The hidden code in Psalm 23

When I was in fourth grade, my grandmother gave me a Good News Bible. The version is, although bulky, easy to read. I carried it around my school backpack.

Whenever I got bored in history classes, I would hide the Bible between the covers of our textbook and read it. More than once I got caught. The teacher was probably expecting a comic book. Archie or X-Men. Surprise! I was reading Deuteronomy and the history of the people of Israel.

When I got to the Psalms I fell in love with Hebrew poetry. I mean, I absolutely went wild with it. I thought, this is how I am supposed to pray.

The first psalm I memorized was Psalm 23. I would recite, "Yea though I woke through the valley of the shadow of death..." whenever the lights are turned out in my room and I begin to fear bogeymen and ghosts and aswangs that threaten to appear. I guess it was that silly childhood superstition that forced me to memorize a prayer. It begins with "The Lord is my shepherd" and goes all the way to "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Who wouldn't find comfort in that poem? After saying the words, I'd drift to sleep.

As I got older, the patina of familiarity took over my love of the Psalm. It felt old to me, over-rated, even childish. I get knocked over with problems, bills to pay, unemployment, egotistic actors ganging up on me backstage, whatever... I try to recite Psalm 23 but it didn't work its magic on me anymore. It felt staid, hackneyed, impotent. I didn't believe in the words anymore.

Our family goes to Christ's Commission Fellowship to worship on Sundays. The message last Sunday was about Psalm 23 and the hidden names of God in it. My eyes and heart were opened. I fell in love again this time not with the psalm but with the Shepherd.

Listen to the message in full at http://bit.ly/MGwCZ9.

"The LORD" is the English translation for God's proper personal name YHWH, which is "I AM WHO I AM." The I AM is our Shepherd.

Here is the 23rd Psalm.

23 ¹The 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.

If we go through each statement, we find how David, the psalm's author, put in God's names in the psalm, highlighting a certain aspect or attribute of His character.

"I shall not want."
YHWH-Jireh
which means "The LORD will provide."
also at Genesis 22:14

"still waters"
YHWH-Shalom
which means "The LORD our peace"
also at Judges 6:24

"restores my soul"
YHWH-Rapha
which means "The LORD who heals"
also at Exodus 15:26

"paths of righteousness"
YHWH-Tsidkenu
which means "The LORD our righteousness"
also at Jeremiah 33:16

"I fear no evil for you are with me"
YHWH-Shammah
which means "The LORD is there"
also at Ezekiel 48:35

"in the presence of my enemies"
YHWH-Nissi
which means "The LORD our banner"
also at Exodus 17:15

"anoint my head with oil"
YHWH-M'Kaddesh
which means "The LORD who sanctifies"
also at Leviticus 20:8

And then the most wonderful thing. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is called:

The Good Shepherd in John 10:11
The Great Shepherd Hebrews 13:20
The Chief Shepherd 1 Peter 5:4

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is our Shepherd. The last verse which says "Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life..." carries the idea of not just following, but pursuing, and overcoming. Imagine goodness and mercy racing after you and catching after you and enveloping you all the days of your life just because Jesus is your Shepherd.

In John 10, Jesus said about himself, "The sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.

"I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd."

That's an invitation for us all to be part of His flock. Imagine the Lion of Judah as your Shepherd. You certainly have nothing to fear!

God is forever with us

I was reading Genesis 21 tonight and observed a few things I thought I'd like to share with you.

Genesis 21:22 "God is obviously with you in everything you do."

That was King Abimelech talking to Abraham. I realize when God is truly with you, it is obvious. Even the pagans notice, and they bring glory to God. I know that Jesus wants me to abide with Him because He is Immanuel, "God with us." God does want to be with me--Jesus died and rose again to prove it! So, what could be the practical application for me? It can be "practicing the presence" of God. I heard this talked about in K-love. Simply behaving as if God is with you in the room you are in, in your car, wherever. It can instantly change how you think and feel. And God is ever-present!

Father, I thank You that You are always present. Help me to know You are always near. Please be involved in my life. I ask that You be with me in everything I do. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.


Genesis 21:25-26 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force from Abraham's servants... "This is the first I've heard of it," Abimelech answered. "I have no idea who is responsible. You have never complained about this before."

There is a right way and time to "complain." When I live knowing that God is always with me, well, then He's the one I talk to first when I have something to complain about. I can go to Him right away. I think that God Himself arranged this meeting between Abraham and Abimelech. Maybe Abraham prayed about the well situation. It's possible. So, godly people don't complain. They pray. So when I have stuff at work, I go to God.

Dear Jesus, I thank You that You are always with me. I pray that the next time I see occasion to complain, that I go to You first, Jesus, lover of my soul, who has the power to take care of the situation. I thank You for the freedom to bare my soul's secrets and heart's pains to You. I bask in Your love and unconditional acceptance. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.


Genesis 22:33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the LORD, the Eternal God.

The Lord Jesus is the Eternal God. If God promises to be with me, and He is the Eternal God, then our togetherness is forever. So, even when things are uncertain, even in difficult times, even when I feel like He's abandoned me, always remember what He whispered to my heart's ear: "Never alone." I am never alone. God is forever with me. The Lord Jesus is the Eternal God.

