Daily Devotionals

Psalm 23:6

As David brings his song of the sheep to a close, having reflected on the Lord's faithful care throughout his life, he then considers his future.

Psalm 23:5

As David's song of the sheep concludes, he suddenly drops the analogy to consider his own experience of God, both as a simple man in need of a Saviour and as a king in need of divine guidance.

Psalm 23:3–4

As a former shepherd keeping watch over flocks in the wilderness, the composer of Psalm 23 understood the nature of sheep, including their bad habit of wandering. When one is attracted to a clump of grass away from the flock, off it goes, and sometimes it's followed by several other woolly wanderers. Soon, night falls. Lurking in the darkness are hungry wolves, four-legged savages, looking for a supper of mutton! The shepherd counts his sheep, calling them by name.

Psalm 23:1–2

Like many of the songs found in the Bible, Psalm 23 states its case in the first verse and simply verifies it in the remainder of the song. The key thought is this: Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing! No uncertainty should frighten me. Here is the way the theme of Psalm 23 is played out in the balance of David's famous song:

I shall not lack rest or provision—why? He makes me lie down in green pastures.

I shall not lack peace—why? He leads me beside quiet waters.

Psalm 23:1–6

Psalm 19:14

David sums up his feelings in Psalm 19 with a brief prayer. In fact, these three lines are some of the most familiar in the entire book of Psalms.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. (v. 14)

Psalm 19:10–13

As David considers the impact of God's written communication in the second section of Psalm 19, he's prompted to appraise the value of Scripture. He uses two illustrations for the purpose of comparison:

Psalm 19:7–13

The heavens may declare God's power and glory, but they do not declare His will or His plan and promise of salvation. God has communicated those marvellous truths only in His Word—the living Scriptures, the Bible. In a sudden shift in perspective, David turns from the general evidence of God's creative power to the specific evidence of God's desire for a relationship with people.

Psalm 19:1–6

David has packed a lot of great theology into a short space in Psalm 19. Unfortunately, we can hit only the highlights of these 14 verses because neither time nor space permits us to dig into the depths of each one. However, I urge you to take the outline and use it as a guide in your own, personal study of this magnificent composition. It is a veritable treasure house of truth.

For six verses, David looks heavenward. He ponders the vast universe surrounding our little globe, that realm we call deep space.

Psalm 19:1–14

Ever felt completely removed from God's awareness? It's almost like you're standing at the bottom of a long stairway looking up, isn't it? The light is off, and even though you knock or call out for a response, nothing happens. No answer is heard. Not even a stir.