Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. I. THE PATHS. The Lord can lead us in no other paths than such as He walks in Himself. The paths of creation are all right paths. There is nothing crooked, perverse, or capricious in the laws of nature. The paths of Providence in which God walks before us are paths of righteousness. People never question it when He goes before them in the glow of sunshine, dropping rich bounties every step He takes. But when the Lord walks before us covered with clouds, and a rod in His hand, how common then to talk of "mystery." In whatever way the Lord is going before you now, the way is not only a right one because it is expedient for your good, and will yield you benefit at last; but it is absolutely, constantly, and without exception, a righteous one. The paths of duty, too, in which God would have us walk before Him are paths of righteousness. They are perfectly straight. The paths of Christian faith, and obedience, and self-denial, and purity, and truth, and honesty, and love, are all straight. They run parallel with the laws of the whole outer universe. They run parallel with the laws of our own being. They run parallel with the interests of the eternal future. Sin runs across those interests. II. THE GUIDANCE. It is Divine. He, the covenant-keeping God, leadeth me. His character is a pledge that He will lead me right. It is individual. "He leadeth me." He leadeth and we are led. How many thoughts this suggests. 1. How manifold are the methods of His leading! 2. How mysterious is the innermost secret of His leading! (John Stoughton, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.WEB: He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. |
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