The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely 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. (Psalm 23, NRSV)
What a wonderful psalm and one that we all know very well.
We go into auto pilot when we hear this, because it is said or heard during Lent, and at most funerals… But do we miss the richness if we go into autopilot mode on it?
We hear that God is our shepherd and He will provide our every need. That He watches over us by protecting us from the smallest peskiest hindrance. You see anointing the head of the sheep with oil kept the flies and other flying things away.
God sets a table (communion?) before us and our enemies to we can sit down and have table fellowship with God!
But the part I think we miss, because we like to focus on the bright pretty images…
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me” The valley of death is how many of us know it. We don’t like to think about being in darkness or pain or dark valleys, but even in the darkest place we find our selves, as the picture shows us, God is always with us!
So take comfort that God will always be with us, when we are in a bright sunny place, or when there is nothing but gloom and darkness closing in, He is always there!
aSacredRebel 