Category: Bible Nugget

“The LORD is my shepherd… You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” [Ps 23:1,5 NKJV] “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” [Psalm 34:8]

Psalm 23, a familiar and beautiful psalm, was written by David. David, a shepherd himself, saw the Lord his God as his shepherd in the midst of his. The Lord provided everything he needed in his life.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” [Psalm 23:1 NKJV]

A good shepherd was diligent to lavish tender care upon his sheep. He was careful especially to find a pasture where the sheep might graze securely, freely and sumptuously. So as a good shepherd, David searched for the pastures, prepared them, and then led the sheep to enjoy the bounty of the pasture. He set the pasture as a table before them as an act of care and love.

David sees the Lord as his shepherd preparing the events in his life as a pasture the Lord has set before him. His enemies are around him, seeking to destroy him. Yet he beholds the bounty of his God as a table prepared, a banquet lavished with good blessings. The enemy could not destroy him; they could only watch him partake of the bounty of His Lord, his shepherd.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” [Psalm 23:5a]

You might even see this preparation as a celebration of victory! The Lord is my Shepherd. The enemy must come through my Shepherd to bring me harm. The enemy may only watch the sheep partake of the bounty upon the table of feasting for those whose Shepherd is the Lord. Behold, the Lord has prepared a feast of many good things:

“the bread of life” [John 6:35]

“living water” [John 4:10]

“wine of gladness” [Psalm 104:15]

“oil of joy” [Isaiah 61:3]

“honey from the rock” [Psalm 81:16]

“the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” [Galatians 5:22-23]

“every word of God” [Luke 4:4]

Let us pick up His words and eat them as the sustenance of our life. Let them sink into the depths of our souls where they may nourish us in the goodness of our Lord. Let them be our hope of life and peace of soul.

“Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.” [Jeremiah 15:16]

As we walk in the pastures prepared by the Lord, our Shepherd, are we partaking of His feast for us?

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” [Psalm 34:8]

“The LORD is my shepherd… You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” [Ps 23:1,5 NKJV] “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” [Psalm 34:8]

“The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” [Psalm 138:8 NKJV] “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 1:6 NASB]

In Psalm 138, David praises the Lord with his whole heart in worship for the Lord’s lovingkindness and mercy. David remembers the saving help of his Lord. In David’s time of trial, the Lord answered with strength and boldness needful to walk through the midst of trouble. The Lord did not forsake David for he humbled himself before his God. David boasts that his confidence is wholly and completely in the Lord. The Lord went before him with His right hand to save.

“I will praise You with my whole heart. …
 I will worship … And praise Your name
 For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
 And made me bold with strength in my soul. …
 For great is the glory of the LORD.
 Though the LORD is on high,
 Yet He regards the lowly….
 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
 You will revive me;
 You will stretch out Your hand
 Against the wrath of my enemies,
 And Your right hand will save me.” [Psalm 138:1-7 NKJV]

David basks in the glory of his Lord to save him through the battles with his enemies. David also glories in the goodness of his Lord for he knows He will also save in that final eternal rest promised in God’s everlasting covenant of life.

“He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation.” [2 Samuel 23:5 NKJV]

Then in climatic summation, David embraces the marvelous truth that the LORD will perfect, complete, mature all that concerns his readiness, his salvation, for that final day! His prayer rings out to the Lord, “Do not forsake the works of Your hands!” David is in effect crying out to the Lord, “Do not to stop the shaping, chiseling, and molding of my life in the midst of the trials and troubles of my life.” David’s desire is that the hands of God will work His goodness through every circumstance of life to make him a holy vessel that will forever rest in the glory of his Lord.

“The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” [Psalm 138:8 NKJV]

The same is true for all believers today. The Lord our God comes to us in His lovingkindness and mercy to save our souls from the enemy of death.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” [Ephesians 2:4-5 NKJV]

This same God transforms us into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ’s likeness.

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” [2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV]

He shapes us, molds us, and tests us through the trials and troubles of our life.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” [James 1:2-4 NKJV]

So we too, as David, may have the confidence that our Lord and God will work the salvation He has begun in us until we are completely transformed into the glory of Christ’s likeness. Our Lord God will not forsake the work of His hands. In His enduring mercy He will bring us into eternal life in the glorious image of our Savior!

