In the following weeks, I will start a series of blogs about Psalm 23. In this blog entry, I would like to set the foundation for truly understanding and applying the truth of Psalm 23 in our lives.

A few months ago, as I was reading the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 3, I discovered something very interesting that I had not noticed before.  There is a conflict that did not make much sense to me at first. In verse 1 of chapter 3, it’s written, “Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent.”  As you continue on reading, verse 3 says: “Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor had the word of the LORD yet been revealed to him.”

I was wondering how that could be. How could Samuel, a boy who was in service to the LORD in His temple, not know the LORD? Could it be that someone can serve the Lord and yet not know Him personally?

There is no doubt in my mind that Samuel was more than just an ordinary person. Samuel had an important calling on his life, and I believe the people around him knew that he was a young man of God whose heart was devoted to Him.  Yet, again, how strange that Samuel did not know the LORD in a personal way.

My brothers and sisters, let me pose to you a question that I believe we must each ask ourselves: “Do I know the Lord personally, or only know about Him?” The reality is that head knowledge will not save us – even our good deeds will not save us – only a personal acknowledgment of Yeshua’s death and resurrection, and true repentance will save us from God’s wrath because of our sin!  This is very clear in the prophet Isaiah’s writings:

“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” Isaiah 53:6

The book of John, and Rav Shaul (Apostle Paul) also testify to this truth:

“Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” John 14:6

“that if you confess with your mouth Yeshua as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;” Rom 10:9

“But Moran,” you may say, “I go to the Congregation every week, I give my tithe, I help, I serve, I am trying to be a good person…”  Let me answer you with some of Yeshua’s own words that ought to make each of us tremble:

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ Matt 7:22-23

And so, I ask again, “ Do you know Him?”  If yes, have you surrendered to Him as your Shepherd?  Does He lead you each day, and do you willingly & humbly follow?

Let us think on this challenging question, and ask the LORD to show us areas of our lives in which we are not fully submitted to Him; only then can we really start to know Him and His presence each day.

Shabbat Shalom,