Sunday 31 January 2016

PSALM 23 By Faith

Every verse in Psalm 23 is about  " me ".
           He leadeth me
           You are with me
           comfort me
           mercy shall follow me

the subject of all the verbs is "  I  " .
           I shall not want
           although I walk
           I shall fear no evil
           I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

the song is about my shepherd ,   my enemies
my head ,  my cup,   and, my  life.

Psalm 23 could not be more personal.
Psalm 23 is a personal statement of faith.
Psalm 23 is a personal assertion of faith.
and as it is written;-
              "The righteous shall live by faith"  Romans 1:17
              "The righteous shall live by faith"  Galatians 3:11

We each make our own choices and live according to our own faith.
We could go up a mountain and sing Psalm 23 to an empty hillside.
Or find an empty room and pray psalm 23 in private.
But when we discover people with whom we can sing Psalm 23
with the same fundamental conviction, it is more than edifying to do so.
Number adds strength to conviction because the more people who
think in the same way, the less force dissonance can generate.
The Prayer and Praise of those who are one in the Spirit,
actually diminishes the force of discord and enhances harmony.
In that sense the very strength of our personal faith lets us
participate in Psalm 23 in a way which brings down the strongholds
of the enemy.
Our cup of faith is running over.
It is very good to examine Psalm 23, thoughtfully and prayerfully
in the light of our own faith.
The version we often sing is from The Church of Scotland
PSALMS OF DAVID IN METRE
1   The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want.
2   He makes me down to lie.
     In pastures green: he leadeth me
          the quiet waters by.
3   My soul he doth restore again;
         and me to walk doth make
     Within the paths of righteousness,
         ev'n for his own name's sake.
4   Yes , though I walk in death's dark vale,
         yet will I fear none ill:
     For thou art with me; and thy rod 
         and staff me comfort still.
5   My table thou hast furnished
         in presence of my foes;
    My head thou dost with oil anoint
         and my cup overflows.
6  Goodness and mercy all my life
         shall surely follow me:
     And in God's house for evermore
         my dwelling place shall be.           Amen.


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