psalm 23

a study to help you remember

Hi friend — my prayer for you is that, in addition to having your print of Psalm 23 somewhere in your space to remind you of these truths about God, you would also use it to launch into a deep and fruitful time in God’s Word and in prayer. I hope to guide you in experiencing and loving Him more fully in your heart and mind and to prompt you to remember.

You can use the following as a study for further depth and encouragement. You don’t need to complete all of it in one sitting. Use it as a reference point that you can come back to as needed in order to root these truths in your mind and heart.

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It’s accurate to say that this Psalm is one of the most (if not the most) known in the world, to believers and unbelievers alike. Personally, it’s one of the first longer passages of Scripture I memorized as a child. I can still see it written in dry erase marker on a white board in my play room. The truths of this Psalm can be applied to many different seasons of life.

Yet, even when it comes to a very well known and even memorized passage of Scripture, why must we be called to remembrance? I think even the most-known passages can lose their luster. Do we recite it and yet not realize the depth of these truths? Do we spout of the words that come easy to our memory without truly knowing what the implications are for our lives? Just like the Gospel itself, may no passage of Scripture grow dull in our minds and hearts.

Charles Spurgeon says this about the 23rd Psalm:

One of my favorite resources on Psalm 23 is a book called “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23” (linked below). In it, Phillip Keller states, “

◡ TIME IN THE WORD

Read these passages that describe Jesus as a Shepherd:
Matthew 9:36, 25:32; John 10:2; 10:11; 10:14; 16; Hebrews 13:20;

What do these verses teach you about the character of Christ?

Read all of John 10 in context.

Peter also refers to Jesus as a Shepherd in his letter. Read

[reminder of the Gospel from 1 Peter 2:25] In light of these other references to Jesus being our Shepherd, how can Psalm 23 remind you of the Gospel?

As followers of Christ, we believe His Word is true today, tomorrow, and forever, just as He is (). His Word is relevant and applicable just as much for us as it was for the early Church, both in ancient days and modern times. With that in our minds,

◡ TIME IN PRAYER

Take time to structure the psalm like a prayer. Read each statement, and respond to the Lord. For example,

“The Lord is my Shepherd..”
-Praise the Lord for who He is as a Shepherd.
-Based on what you read in Scripture, what are the implications of this for your life? Respond to how you’ve seen His Shepherd character in your life.
-Confess the ways that you haven’t looked toward Him as the good Shepherd. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of unbelief in your heart.