What do you need to pray
when you need comfort, peace,
and to be reminded of God’s love for you?
Start here:
The 23rd Psalm
Let’s start with a story first…
It was late Fall in November of 2020 as my husband lay on his soon to be deathbed in our den. He was positioned perfectly so that he could look out the plate glass windows at his beloved birds while wondering when his last breath would be. It was a crazy year in so many ways; known to all as the first ever lockdown of the world due to Covid19. While the world was reeling from the sudden impact of businesses being closed and people were told to stay in their homes, we were already in a lockdown of our own, my husband’s battle with Parkinson’s was coming to an end that year. As a result, the lockdown didn’t blip the radar of our screen. It actually made it easier for me to focus on his care without the countless daily life distractions that would not exist once the lockdown was in place for the world.
We cherished that crazy year because it gave us quality time together. Due to the lockdown, we didn’t have to consider putting him in a nursing home for full-time care. Thankfully, we were forced to get in-home care through our Hospice group, and the 24-hour sitters. As a result of all the world craziness, we got to be together every minute that year. What a blessing it was for both of us! I can’t imagine what it must have been like for those who were separated from their loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes.
That year for us was full. While the lockdowns were quickly rolling in that January, our bathroom flooded and we had to totally remodel. His care and the remodel kept me busy. It would be several months before the lockdown went worldwide. After six weeks of one problem after another with the bathroom issues and we were two weeks out from being finished, our state was beginning to close. The workers asked if I wanted to finish the bathroom or wait until after the lockdown passed. I’ll never forget my response. I looked at him like he was crazy! Of course I wanted him to finish it. We barely got it completed when lockdowns were mandatory in our state. Only by the grace of God. I shake my head and laugh when I think back at what it would have been like had I said, “let’s wait until after the lockdown.” Yikes!
Lockdown was a gift to us
Once the workers were out, I gladly shut the world out too. I desperately needed to recover from the madness of all the things that went wrong with the bathroom remodel, while also having to adjust to moving into the new role of being a full-time caregiver to my sweet hubby. All of this fell on me at once. Only by the grace of God was I able to stay positive and continue to be encouraging during this time. Those two attributes are who I am naturally as a gift from God, but in those extreme trying times, I needed help from God to maintain my normal level while I had to learn how to juggle all my new responsibilities and without any help from my hubby.
Before he was diagnosed 4 years prior with Parkinson’s, my hubby was a great provider, protector and partner in everything. We made a great team. After the four year mark of his disease, his health drastically declined. Without warning, he could no longer drive, and quickly was unable to do anything including paying the bills. Suddenly all his responsibilities that he enjoyed fell on me.
Leaning on the Everlasting Partner!
Since 2010, God has been working deep within me and I allowed Him to lead me back to His path for me – full-time, all-in with Him. I had no idea what was to come in my future as a full-time caregiver for my husband for a season, but God did. He equipped me with His truth and His promises from His Holy Word, the Holy Bible. He knew what was coming and was preparing me for the battle.
When the disease hit us by surprise in 2015, our immediate response was to trust God and leaned on Him for strength to fight this battle. There were a number of scriptures that God highlighted for me to stand on and pray out loud to Him everyday to maintain the strength to carry-on. This one was by far, the one that kept me filled with hope and peace, Isaiah 43:1-5.
“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee:..”
Isaiah 43:1-5a
Each time I read this, I prayed it out loud with confidence that He would do what He says He will do in His promises. This passage truly kept me going. There were many other scriptures but this one will get you through anything, IF, you believe what He is telling you.
What I didn’t know then
The 23rd Psalm. Well, scratch that, there is SO much I still don’t know. That passage is just a start.
I have grown up in church, so I am very familiar with the 23rd Psalm. I never took the time to truly memorize many scriptures throughout my life, because I never studied the whole Bible until my mid 40s – that began when I rededicated my life to God in 2010. So, sadly, I never memorized this inspiring passage. I have since then memorized a couple of very important prayers that I highly recommend for you. They have changed my life and I pray them every day, Matthew 6:9-13 and Numbers 6:24-26. Look them up and memorize for your benefit. They are powerful prayers.
My husband made it almost one complete month past his five year diagnosis before he passed away in November 2020. He was unable to live until our 19th wedding anniversary, his 77th birthday, and what would have been our 22nd Thanksgiving together, all in November. The day before we had to begin the morphine that put him into a comatose state for a few days before leaving me, I was sitting next to his hospital bed looking out the window reminiscing with him. He got quiet for a few minutes while we looked out the window and then he suddenly and calmly began to recite the 23rd Psalm by memory out loud to God, as I listened. As tears streamed down both of our faces, he recited that entire passage by memory, since learning it as a child in Sunday school. It melted my heart to hear it and watch him as we both knew his time was near, as we desperately wished things had been different and had more time together.
