Image from chabad.org
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 King James Version)
God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life. (Psalm 23 The Message Version)
A most glorious day to you dear Friend! I pray this finds you well and enjoying the gracious life God has shared with us all. Can I make a small request? Find something sweet in your reach that you can eat before proceeding with this devotional. I'll explain why when you get back.
Okay, you have it? Enjoy it! Savor each precious morsel of whatever treat you are enjoying. Now. I don't mean to embarrass you, but using your index finger rub the top of your television set or window sill. Now, if you're brave eat the dust you have on your finger! STOP! I'm just kidding! Please don't eat dust and please don't believe for one minute that I know that your TV set or window sills are dusty! (Neither are mine!). Why did we do that? I'll explain.
I recently learned that Hebrew children before learning to read, get each letter from their Torah. The parents will drizzle sweet honey on each letter and the child will lick the honey off the letter. The child then, not only learns the letter, but the sweetness behind that letter, and thus, behind the word of God. Isn't that neat? Now compare it to how most of us sometimes feel about our Bibles! We think of it as a dust accumulating old book on our coffee table or in the back of our closets. That same feeling of dust in our mouth impacts how we sometimes neglect or ignore the word of God. Imagine how you would approach the Bible if you had learned to read it letter by letter, associating the sweetness of honey with what God is trying to say through it. A dust covered Bible invites neglect.
Now, with the sweet taste of whatever you ate right now, let's look at the text again. Isn't it now a sweet word? And using your grandpa's or grandma's King James version, don't the words seem even more sweeter? Oh for most of us to hold our grand mother or grandfather again; that would be sweet! To hear their voice and counsel would also be sweet. Yet, here we have perhaps a text that was loved by her or him, and which spoke faith into their lives. Compare the two different versions; one from 1611AD and the other more recent; still the same message, still the same sweetness!
Some have said this psalm sums up the faith a believer should have. If read from the perspective of a devoted, loving lamb towards its shepherd, we see the love and trust in that heart on both sides. We see the loving, good shepherd, and the loving, trusting, usually disobedient lamb. From cradle to coffin, a life lived in complete trust in God brings the blessings outlined in these six verses. The psalm tells the story of needed rest, restoration of our souls, the journey of adventure that is life, best walked in the presence and company of a shepherd we know and trust. The celebration of a meal even in the face of those who might want us to starve to death, yet they're seeing us feasting with the shepherd, and the special recognition the shepherd gives to us. Whatever else the journey may hold, the best part is that the Shepherd holds us. That means "goodness and mercy" being ours for the rest of our days. And when the gate of this life closes behind us, we smile towards that which we have discovered just outside the gate; entry into the house of the Lord, where life will never end.
Friend, I sure hope you know the sweetness and love of our Savior. It's right there for you. Please know that Satan will be the one most angry at your seating at the banquet table. He has prepared a bowlful of dust just for you and would love nothing better than to see you choke on dust, dust bunnies and Lord knows what else (for a complete description, move your bed to a new location!). Okay, I'm making some of you angry, but don't miss the point of the lesson for today: You matter to God and God loves it when His sweetness finds its way into our lives.
PRAYER: God of milk and honey, and all that is sweet, sweep away the dust from our mouths and minds. Help us to see the sweetness of life as found in the pages of your holy word. Lord, bless those for whom we have been praying, and we pray fullness of life for those who read this prayer as their own. We pray in faith, and in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen!
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share a sweet morsel with someone today and tell them about God's word!
Blessings of love,
Eradio Valverde
