The Psalm of Seasons

God has what we need in every season.

We love to commemorate important days like birthdays and holidays. But there are certain things on certain days that last longer. Days turn into seasons.

Diagnosis. Decision. Divorce.

A birth. A death.

A move. A marriage.

And we realize the principle of seasons. We cannot control when they start. We do not determine when they end. No season is permanent. But we've got to get through it.

And every season calls for certain things. Wearing a winter coat in the heat of summer is out of season. Shorts in the dead of winter - that's just weird. We have certain needs in certain seasons.

What David Learned as a Shepherd

Before David was the King, he was a shepherd. Early in his tenure, he reflects on lessons of leading. In his reflections, he makes the connection that in the same way he led the sheep, the Lord leads him. That realization gives birth to one of the Bible's most famous passages, the 23rd Psalm.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23:1-6

The 23rd Psalm is a Psalm of seasons. It is a year in the life of a sheep.

The job description of a shepherd is 5 words long. Lead, feed, and protect sheep. In David's day, the shepherd would lead the sheep to certain places in certain seasons.

He begins in the lush lowlands where the terrain is level, the grass is green, and the pools are plentiful. He then leads them into the valley as they work their way into the highlands. Once on higher ground, new challenges abound. The food sources are more scarce, and the predators are plentiful. But then he leads them back down to his own dwelling place, and they are safe and sound.

I Shall Not _________.

One statement governs every season. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."

It doesn't say I shall not weep.

It doesn't say I shall not suffer.

It doesn't say I shall not fail.

It doesn't say I shall prosper.

It never says I shall lead.

It says, "I shall not want."

"I shall not want" means that the Lord has what we need in every season. And the Psalm makes clear. What we need is always His. Notice the repetition of the words "he", "you", and "your" throughout the Psalm.

God has what we need in every season.

Bible Study

Read the 23rd Psalm.

• What does this Psalm teach us about God?
• What are some principles you can draw from this Psalm about following the Lord?
• How does this Psalm call for us to praise God?

Challenge

Take the 23rd Psalm separate the sections of it as different seasons. Now connect some events or seasons in your life to certain seasons/sections in the 23rd Psalm. Connect the characteristics of God's leadership in certain seasons in the 23rd Psalm to the seasons of your story. Notice how God was leading you in each season.

David was royal and awful. He was a success and a failure. Through it all, he was God's man. Learn how in every up and down David was able to get life back into rhythm. Pulse by Brian Branam.