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
When I think of the refugees throughout the world who appear on our TV screens night after night, I wonder about these words from David: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." My suspicion is that most of the refugees have a far deeper sense of the power of these words than those of us who live in relative safety and security. Perhaps the more we have been stripped of all the "things" of life—cell phones, TV's, food, clothing, automobiles, etc.—the more we cling to the knowledge that “the Lord is our shepherd.” We may not have anything else upon which to rely for strength.
Strangely, I find so much hope, humor, and healing in the waiting rooms of hospitals—for example at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. In the midst of children who are seriously ill, the nurses, doctors and parents of other children become shepherds to one another. Perhaps it's not so strange at all. It is in those places of dark valleys that we sense the presence of the living Lord who provides all that we really need.
Prayer
Gracious and good shepherd, your presence is the glue that binds us together. As you have shepherded us in our times of need, let us shepherd one another in your name. Amen.