{"id":2857,"date":"2018-08-20T21:30:24","date_gmt":"2018-08-20T21:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nltblog.com\/?p=2857"},"modified":"2021-12-08T09:22:17","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T09:22:17","slug":"why-is-the-23rd-psalm-so-beloved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/2018\/08\/20\/why-is-the-23rd-psalm-so-beloved\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is the 23rd Psalm So Beloved?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>Psalm 23 is the best-known psalm and the favorite biblical passage of many. Why? Because it does more than tell us that God protects, guides, and blesses. It shows us a poetic image of a powerless sheep being tended by an unfailingly careful shepherd. In a world of dangerous ditches and ravenous wolves, we need more than abstract explanations. We need pictures to hang on to. This is one of the best.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nltblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/lightstock_8079_medium_david-620x413.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2858 alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nltblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/lightstock_8079_medium_david-620x413-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"lightstock_8079_medium_david-620x413\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>God took David from tending his father\u2019s sheep and made him a shepherd of Israel because David was able to care for this flock with a tender heart and great skill. That tells us volumes about not only the kind of shepherd God chooses but the kind of shepherd he is. God is a zealous protector of his sheep, training us to hear his voice, leading us into pleasant pastures, and even walking with us through the darkest valleys. And he is extravagant in his goodness. He doesn\u2019t just feed us; he prepares a feast in the presence of our enemies. He doesn\u2019t just bless us; he fills our cup to overflowing. He doesn\u2019t just offer his goodness and love; he pursues us with them. We aren\u2019t simply his assignment; we are his passion\u2014forever.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nltblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ghoiyov2tsq-sam-carter.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2859 alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nltblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ghoiyov2tsq-sam-carter-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"ghoiyov2tsq-sam-carter\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div><strong>Read it again:<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>Psalm 23<br \/>\nThe\u00a0<span class=\"sc\">Lord<\/span>\u00a0is my shepherd;<br \/>\nI have all that I need.<br \/>\nHe lets me rest in green meadows;<br \/>\nhe leads me beside peaceful streams.<br \/>\nHe renews my strength.<br \/>\nHe guides me along right paths,<br \/>\nbringing honor to his name.<br \/>\nEven when I walk<br \/>\nthrough the darkest valley,<br \/>\nI will not be afraid,<br \/>\nfor you are close beside me.<br \/>\nYour rod and your staff<br \/>\nprotect and comfort me.<br \/>\nYou prepare a feast for me<br \/>\nin the presence of my enemies.<br \/>\nYou honor me by anointing my head with oil.<br \/>\nMy cup overflows with blessings.<br \/>\nSurely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me<br \/>\nall the days of my life,<br \/>\nand I will live in the house of the<br \/>\nforever.<\/div>\n<div>Taken from the\u00a0<em>Dancing in the Desert Devotional Bible.<\/em><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nltblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/DancingIntheDesert-e1531420504489.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2809\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nltblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/DancingIntheDesert-e1531420504489-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"DancingIntheDesert\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"poet2\" style=\"text-align: left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paperturn-view.com\/us\/tyndale-bibles\/dancinginthedesert-nlt-part1231?pid=Mjk29123&amp;v=1.15\">Take a look inside<\/a>\u00a0this Bible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Psalm 23 is the best-known psalm and the favorite biblical passage of many. Why? Because it does more than tell us that God protects, guides, and blesses. It shows us a poetic image of a powerless sheep being tended by an unfailingly careful shepherd. In a world of dangerous ditches and ravenous wolves, we need [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[21,44,45,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2857"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2857"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5865,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2857\/revisions\/5865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<!-- LIVE: wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com/nlt//wp-json/wp/v2/posts/2857 -->