© Be Essential Songs; Songs Of Red Rocks Worship Publishing
| The Lord is my Shepherd, And He is everything I need. So I will not worry; I will not fear the enemy. He said that He loves me; He said that He’s with me even though I walk through the valley Of shadow and death, and still I know: He has good plans, He has good plans for me. So I will take heart in deserts and gardens. He has good plans, He has good plans for me. If I know my Father, I know my Father has good plans. | The Lord is my Savior, So why should I doubt my victory? Why would I question The rod and the staff that comforts me? He quiets the waters, He quiets the storm inside of me. So what could be better Than walking with Him when I believe: Surely Your goodness and mercy Will follow after me. So fear will not find me, ‘Cause I’ll be dwelling in the house of God. |
Songwriters Jake Espy and Kory Miller condense Psalm 23 into one theme: God has good plans for us. For those of us in Christ, who follow Christ as our Shepherd, we can rest in the promise that he has a good plan for us.
“The Lord is my Shepherd, and He is everything I need…He said that He’s with me even though I walk through the valley of shadow and death…” These lyrics, essentially right out of the twenty-third Psalm, reminds us that our current situation does not define what lies ahead for us, nor does it define our contentment. When we are in the valley of shadow and death, we don’t have to fear evil. Whether we are in “deserts” or “gardens,” we can find our contentment in Christ, and we can take heart, because His ways and greater plans are higher than our feeble understanding.
So be content! Bring to mind the plans that God has for you. The plans may not be immediate, but we know without a doubt that He works all things for our good. Whatever your lot, trust in God’s promises and let your soul be well.
When we trust in God’s promises and plans, we can triumphantly shout the finals words of David’s Psalm 23: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6 NKJV).God our Shepherd, help us to desire only You. Calm us beside still waters. Restore our souls. Lead us in righteousness so that You may receive glory. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, remind us of Your overwhelming presence that comforts us and guides us–so much so that we will not fear evil, because we know You are with us. Thank you for your goodness and mercy that continually follow us. You have good plans for us, and we thank you for them. Amen.