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
This psalm is a part of the fabric of Christian life. We may not be able to recite it completely from memory, but when we hear it, we say it along in our heads. We know its cadence and form. We know which phrases are coming. We know the different translations of it. We read it at funerals. It is recited at affirmations of baptisms. We use it over and over, but we never tire of it.
Isn't that what God's word should do to us – wash over us and become a part of us? This passage is not too long, but long enough. It says what it needs to and gets out of the way. Isn't that also what a good sermon should do?
Prayer
Good shepherd, guide us so that we might share your loving comfort with others in a way that points to you and you alone. Amen.