Psalm 23 (The
Psalm for Good Shepherd Sunday—this past Sunday)
1 A PSALM OF DAVID.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's
sake.
4 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.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my
head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Devotion
In the name of + Jesus.
If the Lord is your shepherd, then you
are His sheep. And if the Lord is your
shepherd, and you are His sheep, then you need not want, for your shepherd is
the LORD. The LORD is the one from whom
come all good gifts. And whether those
gifts have to do with the support and needs of the body, or are the gifts which
supply your every spiritual need, the LORD is giving those gifts, freely, to
you. For He is your Shepherd; and you
are His sheep.
In the LORD, you can sleep in
peace. Luther’s Evening Prayer reminds
us of this; at its conclusion, he writes, “Then go to sleep at once and in good
cheer.” No matter what you did, or didn’t
do, that day, when you sleep in Christ, you sleep in the green pastures of
peace, for He has died for your sin, and been raised to give you life. That’s how He restores your soul. He leads you in paths of righteousness, paths
of holiness, paths that lead you to hear the Good News of the Gospel.
And this is why, even though we walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil. After all the LORD is our Shepherd. He is with us. He is our Shepherd: assuring us of
forgiveness; renewing us in His Word, and strengthening us with the very body
and blood he gave for us, His sheep—to eat and to drink.
If the LORD is your shepherd, and you
are His sheep, then goodness and mercy will follow you, because Jesus will be
with you.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Prayer
Good Shepherd, open our eyes to see Your blessing. Open our
ears to hear your voice. Open our hearts that we may love you. Amen (TLSB, p. 866).
Concordia
Lutheran Church
Jackson,
TN
(731-668-0757)
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