Psalm 23
Psalm 23
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.
This was one of the first passages I ever memorized. I made a piece of art with this passage and hung it in my room, I looked at it daily; but I don't think I ever truly understood the meaning of this verse until a family friend's funeral.
This family friend had been sick with cancer for a couple of years. When she passed away, the pastor told us that her husband and sister read this passage right at the moment when she went up to heaven. He read Psalm 23 for us again and I remember the tears welling up in my eyes.
As a believer, how hard it must be to watch your wife and loved one pass away. But their first instinct wasn't to weep hysterically - their first instinct was to pray, to pray using the words of God and these words that David penned so many years before.
It was certainly a dark valley for them, but I remember crying because even though it was so sad, even though I puzzled at why someone so young and faithful could be taken away - I had to admire their faith. I found myself convicted because even through this horrible thing - there wasn't a sad ending. She is now spending eternity with her Lord ad Savior. She is dwelling in the house of the Lord. He delivered her just as He promised.
We don't know what lies ahead. We could be facing valleys. We could be rejoicing in the mountaintops. But whatever lies ahead we can take heart because He is our Shepherd.
He is with us and continues to watch over us no matter what we face. His goodness and mercy follows us all the days of our lives, leading us straight into His everlasting arms.
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.
This was one of the first passages I ever memorized. I made a piece of art with this passage and hung it in my room, I looked at it daily; but I don't think I ever truly understood the meaning of this verse until a family friend's funeral.
This family friend had been sick with cancer for a couple of years. When she passed away, the pastor told us that her husband and sister read this passage right at the moment when she went up to heaven. He read Psalm 23 for us again and I remember the tears welling up in my eyes.
As a believer, how hard it must be to watch your wife and loved one pass away. But their first instinct wasn't to weep hysterically - their first instinct was to pray, to pray using the words of God and these words that David penned so many years before.
It was certainly a dark valley for them, but I remember crying because even though it was so sad, even though I puzzled at why someone so young and faithful could be taken away - I had to admire their faith. I found myself convicted because even through this horrible thing - there wasn't a sad ending. She is now spending eternity with her Lord ad Savior. She is dwelling in the house of the Lord. He delivered her just as He promised.
We don't know what lies ahead. We could be facing valleys. We could be rejoicing in the mountaintops. But whatever lies ahead we can take heart because He is our Shepherd.
He is with us and continues to watch over us no matter what we face. His goodness and mercy follows us all the days of our lives, leading us straight into His everlasting arms.
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