The Lord Is My Shepherd

 

When you were growing up, provided you went to Sunday school, what was your first memory verse? Most people answer John 3:16. I always answer Psalm 23. Not just one verse, but the entire chapter. You see, in our bathroom was a placque with this chapter from the Bible and I would read it every single day. I had it memorised from a young age. And I grew up understanding that it was a chapter from the Bible used at funerals. 

But what does Psalm 23 really mean? 

If you read it line by line, the verses really don't speak of death per se. They speak of troubled times. They speak of persecution, to some degree. They speak of having fear of something or someone. Not death. This chapter in the Psalm is to remind us that God is there and watching over us. He wants us to lean on Him when we are troubled. He wants us to lean on Him when we are afraid. He wants us to lean on Him, period. 

Yes, I still use this verse at family funerals out of respect and tradition. But I also try to determine what that person's favorite Bible verse was before they pass. For me personally, it is simply: "Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10