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 1:6 NASB]

Has the Lord done a good work of salvation in you? Then He will not forsake you. He will complete, He will perfect, the work of salvation in you: conforming you in holiness into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” [Psalm 138:8 NKJV] “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 1:6 NASB]

“Surely the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives.” [Deuteronomy 5:24 NKJV] God “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,” [Hebrews 1:2] and “whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (forgiveness of sins) [Acts 10:43] and “should not perish but have eternal life.” [John 3:15]

The book of Deuteronomy contains the last words of Moses to the children of Israel. He reminds them of the deliverance of God from slavery in Egypt. They came out of Egypt to be free to worship the Lord their God and learn to serve their holy God. They came to Mount Sinai for the Lord to speak to them His holy words.

“So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. And you said: ‘Surely the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives. Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore, then we shall die. … You go near and hear all that the LORD our God may say, and tell us all that the LORD our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’ ” [Deuteronomy 5:23-25, 27 NKJV]

The Lord God’s presence was so holy the people feared death knowing their uncleanness in sin. For God had told them that no man should see His face and live. [Exodus 33:20]. This same fear now falls upon them as they hear the Lord’s voice and know the closeness of His presence. They understood that man could hear and not die at the voice of the Lord.

However, the holiness of God was so bright and frightful, they feared for their very life. In response to this holy fear in the presence of a holy God, they asked Moses to go before God and bring God’s word back to them. Moses would now be God’s prophet, speaking God’s word to the people. The people promised to obey the word Moses brought from the mouth of God. And so God’s word would come to God’s people through prophets.

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things.” [Hebrews 1:1-2]

Then the time came when God would once again speak to His people face to face. He did so in His Son, Jesus Christ.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1:1, 14]

This Word of God in Jesus Christ came to speak face to face with God’s people so they might know Him. As they know Him, believe upon Him so that they might no longer fear their uncleanness of sin, but receive forgiveness (remission) of their sins through Jesus.

“To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” [Acts 10:43]

For as God, Jesus, had eternal life to give to whoever believes in Him.

“whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” [John 3:15]

We no longer hear God’s word through His prophets; God has spoken His Word in His Son. In believing the words of the Son of God, fear of death is removed for God forgives the sin of all those who believe in His Son. Hear Him today.

“Surely the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives.” [Deuteronomy 5:24 NKJV] God “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,” [Hebrews 1:2] and “whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (forgiveness of sins) [Acts 10:43] and “should not perish but have eternal life.” [John 3:15]

“Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.” [Job 37:14 NKJV] “Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things … He has not dealt with us according to our sins.” [Psalm 103:3-5, 10] Let us “Sing to Him … Talk of all His wondrous works!” [105:2]

Job was a man “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” [Job 1:1] Yet God let Satan bring devastating loss and debilitating illness upon Job because he feared God. In the closing chapters of the book, God reveals Himself as God, all-powerful, Creator, and holy. God, the LORD, is to be feared and worshiped.

Just before God reveals Himself, Job is given an exhortation:

“Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.” [Job 37:14 NKJV]

This same call –stand still and consider the wondrous works of our God– comes also to us each day. It comes to those who believe in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and who fear and worship Him above all else. We are called to consider the wondrous works of God given to believers in the work of Christ. His greatest work for us was to pay the penalty of eternal death that our sin brought upon us. With Christ’s work God grants us forgiveness of our sin, iniquity, and transgressions.

David, the psalmist, gave this God praise for His great works of mercies and benefits. Be still and consider this wondrous work of which David sings.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  …

The LORD is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.” [Psalm 103:2-5, 8-10 NKJV]

After David extols multitudes of God’s mercies, grace, and wondrous works, he calls us in Psalm 105 to make them known through our lips: in thanks, talk and song!

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!” [Psalm 105:1-2 NKJV]

God’s wondrous works are glorious to behold! Let us stand still and consider them. Let us instill them in our soul. Let us make them known with our lips.

“Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.” [Job 37:14 NKJV] “Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things … He has not dealt with us according to our sins.” [Psalm 103:3-5, 10] Let us “Sing to Him … Talk of all His wondrous works!” [105:2]

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