When I Led Myself
Psalms 23:1–6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
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.
This psalm is one of the first things you recite as a young Christian. It defined our lives and we recited it mindlessly; yeah by rote. But as one grows older and life pounces on you from time to time, we take comfort in the words of this Psalm
Do me a big big favour. Read the first three verses of this Psalm again.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake
These first 3 verses talk about when God led him. When God led you and me
On the words of Job, this was when the secrets of the Lord was upon His tabernacles. All was going well because of one fact — the Lord was leading David.
Then see what happens in Verse 4
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”
How do you go from green sceneries and lush living to walking in the valley of the shadow of death? Oh, it happened when David led himself. That is what verse 4 is all about.
As a Christian, you cannot lead yourself. You have to be led by the spirit of God. When you insist on leading yourself, guess where you will likely land — the valley of the shadow of death.
This is the cryptic message God directs us to in this Psalms. When the shepherd of our lives leads, He knows exactly where to take us……green pastures, still waters, the path of righteousness etc. These paths may not appear as stated but when we are sure that the Lord is leading us, the outcome is certain. There is no experiment with God. The experiments of God have assured outcomes. It is an experiment to you but not to God..who knows the end from the beginning.
If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you — and His experiments always succeed. The one true mark of a saint of God is the inner creativity that flows from being totally surrendered to Jesus Christ.
— Oswald Chambers.
However, when David led himself, he saw himself in unwanted territories….the valley and the shadow of death.
But there is good news.
Inside the valley of the shadows of death, the Lord is still there. Oh the Bible confirms it.
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death……….for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Why did David lead himself?
Because there is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death. David led himself because he saw the wide path and took it. Sometimes the road to hell is paved with good intentions. David did what was ok that everyone else was doing …not necessarily sin.
Thank God for the Lord’s rod and staff. They comfort the sheep called David. Yes the rod might be used to chastise. But it is also used to guide. The shepherd guides with it but uses it to direct the sheep. Finally, the rod and staff can likewise be used as a weapon against predators.
The same rod that is gently used to guide the sheep is a weapon of mass destruction to the predator. So that is why David is comforted by the sight of the rod and staff. He knows that the Lord uses it for his good — in any format He may choose to use it either as a weapon of guide or an instrument of guide.
Welcome to the wealth of God’s word and knowledge.
The main aim of this Psalm is stated in Jeremiah 10:23. Apart from stating the caring nature of God, David was also showing us that it is not in man to direct himself; just like it is not in the sheep to direct itself.
Jeremiah 10:23
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
When you take your eyes off the leading of the Lord, you will land in the wide way that does not lead to God. You will also walk through the valley and shadow of death. Like Peter, you will start sinking though you started out in faith…walking on water.
Let’s keep our eyes on the shepherd. He will, both literally and figuratively, make us walk on water. As the economy tanks, He will make provisions. Let not the news direct you, because if it does it will lead you to the valley and shadow of death. Let not the fear of tomorrow lead you because you will end up where you do not want to.
The shepherds know where the still water is.
He knows where the green pastures are.
He knows the path of righteousness.
Finally, He is waiting to lead you there.
We end with the words of Jeremiah in chapter 10:24
O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
The Lord will correct us…even when we stray and lead ourselves and walk in the valley and shadow of death.
Shalom
Full blessings
Nothing broken
Nothing missing.
Amen.
