The Lord Is My Shepherd
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
For you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
For you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Years ago someone gave me a cross with the words “the Lord is my Shepherd” printed on it. It is very small, meant to be carried in your pocket as a reminder. When I first received it I thanked the giver and promptly put the cross in a drawer, not being a big fan of the 23rd, or death Psalm as I then called it. Through a very well written and directed study I have changed my opinion of Psalm 23. Right in the middle of that study, while looking for something else, I found my cross in the drawer where I had placed it. With my newfound love of Psalm 23 I began to carry it in my pocket. All of this occurred at the same time that just about everything in my life got difficult, really difficult. That little cross became very important to me. Whenever I was faced with adversity, from whatever direction, I would touch that cross and remember that “the Lord is my Shepherd.” He does lead me, give me peace and comfort and provided for my needs. For about two years now that cross has been a part of my wardrobe every single day until I left in my pocket one night and lost it.
This is not the first time the cross has gone missing. It’s just always turned up within a day or two, in the laundry basket, in the washer or dryer, on the floor, or in the pocket of the pants or jacket I wore last. This time it’s been missing for about three weeks. All of the laundry has been done. My bedroom floor has been cleaned numerous times. This time I was fairly sure it was gone forever. Until this morning, when I needed a little encouragement and found my cross.
I had just had a rather uncomfortable revelation when I found it on the floor of the utility room, another area that has been vacuumed and swept repeatedly. My guess is that at some point it did go through the washer and dryer only to end up on the floor but how it managed to escape the cleaning tools is beyond my comprehension. What I do know is that I was once again facing a hard reality when the message was relayed to me, “the Lord is my Shepherd.”
The thing is the next words say, “I shall not want” and I do want. In fact my dreary thoughts were in the area of something I want that I have little hope of attaining. I’ve run out of options. From my point of view there isn’t much, if any, chance of success because there aren’t any opportunities. When the thoughts came into my mind I turned them over, taking them captive as instructed by Scripture. That helped but there was some lingering melancholy. But wait, “there’s my cross!” And what does it say? It says that the Lord is my Shepherd and while I may not get exactly what I want, I will get what He believes is best for me.
Life can be hard but we are never alone. We never have to find our own way. Our Shepherd leads us beside still waters. He restores us, provides for us and most of all, best of all, He loves us, each of us, as if we were His only child. I have my cross back, a physical reminder that even when my Lord seems far away He isn’t. There may be things blocking my view of Him but He’s right there with me, always, all ways.
This is not the first time the cross has gone missing. It’s just always turned up within a day or two, in the laundry basket, in the washer or dryer, on the floor, or in the pocket of the pants or jacket I wore last. This time it’s been missing for about three weeks. All of the laundry has been done. My bedroom floor has been cleaned numerous times. This time I was fairly sure it was gone forever. Until this morning, when I needed a little encouragement and found my cross.
I had just had a rather uncomfortable revelation when I found it on the floor of the utility room, another area that has been vacuumed and swept repeatedly. My guess is that at some point it did go through the washer and dryer only to end up on the floor but how it managed to escape the cleaning tools is beyond my comprehension. What I do know is that I was once again facing a hard reality when the message was relayed to me, “the Lord is my Shepherd.”
The thing is the next words say, “I shall not want” and I do want. In fact my dreary thoughts were in the area of something I want that I have little hope of attaining. I’ve run out of options. From my point of view there isn’t much, if any, chance of success because there aren’t any opportunities. When the thoughts came into my mind I turned them over, taking them captive as instructed by Scripture. That helped but there was some lingering melancholy. But wait, “there’s my cross!” And what does it say? It says that the Lord is my Shepherd and while I may not get exactly what I want, I will get what He believes is best for me.
Life can be hard but we are never alone. We never have to find our own way. Our Shepherd leads us beside still waters. He restores us, provides for us and most of all, best of all, He loves us, each of us, as if we were His only child. I have my cross back, a physical reminder that even when my Lord seems far away He isn’t. There may be things blocking my view of Him but He’s right there with me, always, all ways.
Comments
Post a Comment