There’s a phrase I often use in my prayers for others. I pray that God will go before them, behind them, and that His hand of blessing will be on their heads. Little did I know that Leanna Crawford’s song “Still Waters (Psalm 23)” would guide me to a place that beautifully depicts our Father’s conduct. Nor did I know how refreshing God‘s words would be during turbulent times.
Writing Scripture on your heart for when you need it is good advice. And Psalm 23 is the perfect place to start.
In this episode, I discuss the following:
- Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week’s Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
- Internalizing Scripture
- Meditation
- Repetition
- Imagination
- Start with God
- Consult an outside resource
- Episode Guide
- Internalizing scripture, then repeating it out loud
- Keith Ferrin’s Bible Talk interview with Mike Santoro – YouTube Video
- Mike’s Bible memory card website – https://bsbversememorycards.carrd.co/
- Committing the words of Psalm 23 to memory
- Rehearsing the words of Psalm 23 to calm my spirit
- God speaking His words back to me regarding my situation
- The historical context of some of the phrases in Psalm 23
- The behavior of sheep
- The importance of still waters
- How a shepherd uses his rod and staff
- The significance of a lavish table in ancient Middle Eastern culture
- The significance of anointing oil in hospitality see Luke 7:44-46
- Being led by the Good Shepherd – John 10:27 – Episode #479
- making it our goal to know the Word, not just the words
- Being hemmed in by the Father in Psalm 139:5
- Using the title of my novel, A Seat at the Table, to inspire a study of tables in Scripture
- Kenneth Bailey’s commentary, The Good Shepherd: A Thousand Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament – Amazon paid link
I need the Living Water in my turbulent circumstances, but because of my turbulent circumstances, I remain distracted, anxious, and maybe even scared, so I don’t approach the quiet water to drink.
Enjoy the official music video below.
More Than a Song Playlist
Additional Resources
- Lyrics – New Release Today Link
- The story behind the song “Still Waters” by Leanna Crawford – New Release Today Article by Kevin Davis
- Three-part video series on “Bible Memorization for Normal People” by Keith Ferrin – Video #1, Video #2, Video #3
- Scripture Memory Card Generator & Memory Practice – Online App
- Kenneth Bailey’s commentary, The Good Shepherd: A Thousand Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament – Amazon paid link
- Learn more about my favorite Bible Study Software with a 30-day free trial and links to my all-time favorite Bible resources – Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link
This Week’s Challenge
Read Psalm 23 and then take the challenge to internalize the words. Memorize them with the goal to know the Word not just the words. Repeat the words aloud until you have them down pat. Then, transition to imagination and meditation. Perhaps I share something in this episode you hadn’t known before that will enhance your meditation efforts. Grab the Episode Guide because there are a couple of things I wanted to go over in this episode that I couldn’t fit in but are really cool as you study/internalize this Psalm.
