Jehovah is My Shepherd!

PSALMS 23
1 Jehovah is my Shepherd; I will lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside waters of rest.
3 He restores my soul; He guides me on the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.
4 Even though I walk Through the valley of the shadow of death, I do not fear evil, For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, They comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me In the presence of my adversaries; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me All the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of Jehovah For the length of my days.

Pray-reading this whole Psalms was a very wondering experience of the Lord's shepherding in five stages. Besides, the experiential shepherding in real life, the enjoyment of the word on shepherding by the Lord's word was amazing as we prayed over the word and digested as our spiritual food. 

Later, as we pursued the life-study on Psalms, the revelation and understanding of the Lord's word was even more nourishing. Praise the Lord for the minster of the word who opened up the word of God, especially to me!

This psalm also tells us that Christ's shepherding of us is in five stages. The first stage is of the pastures and the waters of rest (v. 2). Pasture and waters are for our nourishment, including cherishing and enjoyment. The second stage is the stage of the paths of righteousness (v. 3). The paths of righteousness indicate our walk. After we enjoy Christ, are filled up with Christ, and are nourished by Christ, we walk on the paths of righteousness. The third stage is the valley of the shadow of death (v. 4). The valley, the shadow, and death are not pleasant. Christ's shepherding leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. The fourth stage is the battlefield (v. 5), where we are fighting against the adversaries. At the battlefield a table, a feast, is spread for us. Finally, the last stage is to dwell in the house of God all the days of our life (v. 6). Life-study of Psalms, Message 11 

The very speaking of the Lord in the word and in the life-study message was so rich and subjectively, to the extend that I experienced and enjoyed it right away. On the one hand I was shepherded; it became a "fresh bread" to me, and on the other hand, I shared with a couple of believers, and became their "fresh bread" too.  

When two sisters came for fellowship, we dwelt on these words and enjoyed the Lord together in His speaking. Again, a brother called me and my shepherding to him was on the same fresh bread I have been enjoying. And most significantly, the Lord burdened me to share the same enjoyment of the Lord's shepherding to a sister who went through a very very tough time in her life, and even tempted by the enemy to the extent of becoming bitter to certain ones. The negative feeling affected so much that she dwindled in her spiritual enjoyment and almost cut herself off from the fellowship of the Body. But the timely shepherding of the Lord, even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, is strong and victorious enough to lead us through to the joy and enjoyment of Christ as grace and life supply. Such was the effectiveness of the Lord's shepherding. 

The timing and experiences were all sovereignly arranged by the Lord and it just happened last week. The issue of the shepherding was, the brother and sisters in fellowship were recovered to a proper and normal enjoyment of Christ personally and corporately in the church-life; for they started coming again for the Lord's table meeting and opened their homes for fellowship, prayer and shepherding.

Along with the Psalms 23, I, with the saints, also enjoyed the corresponding hymns together with the saints.  Hymn 1170 (https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1170)

1	The Lord is my Shepherd forever,   He maketh me down to lie, He leads me beside the still waters   O how He does satisfy!
	Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life; Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, And I shall feast at the table spread for me; Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life.
2	My Shepherd Himself is my pasture,   My Shepherd, the waters of rest; I eat of His riches in spirit,   I drink, and O how I am blest!
3	My Shepherd my soul is restoring,   My will, and emotion, and mind; And though through the valley I’m walking,   O what a Companion I find!
4	A table prepared by my Shepherd   I feast on and Satan destroy; My head is anointed with oil,   My cup runneth over with joy!
5	And now in His house I am dwelling   Enjoying the goodness of God; My pleasure is far beyond telling,   My pleasure is Jesus my Lord!