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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
— Psalm 23:1
“Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
— Isaiah 41:10
“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
— John 10:14–15
The central theme of *River of Grace* is very clear: God’s people are sustained, guided, and protected by the Shepherd who brings us into a continual flow of grace—grace that sustains in the valley, gives joy on the hills, stabilizes in the night, and drives out fear.
This song is not about a vague religious feeling. It is a confession of three concrete biblical realities:
1. The Lord as Shepherd (Psalm 23; John 10).
2. The Lord as Strength and Protector in fear (Isaiah 41:10).
3. The Lord as Source of grace, joy, and guidance through the Holy Spirit.
The lyrics give us a journey: valley, hilltop, dark night, confrontation with fear, and then growth in the river of grace. This is the normal Christian life, not the exceptional life. The Word of God defines the normal Christian life as one of continual dependence upon the Shepherd, continual reception of grace, and continual response in trust and obedience.
Let us look at the Word of God and then align the words of this song with the Scriptures that undergird it.
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### Psalm 23:1 – The Lord, My Shepherd
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
Most scholars agree that David wrote this psalm. David had been literally a shepherd before he was ever a king. He knew the life of a shepherd: the dangers, the responsibilities, the sleepless nights, the constant vigilance. When David says, “The Lord is my shepherd,” he is speaking out of personal understanding.
The setting is a world of danger—wild animals, harsh climate, thieves. The sheep are helpless without the shepherd. The shepherd’s role is to lead, feed, protect, restore, and comfort. David is saying, in effect: “All that I once did for the sheep, the Lord now does for me—continually.”
This psalm was written in a context of conflict and pressure. David’s life was full of enemies—Saul, the Philistines, internal rebellion. Yet he declares: “I shall not want”—I will lack nothing that my Shepherd knows I truly need.
### Isaiah 41:10 – Fear Not in the Midst of Threat
“Fear not, for I am with you.” (Isaiah 41:10)
Isaiah speaks to Israel in a context of exile, threat, and apparent weakness. Nations stronger than Israel surround her. Humanly, there are many reasons to fear. Yet God speaks in the midst of that fear: “Fear not, for I am with you.”
This is not a call to positive thinking. It is a call to relational confidence based on the presence and covenant of God. He gives three great assurances:
### John 10:14–15 – The Good Shepherd Who Lays Down His Life
“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” (John 10:14)
Jesus speaks these words in conflict with the religious leaders of Israel—those who were supposed to shepherd God’s people but had become hirelings and oppressors. In this context, Jesus reveals Himself as the Good Shepherd who does what no earthly shepherd can do: He lays down His life for the sheep.
This is not just pastoral care; it is sacrificial redemption. The cross is the Shepherd’s act of ultimate protection and provision: He puts Himself between the sheep and the destroyer, between the sinner and the judgment due to sin.
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### “Shepherd” – Hebrew: *ra‘ah* (רָעָה) – Greek: *poimēn* (ποιμήν)
In Psalm 23:1, the word for “shepherd” is ra‘ah. It does not merely mean “to watch animals.” It includes:
So, “The Lord is my shepherd” means:
“The Lord is the One who cares for me, feeds me, guides me, watches over me, and rules my life for my good.”
In John 10, Jesus uses the Greek word poimēn, “shepherd.” In the New Testament, *poimēn* is not sentimental. It is a strong, active word. A shepherd:
This deepens our understanding of the lyrics “You are my Shepherd, I shall not want.” The song is not expressing vague comfort. It is a confession of total dependence on a specific Person who has taken full responsibility for the welfare of the sheep—including your life, your destiny, your protection, and your provision.
### “Fear not” – Hebrew: *yare’* (יָרֵא)
In Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not” translates the Hebrew verb yare’, which can mean “to be afraid, to stand in awe, to dread.” Here, the sense is: do not yield your inner being to dread.
The antidote God gives is not: “Fear not, because circumstances will improve,” but: “Fear not, for I am with you.”
So when the song says, “In Your arms, fears I confront,” it is describing a biblical process: I confront fear not by examining myself endlessly, but by taking my stand in the presence of the Shepherd who says: “I am with you. I am your God. I will strengthen you.”
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We will go through the main sections of the lyrics and align them with Scripture, spiritual realities, and the inner life of the believer.
### Verse 1
“In the valley where I stand,
Your grace flows like a river, grand.
With every turn, You guide my way,
Your love, O Lord, I sing and sway.”
#### “In the valley where I stand”
The Christian life includes valleys. Psalm 23:4:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me…”
Valleys are places of pressure, uncertainty, and vulnerability. But notice: David walks through the valley. He does not camp there permanently. The valley is a passage, not a destination.