I had forgotten he knew that passage by heart, so it caught me off guard when he began to recite it. His illness and his medications oftentimes made him hallucinate but he still had his mind til the end and could remember things and talk to me. It made such a lasting impact on me to witness this encounter he was having with God as he spoke those words like never before. What really touched me was to see how it gave him indescribable peace from that moment. I saw him literally transform from worry about leaving me behind, to being at peace and ready to go. There is truly power in those words.
Since then, through my healing from the devastating loss over the last few years, God has brought me so far in my relationship with Him. It’s hard to explain other than to say I’ve never been this happy as I’ve been alone with God while He has been healing my heart and teaching me so much. Earlier this year, God reminded me of the 23rd Psalm and how it touched my heart when my husband recited it on his deathbed before joining Jesus.
Remembering that moment years before, I suddenly felt compelled to add reading the 23rd Psalm every morning to my morning routine along with my other prayers; it has been so comforting to me. I think of my husband everytime I read it and remember how touched I was that he still remembered it and how his reciting it changed us both that day. One day about a month ago, God spoke to my spirit after reading this passage for months, and said, “why are you still reading it?” I said, “what do you mean?” He said, “you should be able to recite it by memory now.” He was right! So, I began to challenge myself to recite it by memory; I had never attempted to.
I think we are all guilty of just reading scripture and not trying to memorize it. I have always been told that a day will come when we won’t have our Bibles to read and will only have the scriptures we memorized to recite. This was a wake up call for me. Memorizing scripture is not hard, it just takes effort. Think how easily you learn a song. Memorizing scripture is just as easy. We always make time for what is important to us, consider making memorizing scripture a priority. It armors us for battle, and battle is certainly coming.
The 23rd Psalm breakdown
After reading this passage for so many months this year, and realizing it was time to step up my game, I looked closer at what it was about to help me understand what I was learning.
First, let’s read it:
(Note: it is a well-known fact, that when you memorize scripture, you should do it from the original version: King James Bible.)
The 23rd Psalm – KJB
The Lord Is My Shepherd
1. A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3.He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Now, let’s break it down so you can understand the meaning of what each verse represents:
1. A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
= My teacher, my provider
2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
= He gives me peace
3.He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
= He saves my soul and leads me in righteousness
4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
= He removes all my fears and comforts me
5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
= He protects me always and blesses me in the battle
6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
= He is with me always and we will spend eternity together
For me, once I understood what each verse was telling me, it wasn’t just words on a page anymore, but an understanding of the promise of His peace, presence, provision, and protection. This daily practice of reciting it and understanding what the message is, has totally transformed me from the inside out. I enjoy an inner peace in the midst of the world chaos that is hard to describe but ever so peaceful. God wants all of His children to have this peace resting in His arms. I can look at the world events now and know without a shadow of a doubt that God is working His plan that I cannot see; I don’t worry about what will happen next, I trust Him. I don’t have to know His plan, all I have to do is rest in His arms and know that He will protect me and do what His Word promises us He will do.
He told us in His Word to expect to be persecuted for our faith, and to know that death for our faith unites us with Him. It’s a WIN-WIN either way!
Reciting each morning has become a totally different experience with God. I’m truly speaking it from the heart and connecting with Him on a different level. It not only has drawn me closer to Him on a whole new level, it literally gives me a stronger sense of His comfort, hope, peace and His love. It’s transforming. Try it! You will never be the same.
My recommendation is to go to an online Bible and print off Psalm 23 and read from the paper every day. I found that to be easier for me to grab quickly and read as you memorize. May God bless you as you rededicate your life to Him and dive into His Word to learn all He wants to teach you. (Jeremiah 33:3)
Make sure you are ready
Not sure if your heart is right with Jesus? Take a moment to ensure it is. Your eternity depends on it, and time is running out. We are living in the end-times. Get right with Jesus today and stand on His promises to get you through these end-time battles.
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Don’t complicate the process for salvation. Keep it simple.
Do the ABC’s and repent today.
- A: Admit that you are a sinner. (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:8-9)
- B: Believe in your heart that Jesus is the son of God and that He died for your sins and rose from the dead for you. (John 3:16-18, 1Corinthians 15:1-4)
- C: Call on Jesus and repent of your sins and turn back to Him and ask Jesus to show you the way. (Romans 10:9-13, John 14:6)
May God bless you and keep you.
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