What is your favorite Bible verse?
Back in my early twenties, a friend and I joked about starting our own coffee & tea shop. But it would be Christian coffee & tea shop and you could get a free coffee a day if you could tell us your favorite Bible verse. The catch is, you must tell us why it is your favorite and if you could not, we’ll talk about it with you then your drink is free. The point was that it is so easy to say a favorite Bible verse, but what about sharing why? The Bible is full of verses that mean something different to everyone. There are some scripture passages that comfort, others invigorate. There are the verses that inspire and the others that lead to introspection.
So, here is one of my favorite Bible verse (or chapter…) and why.
Psalm 23.
Psalm 23 is one of those chapters that you hear a lot. It has followed me too. From when I was a little girl seeing it stitched on my grandparents’ blanket (which I now own) to on a sculpture at a camp in New Mexico to finding myself going to that chapter or whispering it in hushed tones in my adulthood. It is a short chapter, but so full of truth.
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
Doesn’t that just read like poetry?
I once heard that when you see “Lord” written in all caps (such as, LORD) it means “Yahweh.” Yahweh is Hebrew for “I Am” and “He Is.” It is another name for God and a name that was used by the Jewish community to show reverence, because they believed His Name was too sacred to be used. I also heard (feel free to fact check me on this) that the vowel sounds were uncertain and to spell it out, it was “YHWH.” With the uncertainty of vowels and those combinations of consonants, saying “Yahweh” was almost like breathing. God’s name was too holy to even say and when it is said, it is more like a breath.
What is a shepherd? A shepherd watched their flock. They protect their flock. A sheep needs protecting and needs watching. If a sheep gets spooked, they run off. They need to be told when to lie down in green pastures, when it is safe to do so.
Isn’t that what the LORD does to us?
When we are worried and anxious thoughts consume us, who do we turn to? God. He is the one who soothes us with His loving promises, leading us to green pastures and still waters. He is the one who restores our soul and leads us to the path of righteousness.
So that when we walk through that valley of the shadow of death, whatever that may look like. We don’t have to fear. We can feel that rod and staff on us as it guides us, feeling His presence by our side. For the rod and staff is meant to comfort us, not to discipline us. It is meant to guide us, not to rebuke us.
For going down the path of righteousness, there is a table being prepared for us. A table in the House of the LORD, where we will live for all of eternity.
Psalm 23 is not just a comfort to me. It is also a promise that the Lord has given to me.
What is your favorite Bible verse and why? It’s a free metaphorical drink.
Elizabeth