Psalm 23 (Truby Tip about Choosing to Believe)

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Last Updated on February 18, 2025 by Bill Truby

Have you heard of the beautiful and peaceful 23^rd Psalm of David? Many people have. But few realize what it took to get to that state of peace. Psalm 22 has some pretty ugly words in it, but it was necessary to have the reality of Psalm 22 to be able to experience the peace in Psalm 23. In this Truby Tip, find out how this can be a formula for you to use to find peace as well.

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Video Transcript:

You may or may not subscribe to the teachings in the Bible, but I want to teach you a little lesson that comes from the book of Psalms.

Those who are familiar with that book often refer to Psalm 23.

Now, Psalm 23 has been a peaceful psalm for so many people. It’s about being taken care of and finding restoration.

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me lie in green pastures. He restores my soul. He leads me beside clear waters. All that is fantastic, isn’t it? And if you read the Psalm, it’s just rich in refueling, in peace.

But most people don’t realize that Psalm 23 didn’t have a delineation in the original Hebrew. When it was written, there was a flow from Psalm 22 to Psalm 23. It went straight from one to the other.

And Psalm 22 is not like Psalm 23.

Psalm 22 is where David is just crying out with agony, actually accusing God of not taking care of him. But there’s an interesting formula in Psalm 22.

David will say, in my words, not reading from the scripture, I am in a horrible space. You have left me alone. I’m suffering. I’m hurting. And then he says, however, I believe that you will take care of me.

There’s a formula in Psalm 22. It’s: Though I feel [blank], I choose to believe [blank]. Fill in the blank.

This is a formula I’ve taught people when I was doing therapy. It’s a formula when I help individuals in general. It’s a formula for business. Though I feel [blank]—horrible, destitute, scared, jealous, whatever it is—I choose [blank].

Now, David completely, honestly, in a vulnerable way, exposed what he was feeling inside. And it’s pretty ugly when you read it. But he always followed that up—that gushing of ugliness—with the choice to say: But I believe. I believe.

And then eventually, Psalm 23 comes along.

Now, I believe that Psalm 23, the peace chapter, could not have come without the honesty of Psalm 22.

So if you are in desperate straits, understand that it’s okay to speak honestly about that and then make a choice about what you believe.

Though I am desperate, I choose to believe it’ll be okay.

And it will.

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