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Hello again. Here’s how the Spirit spoke to me through Psalm 23 this week:

Last Week’s Work

REPETITION

I found just one repeated concept: lead (vv2,3) / follow (v6); but the thing the Holy Spirit really impressed upon me here was presence. I don’t know a lot about shepherding a flock, but I get the impression that sheep should never be left unguarded: they have few natural defenses. Without guidance and protection, they can wander off a cliff or into water and be drowned by the weight of wet wool, etc., to say nothing of being unable to outrun a pack of predators. In certain circumstances, just the presence of the Shepherd could mean the difference between life and death for the herd. Knowing I’ll be looking at comparisons next week, this repetition tied to the Shepherd metaphor gives me some definite food for thought…

SPECIAL STATEMENTS:

In the meantime, though, how did you sort David’s statements in Psalm 23? I was torn between calling them blessings or promises. After considering the difference might be timeframes, though, I categorized the ten current positive statements as Blessings:

• The LORD is my shepherd (v1),
• He makes me lie in green pastures (v2),
• He leads me beside still waters (v2),
• He restores my soul (v3),
• He leads me in paths of righteousness (v3),
• You [LORD/Shepherd] are with me (v4),
• Your rod and staff comfort me (v4),
• You prepare my table in front of my enemies (v5),
• You anoint my head with oil (v5),
• My cup overflows (v5).

And the four future positive statements are Promises:

• I shall not want (v1)
• I will fear no evil—even when I walk through the valley of death’s shadow (v4)
• Goodness and mercy shall follow me all my life (v6)
• I shall dwell in the LORD’s house forever (v6).

Of course, these are statements David made about his own relationship with the LORD. Do they apply to me as they did to him? I hope so! I’m looking forward to getting more certainty around that in the Refine phase we’ll work through in a few weeks.

LISTS

Did you notice the groupings above also qualify as lists? I didn’t until I started writing this post! I am so amazed at the insight about the Sheperd’s presence and His role of defending the flock this week. Indeed, I am living proof He does exactly this!

Dig-In Challenges

This week, let’s wrap up Step 3 by:

1. PRAYING: Use the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
2. MINING: Read through the passage again looking for comparisons in or related to your focus verses. These may be statements of similarity featuring key words such as like, as,or so; qualitative comparisons indicating how one item is more or less than another; and/or contrasts that highlight or discuss how one concept differs from another.
3. MINING: Next, look for causes or motives by focusing on key words or phrases I call cause connectors. In this study text, look for the connector for (where it means the same as because). Then check the text surrounding the connector for an action and the reason or explanation for that action. For example, in the sentence,
   I went to the store, for I was out of milk,
   the action = I went to the store     for [because]    the reason = I was out of milk.
   NOTE: The word for doesn’t always connect an action and a reason. To determine if it does here, read the sentence(s) containing it while substituting the word because where you find the word for. If the sentence(s) created from this exercise make(s) sense and mean(s) the same as the original, note two things: (1) the action statement (typically before the for) and (2) the reason (after the for).
4. MINING: Finally, see if you can find any conditions that trigger action in this narrative and/or descriptions of how action happens or should happen.
   – For example, does the text say if or when a certain condition exists, some action takes place?
   And/or
   – Does the author describe a method or process (for example, specific steps) taken to achieve something?
   Or
   – Does he indicate how action is accomplished more generally by or through attributes or actions, e.g., saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8)? And,
   – Does the text include any adverbs (typically words ending in ly) that describe how action happens?

These exercises are more involved, I know, but I’m confident you can do this with the Holy Spirit! Don’t forget to check your How to Dig Into Scripture Ourselves guide, and you can always reach out to me at [email protected] if you have questions.

GO TO WEEK 5 >