The Lord Is My Shepherd

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1. Observe

   What distinct provisions does the shepherd give in verses 1-4?

   • Crown, throne, scepter, palace, and treasury
   • Sufficiency ("I shall lack nothing"), green pastures (rest/food), still waters, soul-restoration, guidance in righteous paths, his presence in the dark valley, and the rod and staff for comfort and protection
   • Wealth, fame, success, and easy circumstances
   • Only food and water

2. Observe

   How does the metaphor shift between vv. 1-4 and vv. 5-6?

   • From angel to king
   • From friend to stranger
   • From shepherd-and-sheep to host-and-honored-guest, but God remains the one providing in both — the relationship is constant though the image changes
   • From human to animal

3. Interpret

   What is the difference between confidence that "evil is absent" and confidence that "God is present" (v. 4)?

   • There's no difference between the two
   • The first depends on circumstances staying favorable and collapses when they don't; the second is grounded in God's character and remains stable through any valley because it is not based on the absence of threat but on the presence of the Shepherd
   • The first is stronger
   • The second is naive

4. Interpret

   What does it mean to be honored and fed by God "in the presence of enemies" (v. 5)?

   • That God will hide his blessings until enemies leave
   • That God's blessing, provision, and honored welcome are not withheld until threats disappear — God seats his people at his table publicly, in full view of opposition, communicating that his hospitality is stronger than the enemies' hostility
   • That enemies are imaginary
   • That enemies will join the meal

5. Apply

   Why might one phrase from Psalm 23 feel alive and another feel distant?

   • The phrase that feels alive corresponds to where God has recently met you; the phrase that feels distant often marks an area where you have not yet allowed the Shepherd in, or where present pain is testing whether you will trust him there
   • The distant phrase is for other people
   • The distant phrase doesn't apply anymore
   • The phrases are randomly true on different days

6. Apply

   What does it mean to live by verse 6 as a declaration rather than a question?

   • That you'd never have doubts again
   • That you'd see every event as easy and pleasant
   • That you'd take God's pursuit by goodness and hesed as the settled, daily fact about your life — refusing to re-litigate it every time circumstances are hard, and instead reading the days from the standpoint of his promised pursuit
   • That you'd ignore difficult days

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