Kei te Waiata 23, Ko Ihowa toku Hepara, Ua faataa Davida i to ’na taairaa e te Atua. Ko nga kupu o te Waiata 23 me whakaatu hoki te whanaungatanga i waenganui i te Karaitiana me te Atua. Although many Christians know Psalm 23 by heart, for many Christians the words of this Psalm only remain written words. Their words, mahi, and behavior don’t line up with the words of Psalm 23. When is the Lord your Shepherd? What does the Lord is my Shepherd mean in your daily life?
Ko Ihowa toku Hepara; I shall not want
(Himene 23:1)
God is the great Shepherd and He sent Jesus Christ to shepherd His flock. Jesus is the good Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus gave every person the opportunity to become part of His flock and follow Him, a ka ora.
Ka whakapono ana koe ki a Ihu Karaiti, te Tama a te Atua, and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, a ka noho hei hanganga hou; He Tama a te Atua (e pa ana tenei ki nga tane me nga wahine), i roto ia ia, then the Lord is your Shepherd. If the Lord is your Shepherd, you shall not want.
When you murmur, tangi, and complain all the time about your circumstances, the way people (hē)treat you, your lack in life, and constantly pray for all kinds of (papanga) things that, ki ta koe, are lacking, then your words and behavior prove that the Lord is not your Shepherd. (Panuitia hoki: Ko te mihi o nga tama a te Atua).
Because in the first verse of Psalm 23, it is written that if the Lord is your Shepherd, you have no lack.
God provided for you and gave you everything. Ko te tikanga tenei, that you are satisfied with everything, God has blessed you with.
When we look at the words and behavior of the children of Israel, when they were on their way to the promised land, we read that they murmured and complained all the time (i.e.Exodus 16:7-8, Tau 14:27,36, 16:11, 17:5, 1 Koriniti 10:10).
No matter what God did and how God provided, it was never good enough for them.
He aha? Because they had a different expectation of God and God’s provision. And they constantly looked back to their old lives in Egypt.
They just couldn’t let go of their old lives. They didn’t remember their hardships when they lived in the bondage of Pharaoh and how they cried out to God for help. Kāore, because one of the many characteristics of the tangata kikokiko tawhito is that they idealize the past and forget all the negative things of the past.
God is Jehovah Jireh
The way God provided for them and how He led them to the promised land, didn’t line up with their expectation and the way they wanted to be led and provided. They didn’t look at their provision. Engari, they looked at the things they were lacking, E ai ki a raatau.
The Lord was their Shepherd. He went before them and led them and provided for them. But they didn’t acknowledge God as their Shepherd. They were not thankful for His provisions. But they always looked at the things, they didn’t have.
Kia aroha mai, he maha nga Karaitiana, who remain carnal and walk after the flesh, have the same behavior. They are constantly looking at things, which according to them, are lacking. No reira, they are never satisfied with the things they do have.
Instead of being thankful for what they have, they complain and murmur about the things that other people have, engari karekau. If you live like that, then you can never be grateful. You shall always murmur and complain to people and God. (Panuitia hoki: Kati te whakahe i te Atua!).
But if the Lord is your Shepherd then you shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters
(Himene 23:2)
If the Lord is your Shepherd, me whakarongo koutou ki a ia. You shall humble yourself and allow Him to lead you. You shall follow Him and His Word and stay whakarongo ki a ia. Instead of becoming rebellious and departing from Him and His Word. His words lead you and produce life and peace in your life. You shall be satisfied, and happy and experience the peace of God in every situation.
There will be storms in your life and the things in life may not always line up with your expectations or your dreams. But because you have laid down your own life on the altar and gave yourself to Christ, you shall endure and experience His peace, aroha, a harikoa in every situation.
You shall be complete in Him and not lack anything. You shall not be worried, because you are focused on Him; te Word, and not on yourself.
The Lord shall make you lie down in green pastures, where He feeds you with His words. He shall lead you beside still waters as long as you stay in Him
He restores my soul
(Himene 23:3)
This part has different meanings because the position of the fallen man has been restored in Jesus Christ. When you identify yourself with His death and resurrection and become a new creation, then you are risen from the dead and shall live.