Spiritually, the valley represents:
The normal response of the flesh in the valley is fear, complaint, or self-pity. The response of faith is: “You are with me. You are still my Shepherd here.”
#### “Your grace flows like a river”
Grace in Scripture is not static. It is described in flowing, dynamic terms:
“He gives more grace.” (James 4:6)
“Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” (John 1:16)
The phrase “like a river” echoes passages such as:
“For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants…” (Isaiah 44:3)
Here grace and the Holy Spirit are linked with imagery of water and pouring. Grace is God’s undeserved, active power and favor working in our lives. In the valley, we are not dependent on our own resources. A river of grace flows from the Shepherd.
#### “With every turn, You guide my way”
Psalm 23:2–3:
“He leads me…
He leads me…
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.”
Guidance is a central function of the Shepherd. The New Testament equivalent is Romans 8:14:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Led—step by step, “with every turn.” This is not occasional intervention; it is continual shepherding.
#### “Your love, O Lord, I sing and sway”
Here the believer responds to grace and guidance with worship. This is entirely biblical. Ephesians 5:18–19 connects the fullness of the Spirit with song:
“Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
In spiritual warfare, worship is not optional decoration. It is a weapon. In the valley, you choose to respond with trust and praise—this frustrates the enemy and reorients your heart toward the Shepherd’s presence, not the valley’s darkness.
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### Chorus
“I will dance upon the hills,
With Your joy, my heart fulfills.
Your Spirit leads, my soul’s delight,
In Your embrace, I find the light.”
#### “I will dance upon the hills”
From the valley, the Shepherd leads us to higher ground. In Psalm 23:5–6, we move from the valley to a prepared table and an overflowing cup. The progression is upward—into abundance and fellowship.
“Dance” here is a picture of liberated joy. Scripture speaks of this:
“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” (Psalm 30:11)
There is a time when God turns grief into joy, heaviness into praise. The hills represent:
#### “With Your joy, my heart fulfills”
The joy of the believer is not generated by circumstances, but by the Lord Himself:
“For the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
“In Your presence is fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11)
Joy is not an optional emotional extra. It is a spiritual strength. When your heart is filled with His joy, you have strength to stand, to resist temptation, and to endure trial.
#### “Your Spirit leads, my soul’s delight”
Again, Romans 8:14:
“As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
And Galatians 5:16:
“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
The normal Christian life is Spirit-led. The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force. He is the One who:
The song correctly connects being led by the Spirit with delight. The soul finds its delight not in independence, but in being rightly ordered under the leadership of the Shepherd through the Spirit.
#### “In Your embrace, I find the light”
This echoes 1 John 1:5–7:
“God is light and in Him is no darkness at all… if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship…”
The embrace of God speaks of intimate fellowship. In that closeness, confusion is dispelled, deception is exposed, and direction is found. The answer to inner darkness is not primarily more analysis but deeper fellowship with the God who is light.
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### Verse 2
“When the night is dark and cold,
Your promises, a treasure bold.
In every whisper, in every call,
Your presence lifts, I will not fall.”
#### “When the night is dark and cold”
Spiritual “night” is a reality. Even mature believers encounter seasons when:
The Bible does not deny these seasons. Psalm 42:3–5 speaks of tears, questions, and inner turmoil. Yet the psalmist speaks to his own soul:
“Why are you cast down, O my soul?… Hope in God.”
#### “Your promises, a treasure bold”
In the dark night, you must anchor not in feeling, but in promise.
2 Peter 1:4:
“By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature.”
Promises are spiritual capital. They are “treasure.” But they must be:
In the night, you do not see clearly, but you can remember and declare what God has said.
#### “In every whisper, in every call, / Your presence lifts, I will not fall”
This reflects Isaiah 41:10:
“I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
And Jude 24:
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling…”
It is not your grip on God that finally guarantees safety; it is His grip on you. Yet that safety is experienced as you respond to His “whisper” and His “call”—His gentle promptings, His corrections, His encouragements.
Spiritually, God’s presence lifts you out of:
When you yield to His presence and His voice, you can say with confidence, “I will not fall”—not because of self-confidence, but because of Shepherd-confidence.
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### Bridge
“You are my Shepherd, I shall not want,
In Your arms, fears I confront.
With every heartbeat, I will sing,
Of the grace and peace You bring.”
#### “You are my Shepherd, I shall not want”
This is Psalm 23:1 almost verbatim. “I shall not want” is a radical statement of faith. It does not mean, “I will always have everything I desire,” but, “I will never lack what the Shepherd knows I need to fulfill His purpose.”
