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Listen to the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3eDghZ5
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 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. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 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)
A blessed and terrific Thursday be yours, ConCafe Family, and may you come to know and trust the Shepherd even more today than ever before, is my prayer for you, dear Friend.
A touching moment happened yesterday afternoon. Our daughter Caitlin called us with Eli in the background being a bit fussy, because that is a baby's right right after daycare, and I thought if I sang him a song my Mom sang to me, that Nellie and I sang to our girls, and to our grankids, and he started really crying, saying something that we couldn't understand, but I knew that I had made a connection with him. Since we stopped seeing him on an almost daily basis, I feared Eli might not recognize or know me if I took too long in seeing and holding him in person.
This simple, six-verse psalm is a connecting song for many of us. In saying it or hearing it read, many of us can think back to our grandparents or parents saying in worship, or duing prayer time, and though we might not have yet fully known the words of their meaning, the connection was there; with them, with God, and even with ourselves. I cannot help but try to step back in time to when David sat down to pen the words to this psalm that has blessed and helped countless people of prestige and position, as well as people with just a need in their heart to hear again this simple, yet powerful affirmation of that shepherd boy who knew Who the real Shepherd had been in his life. Can you imagine the first night that David had to watch the sheep by himself? How Jesse must have said, "Son, you're ready to assume this duty by yourself. The sheep know you, they know your voice; they have seen you follow me and your older brothers, so they know that you know just what to do. I believe in you, son." And that night set in motion a lifetime of faith and trust in God. For while he knew he could defend the sheep and himsellf, that night formed him as a true shepherd, so that when he finally sat down to write this psalm, he had God's hand guiding his hand over this psalm so that when it was read, we received the blessings that God has been sharing since that day David wrote it.
Let's look at this psalm again. The foundation of this affirmation is God. Anything after that either comes from God, or God created it. There is a sense of direction and purpose to the psalm, where food and provision are readily available from God's loving hand. God's understanding allows us to regroup, refresh, and renew. The paths on which we travel are guided by Him; always the good, never the bad; yes, sometimes the going does get a little rough and shaky, but our fear is limited by the belief and knowledge that He is with us, and He has everything needed to protect and care for us. We know the time will come when we will finally see our enemies humbled to the point of only being to watch our anointing and feast with He who has been our King. This will allow us to say, all that is good, all that is merciful, will be ours, and the dwelling place for us, for all eternity, will be His house.
That, my dear friend, is an affirmation that we should believe, say, and live!
PRAYER: Loving God and Shepherd, thank You. Words are not enough to express what we truly feel, but we pray that our actions can help us be the good news that others need to see and receive. In Thy name we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Show someone the faith you have in The Good Shepherd today!
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