The Word has restored you and reconciled you with the Father. The Word not only restored you, but the Word also renews and refreshes you every day of your life.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake
As long as you stay obedient to Him and led by His Word, mahia tana i mea ai ki a koe kia mahia, you shall walk in the path of righteousness.
You shall walk according to His will and Ana whakahau. You shall do the things, which please Him. No reira, you give Him all honor and glory, and through your words, whanonga, and your life, ka koe honor and exalt His Holy Name.
Āe, though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, e kore ahau e wehi i te kino: kei ahau nei hoki koe; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me
(Himene 23:4)
If the Lord is your Shepherd, He shall be with you all the time. Āe, Kei te noho ia i roto i a koe, na tana Kupu me tona Wairua Tapu. No reira kaua e wehi, kaua e wehi i te kino, no te mea kei a koe tonu ia.
Ko ana kupu ka arahi ia koe, arahi koe, me te whakatika i a koe. Ia haapa'o outou i Ta'na mau parau, noho tonu koe i runga i te ara o te tika.
Ko ana kupu ka whakamana, ka whakamarie i a koe, ka mau i te rangimarie i roto i nga ahuatanga uaua me nga tupuhi i roto i to koiora. Te mau parau a te Fatu e haapapu, kia u ai koutou, kei whakakorikoria, (Panuitia hoki: ‘He herehere o nga ahuatanga').
E taka ana e koe he tepu ki toku aroaro i te tirohanga a oku hoariri
(Himene 23:5)
E kore a Ihowa e peia atu o koutou hoariri; te hunga e kino ana, e whakatoi ana ia koutou. Engari, e taka ana e Ihowa he tepu ki te aroaro o ou hoariri. Te tikanga, i te aroaro o era, e kino ana, whakatoia, a ka tukino koe, ma te Ariki e homai nga mea katoa e matea ana e koe. No te mea ko ia to Kaituku.
I te mea ka titiro tonu o kanohi ki a Ihowa, hei utu mo nga ahuatanga, āhuatanga(s), wā heke mai, iwi, etc. A ka rite ki te noho pono ki a Ihu me te noho i roto ia ia, Ka noho ia ki a koutou, ka whangai i a koutou ki ana kupu.
I whakawahia e ia toku matenga ki te hinu; kua maringi taku kapu
nana koe i whakawahi ki te hinu, Ko te tikanga tenei kua wehea koutou e ia i te ao mo tana kaupapa, kua whakatapua, kua whakatikaia koutou i roto ia Ihu Karaiti. No te mea nana koe i whakawahi (Ua tuu oia ia oe i nia i te tiaraa ei tamaiti na te Atua e ei tia no te Basileia o te Atua), Kua homai e ia tona Wairua Tapu ki a koutou.
Ko koe tana tama (e pa ana tenei ki nga tane me nga wahine) a ko e noho ana i roto i a Ihu Karaiti i runga ake i nga rangatiratanga katoa, mana, awe, rangatiratanga, etc. Nana koutou i manaaki i roto ia Karaiti Ihu ki nga manaakitanga wairua katoa i runga i nga wahi tiketike, Na tona Wairua, Ko wai e noho ana i roto i a koe (Aue. Epeha 1:3; 2:6).
No reira e kore koe e pa ki tetahi hapa. Kua oti koe, kua makona. Kei noho kau tau kapu engari ka maringi tau kapu.
No matter what people say about you or whatever you are going through right now, God’s peace, aroha, and joy shall be in your heart. No one can take that away from you!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
(Himene 23:6)
When the Lord is your Shepherd, ka koe listen to His voice and be led by His voice and His Word. You believe Him and trust Him.
When you listen to His voice and His words abide in you, you shall walk according to His will. Ki te haere koe i runga i tana i pai ai, pai, and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life.
I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
You shall stay in His Word and do what He has commanded you to do. Na to haere me to oranga, you shall prove, that you are a son of God. If you are His son, then you shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
'Kia tote mo te whenua’
