Devotional by Lauren Sanders, Tower of Hope Ministries Graduate, 2020
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
Psalm 23:1-6 KJV
It is amazing how familiar scriptures that we may have learned as early as childhood can come alive and speak directly to our situations when it is time. This is why we should always remember to “hide the word in our hearts.” Here are 3 things that stood out to me when the Lord reminded me of this passage.
1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
When you think of a Shepherd, you think of someone who cares for every need of the sheep. Think of David, who was willing to fight a Lion and a Bear to save the sheep that he cared for. In this passage we learn that God loves us deeply and is willing to care for every one of our needs. In fact, he considers our ignorance and weaknesses in advance and cares for us accordingly.
2. He restoreth my soul
This passage is especially encouraging for those of us who have had our souls wounded. This includes all forms of heart breaks, disappointments, and trauma that negatively impacted who we are. We may feel that our authentic self was broken or carried away when someone or something abused, hurt, or disappointed, or abandoned us. It is good news to know that God is a restorer! He is able to make us whole again.
3. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
When this scripture came to mind, I pictured a shepherd reaching out his staff to course correct a sheep that was going to accidentally go astray. God is a good shepherd. He will guide us on the right paths and keep us from danger. We can take comfort in knowing that He is always watching and ready to correct us and lead us in the right direction. We don’t have to fear making the wrong decisions because He is always there to correct those he cares for.