Psalm 23, everyone’s favorite psalm to sing, begins with “The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing or I shall not want” as some translations tell us. The Psalm testifies that our Good Shepherd, would do anything for his sheep—even lay down his life to save them from an enemy. The psalm gives us the calm assurance of care by the Shepherd who walks with us through the mountains as well as the valleys of darkness.  The Psalm finishes with “surely His mercy will follow me all the days of my life” and we as the singers of the Song are comforted.

According to Warren Wiersbe, Psalm 24 “appears to be an antiphonal psalm (a hymn or song with alternating voices between sections). The people (or a Levitical chorus) opened with verses 1 and 2, a leader asked the questions in verses 3, 8a, and 10a, and the chorus or the people answered with verses 4–7, 8b to 9, and 10b. It was one of the daily psalms in Jewish liturgy, sung each Sunday, or the first day of the Jewish week. Because of this, some connect the psalm with our Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday.” (Wiersbe Study Bible)

All of God’s Word given to us by God is about God who gave a part of Himself, His son Jesus to save us and another part of Himself, His Holy Spirit, to guide us to Truth while keeping our relationship with God holy. God loved us first. His love grows in us when our response is to love him back while surrendering to His will.  THIS is called having an intimate relationship with the God of all who created all and is in all.  This is the most important relationship we will ever have and is the one relationship that will last forever! God designed this union with Him, the One who is Love.  (1 John 4)

Now, imagine David out in the fields watching the sheep in his care eat and drink from where he led them.  He watches as they eat their fill of the grasses that have grown on the fields. He watches over them as they lap up the water from the calmer part of the stream pooling into a small pond. David then settles back to sing a song of praise to the One who created all that he sees before him.  David a man after the heart of God then breaks into a song that tells of a coming King of Glory!  Who is this King?  We all call Him Jesus!  Jesus, son of God, Messiah, the One who came to save the world, reconciling men and women back to the Creator who so loves each one of us.  

And here is David, singing to God of this King of Glory who will walk beside us, care for us and come to save us!

Psalm 24, The Message

Of David. A psalm.

^1-2 God claims Earth and everything in it,
    God claims World and all who live on it.
He built it on Ocean foundations,
    laid it out on River girders.

^3-4 Who can climb Mount God?
    Who can scale the holy north-face?
Only the clean-handed,
    only the pure-hearted;
Men who won’t cheat,
    women who won’t seduce.

^5-6 God is at their side;
    with God’s help they make it.
This, Jacob, is what happens
    to God-seekers, God-questers.

⁷ Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
    King-Glory is ready to enter.

⁸ Who is this King-Glory?
    God, armed
    and battle-ready.

⁹ Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
    King-Glory is ready to enter.

¹⁰ Who is this King-Glory?
    God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
    he is King-Glory.

As children of God, we belong to three worlds: the world of creation around us, the world of the new creation within us (2 Corinthians 5:17), and “the one to come” (Hebrews 13:14) in the wonderful, eternal, final creation (Revelation 21–22).

Lord Jesus,

Come. We are ready to see you in all your glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen