The Thirteen Promises of Psalm 23

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”  Psalm 23:6

There is probably not a more well known chapter of the Bible than the 23rd Psalm.  I remember memorizing it as a child as some of you all likely did at some point in your life.  It’s good to memorize scripture because if you know it by heart, you will have a treasure trove of truth to fall back on whenever times become difficult to bear.  God gave us His word to not only to know Him, but to give us a hope for the future and a guide for the present.  He said in Isaiah 55:11 that His word shall not return to Him void, but will accomplish what He pleases and will prosper wherever He sends it.  God’s word is meant as the standard of which we should live each day.

In reading the 23rd Psalm, we find that there are 13 promises within these profound words to those who choose to live by them.  The first promise is that the LORD is our Shepherd, that is, He watches over us, keeping the wolves (evil people) away just like a shepherd guards his flock of sheep.  We all like to feel safe and secure as we go about our daily lives, and knowing that God never takes His eyes off of us is certainly a comforting reality.  Secondly, we shall not want, that is, we have no needs that God cannot fill.  King David wrote in Psalm 37:25 that all during his life he never saw a righteous person forsaken nor his or her children going without food.  The third promise is that of green pastures, which, for us, are provisions for our comfort and well being.  We have all heard the old saying about the grass being greener in someone else’s pasture, but we know that what belongs to others is usually not all it seems.  “All that glitters is not gold”.  The green pastures that God promises will never disappoint.  Fourthly, we will travel along the still waters, a symbol of peace and calm assurance, which certainly seems to be in short supply among the world’s inhabitants.

The fifth promise is a restoration of our souls, a refreshment from weariness and burdens, and the strength to keep keeping on.  Next, we have the promise of walking paths of righteousness.  God gives us the ability to know the right thing to do and the right decisions to make because when we are followers of Christ, we receive His righteousness.  One of the most comforting promises is that we can fear no evil.  Nothing can happen to us that has not been filtered through God’s loving fingers.  He knows our limits and is always ready to protect us from our enemies.  The eighth promise is also a promise which brings comfort: God is with us; we are never alone.  God is as close as a whisper away.  Next, God’s rod and staff comfort us, which indicates that He brings correction upon us to lead us away from making bad choices.  His rod and staff can also be a barrier to keep harm away from us.

He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies.  God’s favor is shown to us because we are depending on Him.  Number eleven tells us that our heads are anointed with oil.  God has set us apart as one of His own.  We are children of the King, the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10).  The next to the last promise in our list is one that can give us a peace that passes all understanding:  goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives.  As we depend on the LORD, He will help us see the good things in life, and He will have mercy in those times that we fail Him.  Lastly, but not least, of course, we will dwell in the house of the LORD forever, and forever is a long time.  Our futures are secure because we have placed our trust in the only One who is trustworthy.  Thank God for these promises which He will never fail to fulfill to those who diligently seek Him.