The King of Love My Shepherd Is (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 502)
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
and he is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
my ransomed soul he leadeth
and where the verdant pastures grow,
with food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
but yet in love he sought me,
and on his shoulder gently laid,
and home, rejoicing, brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill,
with thee, dear Lord, beside me,
thy rod and staff my comfort still;
thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
thine unction grace bestoweth;
and, oh, what transport of delight
from thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so, through all the length of days,
thy goodness faileth never.
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
within thy house forever.
Text: Henry W. Baker (1821-1877); Music: Irish tune
Devotion
This hymn is a powerful, yet soft song of knowledge of what kind of love we receive from our shepherding God. The Irish tune feels like a quiet lullaby, comfortingly rocking us to sleep, shutting out for a while the world with all its noise and chaos that surrounds us as we sing the themes of Psalm 23 and its promises of God’s love.
The fourth verse reminds us at times of death, another’s or our own, that we need not fear because God has promised to be with us. The fifth verse invites our reflection on the gracious table that God spreads before us, the “chalice” reminding us that the table to which we come is the gathering of Holy Communion with Christ as the host. The last verse assures us that God’s goodness will never fail. We will continue to go to the house of the Lord, here in our lives now and then in eternal life. Always and only we live by the promise of the Good Shepherd.
Prayer
Loving Shepherd, thank you for watching, keeping, and loving me in this life. When life equals chaos, may you shepherd us with the promise of your love. Amen.