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
Even if you can never find a verse in the Bible when you need it, you probably know these words: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” When I hear those words, I can close my eyes and see where I sat in the basement of our little country church attending Mrs. Weckwerth’s Sunday School class. Behind her, there was a painting on the wall. In the scene Jesus is holding a little lamb, and a multitude of other sheep are gathered around him. Behind them all, the sky looks dark and threatening. All of us experience dark and threatening moments in our lives. Our comfort is that we are always in the care of the Good Shepherd whose goodness and mercy will follow us through the darkest of times.
Prayer
Good Shepherd, we trust you to keep us in your good care even in our darkest times. Amen.
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