Psalm 23 (ICB)
The Lord is my shepherd.
I have everything I need.
He gives me rest in green pastures.
He leads me to calm water.
He gives me new strength.
For the good of his name,
he leads me on paths that are right.
Even if I walk
through a very dark valley,
I will not be afraid
because you are with me.
Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.
You prepare a meal for me
in front of my enemies.
You pour oil of blessing on my head.
You give me more than I can hold.
Surely your goodness and love will be with me
all my life.
And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Devotion – Trusting God to Shepherd Us Toward Renewed Spirits
“The King of Love My Shepherd Is” (Henry Baker, 1868) modernized text
Paraphrased from the Scottish Psalter (1650)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI1OeQfkVyI
Earlier in my adulthood as I was struggling with critical choices in my professional and love lives, my mother showed up unexpectedly from 1,000 miles away. She helped me to clean out my apartment, and more importantly, to reset my spiritual priorities. Intertwined with tasks, together we read and prayed over Psalm 51:10 for 3 days. What a marathon. Yet, I found myself still not entirely trusting that God “would have my back.” I reflect on those days and now about the relationship between Psalm 51:10 and Psalm 23.
“Psalm 51:10 expresses a desire for God to create a clean heart with ongoing repentance and renewal. In contrast, Psalm 23 emphasizes God’s care and protection, offering comfort and hope in times of distress. Both psalms are essential for understanding the relationship between personal transformation and belief in divine care but at the core of both is a trust in God.” [1]
As much as I remind myself that that God will guide me as needed, I continue to fear for others. In these times of turmoil I beg God to intercede, to caste away violence and discouragement around the world.
Reinhold Niebur, a famous Christian and activist theologian, in authoring the Serenity Prayer2 suggested that collectively our communities need courage to change things that should be changed. This also suggests to me that as well as individually, collectively we need God’s care in striving for “clean hearts and renewed spirits.”
Prayer
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, help us all to trust you and accept your forgiveness so that we may be the persons you would have us be, living more righteous lives. Surround those who live hourly in dark valleys with your love, companionship, and greatness so that they will know that you are with them; And that by trusting in you they may find internal peace as may I.
Karl Sandberg
Song for reassuranceof God’s presence in our lives (Fanny Crosby, lyricist. Rosemary Siemens, performer): “Blessed Assurance” www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfVPnEhjKB4&t=16s
1 This summary was generated by AI from multiple online sources.
www.rayfowler.org/sermons/psalms/psalm-23/the-shepherd-on-the-path-psalm-23/
www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/psalm/psalm-51.cfm
www.bibleverseexplained.com/psalms/psalms-51-10/
2 Serenity Prayer, Reinhold Niebur
“God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things that should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.”