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Psalm 23 is among the Scriptures' most famous and beautiful passages. While many people simply enjoy it for its vivid and beautiful poetry, each of its six verses contain deep truths that illustrate the abundant life Christ has for all believers. This begins with the revelation provided by the chapter's first verse: Christ is our Shepherd and we are His sheep.
This verse's first truth is that Christ, as our Shepherd, owns us as His sheep. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 note that because Christ purchased our salvation and His Spirit dwells within us, the only correct way to live is using our bodies to glorify Him alone. This lifestyle is only possible through following Romans 12:1-2, which call us to surrender our lives to Him as living sacrifices and allow the Holy Spirit to conform our minds to be like Christ's. Furthermore, this surrender only comes through complete dependence on His strength, as Philippians 4:13 and Romans 8:26 note. Thus, we can only receive Christ's abundant life if we accept His ownership of us, fully surrender our lives to Him, and become completely dependent on His strength.
Another critical truth from Psalm 23:1 is that as Christ's sheep, we need Him as our Good Shepherd. The imagery used in comparing us to sheep is very accurate, for we, when on our own, are spiritually weak, directionless, and vulnerable to spiritual destruction. This is what Jesus saw in Matthew 9:36, compassionately comparing the lost to sheep without a shepherd and desiring to be the Good Shepherd they desperately needed. As saved believers, we come under the perfect protection, providence, and love of Christ's shepherding, as Isaiah 40:11 and John 10:11 note. His unending love for us is so strong that when worldly desires and fleshly lusts lead us astray from Him, He fervently pursues us and graciously brings us back into His perfect care, as Luke 15:4-5 illustrate. Thus, as Christ's sheep, our inherent spiritual weakness and tendency to wander requires us to remain under His perfect shepherding to receive His abundant life.
One other relevant truth from Psalm 23:1 is that because His providence is perfect, we should be content with His portion for us. As this verse indicates, we have no need to desire anything outside of Christ's provision because He ensures we receive all we need to grow and prosper in Him. However, multiple verses such as Romans 8:5 and Galatians 5:17 note we must choose between living in Christ's abundance through the Holy Spirit or fulfilling our flesh's destructive desires. Thankfully, our desire for the latter will decrease as we continually see our flesh being crucified with Christ and remember that our life is His, as Galatians 2:20 notes. Thus, experiencing His abundant life requires that we die to self and remain content with what He provides for us.
Though Psalm 23 is a beautiful passage to casually read, those who seek its deeper truths discover how to receive, remain in, and enjoy Christ's abundant life. From the first verse alone, we see how this life is found through choosing to live under Christ's authority as our Good Shepherd, remembering our need for Him as His sheep, and remaining content in His perfect providence. Though we cannot apply these truths in our own strength, He promises to provide everything we need to choose His life, die to ourselves, and conform to the Holy Spirit's renewal process, which all allow us to live in the fullness of these truths' indescribable blessings.
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