Psalm 23 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 23 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Verse 2He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
Verse 3he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
Verse 4Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff- they comfort me.
Verse 5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Verse 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Devotion
We try to avoid thoughts of death. Contemporary American society, in spite of all our violent images in our media, works hard to keep death out of sight and mind. Ash Wednesday and the imposition of ashes with the words, "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return," will not let us avoid the reality that we will all die. We are reminded today that we truly do walk "through the valley of the shadow of death," life's darkest valley. But good news from God breaks through in this psalm's familiar words. The promise is that in that valley, the Lord, our shepherd, is with us. We abide in the shadow of death, but never alone.
Prayer
Praise to you, eternal God, for you come to shepherd us through all the shadows of life. Bring us to trust each day that we do not need to fear any evil because of the victory over death that you won for us through Jesus Christ. Amen.