Philippians 4:19 echoes this:
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
For many believers, this is an area of spiritual warfare. The enemy continually whispers: “You will be left without. God will not come through.” The antidote is this proclamation: “You are my Shepherd. I shall not lack what You have ordained for me.”
#### “In Your arms, fears I confront”
Isaiah 41:10 again: “Fear not, for I am with you.” The “arms” of God can be linked with Deuteronomy 33:27:
“The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms…”
The safest place to face fear is not outside the presence of God, trying to psych yourself up. It is in His arms, in the awareness of His covenant love and power. There, fear is confronted and displaced.
#### “With every heartbeat, I will sing”
This indicates something continuous. Praise is not relegated to religious meetings; it becomes a lifestyle posture. Hebrews 13:15:
“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips…”
Praise is sometimes a sacrifice, offered against your feelings, but aligned with God’s truth.
#### “Of the grace and peace You bring”
Grace (*charis*) and peace (*eirēnē*) are frequently linked in the New Testament (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3, etc.). Peace here is more than absence of conflict; it is:
Romans 5:1:
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace brings us into right standing; peace is the result of that new relationship.
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### Outro
“So let the river of grace flow,
In Your love, forever I’ll grow.”
This is a proper conclusion to the theology of the song. Grace is not a one-time event. It is described as an ongoing river:
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelation 22:1)
The throne is the source. The Lamb—Jesus, the Good Shepherd—is the mediator. Grace keeps flowing as long as we remain connected to the throne through faith and obedience.
“Forever I’ll grow” aligns with 2 Peter 3:18:
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Growth is not automatic; it is in grace and knowledge—in receiving, responding, and applying what God provides.
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Let us move from truth to practice. These themes must become habits in our lives, not just concepts in our minds.
### 1. Acknowledge and Confess Jesus as Your Personal Shepherd
First, we must make this personal. It is not enough to say, “The Lord is a shepherd.” You must say, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
Practical step:
This is an act of surrender and of faith. You give Him the right to lead, correct, and direct you.
### 2. Feed on the Promises in the Valley and the Night
Second, we must learn to feed on the promises of God, especially in valleys and dark nights.
Practical step:
You are either feeding on your fears or feeding on God’s Word. The one you feed grows.
### 3. Yield to the Leading of the Holy Spirit
Third, we must allow the Holy Spirit to actually lead us, not just comfort us.
Practical step:
Romans 8:14 shows that sons are led by the Spirit. Leadership implies movement and adjustment.
### 4. Use Praise and Proclamation as Weapons in Spiritual Warfare
Fourth, we must use praise as a deliberate weapon, not just an emotional response.
Practical step:
1. Proclaim a relevant scripture out loud (e.g., “God has not given me a spirit of fear…” 2 Timothy 1:7).
2. Praise God for who He is and what He has promised, even if you do not feel like it.
This aligns with Psalm 42: the psalmist speaks to his own soul and turns to praise. Praise pushes back spiritual darkness and aligns your inner life with heaven’s reality.
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### Proclamation
Speak this aloud, deliberately, as an act of faith:
> The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
> Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd who laid down Your life for me.
> I belong to You; I am one of Your sheep.
> I will not fear, for You are with me.
> You are my God; You strengthen me, You help me,
> You uphold me with Your righteous right hand.
> In the valley, Your grace flows like a river.
> In the night, Your promises are my treasure.
> Your Spirit leads me; in Your presence is fullness of joy.
> I will not fall, for You are able to keep me.
> Your love surrounds me, Your peace guards my heart and mind.
> I receive the river of grace flowing from Your throne,
> And by Your grace, I will grow in You forever.
> Amen.
### Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the Good Shepherd. I come to You as a sheep in need of Your care, Your guidance, and Your protection. I renounce self-reliance, independence, and fear. I choose to place my life, my future, and my needs in Your hands.
Father, You have said, “Fear not, for I am with you.” I now ask that Your Holy Spirit make this real in my heart. Drive out every form of fear, anxiety, and torment. Establish me in the confidence that You are with me, that You are my God, and that You will strengthen, help, and uphold me.
Let Your river of grace flow afresh into every valley, every dark place, every area of lack in my life. Open my ears to Your whispers. Train my heart to respond quickly to Your leading. Fill me with Your joy, and teach me to use praise and proclamation as weapons in this spiritual warfare.
I yield myself to You—spirit, soul, and body. Be my Shepherd in practice, not only in theory. Lead me in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. And may my life become a testimony of the grace and peace You bring.
I ask this in the name of Jesus, the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God.
Amen.
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