Psalm 23 (NIVUK)
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
for ever.
We couldn’t go through a week looking at the biblical symbolism of ‘the shepherd’ without Psalm 23 (we have missed Jesus’ announcement that he is the Good Shepherd, but I suspect you’ve had that in mind as you’ve read these passages that lay behind Jesus’ thinking). I wondered if I could quote just a bit from it, but cutting any section seemed to mean a bit of what it means that God is our shepherd was lost. Rather than offer my reflections, today I want to suggest that you prayerfully read it again and asking God to speak to you as you do so.
What did God say to you? Perhaps you could share your thoughts and reflections in the comments section under the relevant post in our Facebook group or on the website.
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