even when they appear the most threatening and scary. God has your back! You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. When God anoints your head with oil, He brings His burden-removing, yoke-destroying power to your midst so that your cup runs over! Have you ever seen somebody so full of joy and life that they’re almost annoying because they spill their exuberance onto everyone they meet? This is you in the Kingdom of God; you have way more than you need because of His greatness — your cup keeps running over! Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Friend, notice that the verse doesn’t say that you will dwell with Jesus for a couple of years — it says forever (and ever and ever). God is never going leave you; you are like a diamond to Him — you are precious and treasured and He will never throw you away! You are His beloved, priceless child and He will not let go of you, no matter how rough or rocky the road gets. Matter changes but the spirit can’t be destroyed; in Jesus, your soul is untouchable and you are forever secure in His unswerving love! |
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for filling my cup to overflowing with your goodness! I know that no matter how rough the road gets, you are always with me.
Reflection
As you meditate on this Psalm, which verse(s) speak to your current situation? How do they bring you comfort?
3 Responses
Please pray for me. I am worried about my health. I have not found out my test results yet and I am anxious. Thank you.
Dear Brenda,
We are praying for you!
“Lord, in the Name of Jesus, we ask that you minister to you daughter Brenda as she waits for the results of her tests. Thank you for filling her mind and spirit with your peace that surpasses understanding. We trust that she is healthy and whole in you and we believe that you have her in the palm of your Hand. We know that with you, her best days are always ahead of her. Thank you for taking care of her today and in the days to come. In the mighty Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.”
God loves you and so do we!
Its seems all news in the world is bad. Ill family members, issues with jobs, turmoil in the US & no respect for our President, & low ethics & moral standards in our government leaders. If we all remember God is with us everywhere & all the time we probably would be have differently & live fearlessly.