As we begin this study, we’re going to start witt the first verse. Anybody who has ever heard this psalm before knows that it is actually not just the first verse, but it is the foundational verse of this passage. Everything else David is going to say in this psalm is built upon the first line in the first stanza, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). David gives us three reasons why, no matter what happens going forward, faith ought to be in, and fear ought to be out. Worship ought to be in, worrying ought to be out. Prayer to be in, and panic ought to be out. Let’s take a look at those reasons together.
God knew about the benefits of music to help us deal with stress, to be healthier, happier and even holier, which may explain why the largest and longest book in the Bible is a book of songs. They are called psalms, and we are going to dive deep into these psalms as we are currently walking through some of the deepest, darkest, national stress of our lifetimes. Over the next several weeks, we are going to listen to a song that God gave to a shepherd named, David., which I believe could be called “God’s greatest hit.” It is the 23rd Psalm, and it is probably the best-known chapter in the entire Bible. Of the 150 psalms in this collection, the 23rd Psalm is the most popular and best known. It is only 118 words in English, but it is probably the most familiar 118 words in the hundreds of thousands of words that are found in the Bible. I can tell you as I’ve gone back and read this psalm over and over and over, it does make you feel good. It does lower your stress level. You realize there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and these important truths do bring the sunshine from out behind the clouds.
