This week coming marks a year from when we lost my Dad. I remember one of the things I shared with him during this time, was the 23rd Psalm. I'm sure others shared it with him too. It's a Psalm that brings a sense of comfort and security, during the hardest times of our lives. It's the Psalm of the Shepherd, guiding and protecting his sheep.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
(Because I am his, I am content. He gives me every good thing in life, and brings me peace.)
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
(Life doesn't always deal kindly with us. Sometimes we have to go through deep darkness and struggle. But we never have to face anything alone. He has promised to support us through it all.)
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
(A rod or staff in the wrong hands can conjure up images of harsh discipline. But in the hands of a shepherd, they were used to gently prod in the right direction, beat away predators, and lift to safety those sheep who'd gone astray and fallen into traps. Not to beat them for failing! But to lift them! And save them!)
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
(Shepherds would pour oil on the wounds of a sheep to protect them from the ravages of flies, soothe them, and bring healing. Time spent with my God soothes and heals, and protects us from those things that would eat away at us.)
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
(I have lived in this goodness and love. So had my Dad. There is nowhere else I'd rather be. And because the Good Shepherd laid down his life for us (John 10:11), there is a forever for his sheep. And I will see my Dad again. ❤️)
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