Wednesday, may 4, 2022
Scripture: Psalm 23 (KJV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Devotion:
Every year, a few weeks after Easter, in the lectionary, we come upon something called Shepherd Sunday. We read the 23 rd Psalm as well as the passage in John about the Good Shepherd, and in this instance, passages in Revelation about God as shepherd as well. It is a week that is dedicated to the image and metaphor of God being our shepherd, of calling us by name, of taking care of our needs, and of gathering us into the flock. We usually focus on the shepherd and all that he does for us.
It has struck me that the 23rd Psalm has 3 things that the author says “I will do:” I will not want, I will fear no evil, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I will not want, I will not fear, I will dwell with God. Possibly this is the greatest and simplest form of what it means to follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I will not want what my neighbor has, I will not want what I cannot have, I will be content with the abundance that has been given to me. I will not fear, no matter how hard the day is or how lonely I am or how poor and drained I feel. I will dwell with God, I will not focus my attention on earthly things, and I will not only rely on the empire I can build in this life but on God who provides. I will not want, I will fear no evil, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
We will be singing in worship a hymn I love: My Shepherd Will Supply My Need. It’s got a melody we don’t hear very often, but when you get it, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Often, when I am feeling needy, when I am feeling like I want what I cannot have, when I am feeling afraid, or when I am trying to build an empire when I should be dwelling with God, I sing to myself the first verse of this hymn: “My shepherd will supply my need, Jehovah is his name. In pastures fresh, he makes me feed, beside the living stream. He brings my wandering spirit back, when I forsake his ways. And leads me for his mercy’s sake, in paths of truth and grace.” Join me in worship this Sunday as we listen for the Shepherd’s voice and rest in his comfort and
care!
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Devotion:
Every year, a few weeks after Easter, in the lectionary, we come upon something called Shepherd Sunday. We read the 23 rd Psalm as well as the passage in John about the Good Shepherd, and in this instance, passages in Revelation about God as shepherd as well. It is a week that is dedicated to the image and metaphor of God being our shepherd, of calling us by name, of taking care of our needs, and of gathering us into the flock. We usually focus on the shepherd and all that he does for us.
It has struck me that the 23rd Psalm has 3 things that the author says “I will do:” I will not want, I will fear no evil, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I will not want, I will not fear, I will dwell with God. Possibly this is the greatest and simplest form of what it means to follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I will not want what my neighbor has, I will not want what I cannot have, I will be content with the abundance that has been given to me. I will not fear, no matter how hard the day is or how lonely I am or how poor and drained I feel. I will dwell with God, I will not focus my attention on earthly things, and I will not only rely on the empire I can build in this life but on God who provides. I will not want, I will fear no evil, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
We will be singing in worship a hymn I love: My Shepherd Will Supply My Need. It’s got a melody we don’t hear very often, but when you get it, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Often, when I am feeling needy, when I am feeling like I want what I cannot have, when I am feeling afraid, or when I am trying to build an empire when I should be dwelling with God, I sing to myself the first verse of this hymn: “My shepherd will supply my need, Jehovah is his name. In pastures fresh, he makes me feed, beside the living stream. He brings my wandering spirit back, when I forsake his ways. And leads me for his mercy’s sake, in paths of truth and grace.” Join me in worship this Sunday as we listen for the Shepherd’s voice and rest in his comfort and
care!