I worship You, my Lord Jesus, the Eternal God of Abraham.

Pursue intimacy through solitude

Take a moment each day to withdraw from the busyness of life and spend time alone with God. Just you and your Savior, getting intimate with each other. This is the spiritual discipline of solitude.

The 21st Century Christian finds this notoriously difficult. He is constantly distracted by an immense number of entertainments that gnaw at his consciousness. James 4:4-7 identifies three major obstacles to getting closer to God: love for the ways of the world, pride that makes us believe we don't need God, and the Devil who deceives us into thinking God does not love us. Nothing can be further from the truth. God longs to draw near to us. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

God's grace allows us to see our sinfulness—wherever and whenever we aligned ourselves with the values of the world. God's grace allows us to humble ourselves and ask God for forgiveness. God's grace allows us to draw near to Him. God promised, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). God knows your heart. If you sincerely long for Him, you will have intimacy with Him. It takes grace.

Many times in Jesus' earthly life He practiced solitude. He withdrew from the crowds to spend time alone with God. He spent the very first hours of His day in prayer alone with His Father (Mark 1:32-38). He directed His life according to His Father's commands.

"In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice. In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch" (Psalm 5:3). Susanna Wesley, mother of more than ten children, found a creative way to find solitude of life. In the midst of motherhood and housework, she retreats into the kitchen, pulls her apron over head, and spends time with God! Knowing God intimately is eternal life (John 17:3). In Hosea 6:6, it's as if God intimates a secret Himself: "For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea rallies us in verse 3: "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD." Make intimacy with God your primary goal in life.

There are many benefits to practising solitude. Any trial brings you closer to God and becomes a blessing. And you recognize that any blessing that might draw you farther away from God becomes a curse. In 1 Samuel 30, David faced a difficult trial. He clung to God and found strength in Him. He found the strength to ask God for directions, to carry them out, and to lead his band of soldiers to do the same. "The people who know their God will display strength and take action" (Daniel 11:32). People who know their God become strong because they are dependent upon the Lord. Quiet time is not a luxury. It is their means of survival.

Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). God longs to spend time with you. To sit down you, sip a little wine, and talk about anything and everything about life. Will you let Him in your heart?

A chronological Bible study guide I return to

There are many ways to read through the Holy Bible and one that I personally favor is a chronological study. That means you don't read the book from Genesis to Revelation, going through the books as they are listed in the Table of Contents. (I tried to do that when I was in 5th Grade. When I came to the Chronicles I read about events that were already described in Kings. I thought, "Oh. History repeats itself.")

Selwin Hughes and Trevor J. Partridge's Cover to Cover: The acclaimed plan to read the Bible through in one year as it actually happened has helped me read through the Bible once years ago. I plan to go through it again, this time in a slower pace, not compulsively speeding through the day's prescribed reading, but conscientiously chewing and digesting God's words as I go.

So, I begin not on 1 January 2012 but several days late, and I try to mull on the pages. I hit upon an idea. Read the Bible. Stop when a passage or verse jumps at me. Go to my notebook and dive deep into a timed writing practice.

I haven't exactly been able to do that, but tonight, since Veck and Dana are on a much belated vacation trip to the in-laws in Malolos, I am going to BGC hours earlier than my work shift to do just that. I've some chores to do (bring the Blackberry to the store for needed repairs, pick up a book order, etc.) that I really need to get going.

Finally, here I am, opening to page one of the daily reading plan.There is a slight dread. I've read every word of the Bible before. Is there anything new I will find? Shall I switch to a different version for a fresher perspective? The King James Version, maybe, and reconstruct my English syntax? I might walk around the office and ask people, "Where art thou having supper?" or recite "Thy payment shalt be applied unto thy account within two to-morrows of to-day." That would be a riot. I was not exactly looking forward to reading the Bible.

Then bam! Right there, I see something I missed when I first went through. Hughes and Partridge cover not just Creation on Day 1, but also Satan's pride and fall (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:13-19). That's what got me racing to my notebook. So early on, at the onset of 2012, God is warning me of the danger of pride. I better take heed.

Pride is when I convince myself I don't need God and do things my way. That my ways are better. That I'm always right. Nothing can be further from the truth. I am helpless, vulnerable, doomed and in desperate need of a Savior. Pride blinds me to that truth.

So I list the ways I can be full of pride.

"I already know this" ... when listening to a Sunday sermon.

"Some people are born slow so I'll just need to be patient" ... when people or colleagues seem to not get what I am trying to say.

"I can't be wrong" ... when someone disagrees with me.

"It's not my fault" ... when convicted of sin, or when Veck tells me how I can be a better husband and father.

"Let's try it my way" ... when God shows me the right path to take.

"Maybe later" ... when God tells me to do something.

The list goes on.

I bring this list to Jesus and wonder what He'll do with it. I suspect He'll put a blood-colored stamp mark on it: "Already Taken Care Of 2000 Years Ago."

O Jesus, I need a Savior! I need a King! I need You.