Psalm 23

Let me introduce you to some concepts in my field of teaching English as an alternate language.  Yes, there are some definite grammar components, but there are also the nonverbal communication implications of intonation.  When English is spoken, there is natural tendency to emphasize certain words in a sentence.  When we stress a word that is not typical, it is for the purpose of emphasis and meaning.  For example, if I pointed out to the sales associate that I wanted to see the blue item, I am inferring that there are many colours available to me, but I would really like to see the blue one, not the yellow one or the red one.
Sometimes, if we read Scripture with a different emphasis on words, a new meaning seems to come to light.
The Lord is my Shepherd.

• He is the only one, there should be no other lords in my life
• He is specific, not one of many.

The Lord is my Shepherd.

• He is Yahweh God; he is sacred
• He is the Everlasting and Eternal God, not some passing fancy or a headliner today and buried on the last page two days later.  He is front and center, not in the peripheral.

The Lord is my Shepherd.

• He exists; it is state of being.
• When we say that we “are” something, it takes on a very existence; it is the embodiment of who we are.  It is our identity.  The Lord’s identity is one of an eternal God infused with an unfathomable combination of holiness and intimacy.

 
The Lord is my Shepherd.

• Not yours. I am claiming that He is with me.
• It is personal.
• What is our attitude when something is personally ours?

The Lord is my Shepherd.

• Yes, he is Yahweh God, and the description is intimate
• A shepherd is someone who carries the sheep, who binds the sheep’s wounds, and who takes care of sheep at a great cost because the shepherd knows the sheep.
• Jesus, the Shepherd, does that with me!

Jesus, my Shepherd, knows me intimately.  He cares for me at a great cost.  Come to the Shepherd so that He may bind your wounds and care for you.

​Heather

3 Month Reading Plan - Psalm 22