The Lord’s My Shepherd, ELW 778
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I'll not want.
He makes me down to lie in patures green;
he leadeth me the quiet waters by.
He leadeth me, he leadeth me the quiet waters by.
2 My soul he doth restore again,
and me to walk doth make within the paths of righteousness,
e'en for his own name's sake;
within the paths of righteousness,
e'en for his own name's sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,
yet will I fear no ill;
for thou art with me,
and thy rod and staff me comfort still;
for thou art with me,
and thy rod and staff me comfort still.
4 My table thou hast richly spread in presence of my foes;
my head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.
My head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me,
and in God's house forevermore my dwelling-place shall be;
and in God's house forevermore my dwelling-place shall be.
Devotion
Jill Ker Conway's book,The Road From Coorain, pictures her growing up in Western Australia and offers an image of the sheep shearers: big, strong, muscular, faces browned and cracked from the sun. Yet their hands, because of endless hands-on work with sheep and their newly shorn fleece, were always pink, gentle, and soft from all the lanolin in the wool. Their hands were as soft as baby skin. The point is that we have Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who is hardy and strong enough to handle whatever may come his way, even as he offers us his sure and steady protection. While doing this, our Shepherd gathers us into the softest, smoothest, gentlest hands imaginable. Strong yet gentle, powerful yet graceful, rugged yet beautiful, He is our Good Shepherd-today, tomorrow, forever. Psalm 23 and the words of this hymn substantiate this image of God as our Shepherd.
Prayer
Loving God, help us all to say "the Lord's my Shepherd, that's enough." Amen