Psalm 23 (NRSV)
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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
“You are with me” the text says, echoing “Immanuel” in the gospels. “Immanuel” was my father’s middle name. He was a pastor of the church and he taught us what “God with us” might mean. He spoke of the meaning of his name with deep reverence and faith. Those who knew him are believers in large part because of who he was, what he did, and how he spoke. We knew that there was truth to be trusted in his name. God was with him! Are there others who are shepherds, who teach us that God is with us? When we encounter them, our cups overflow! I learned the song, “Fill my cup and let it overflow” many years ago and it has not left my head or my heart. May God fill our lives with people who remind us that God is with us, and may our cups overflow.
Prayer
Fill us with your presence, O God. Amen.