Meditations on Psalm 23
Annually, usually in the spring, I like to spend one week of devotions offering meditations on Psalm 23. Also identified as “The Shepherd's Song”, this brief text offers many wonderful images that can help us through the maze of life.
Sheep are easily frightened. We are told that sheep get lost easily, leaving them vulnerable to attack. Sheep need a lot of guidance. It is good to watch over them, offering protection and encouragement. No one knows this better than a sheepherder. The Psalm starts with the writer confessing the needs of his soul. Another way of beginning this Psalm might sound like this: “Knowing that I possess many of the qualities that sheep possess, I am glad that there is a Holy Presence who is my caregiver, my shepherd.”
Imagine the barren, rocky and dry countryside of Biblical times. It wouldn’t take long for grasslands to disappear. The life of a shepherd was a life of constant movement, searching for a place containing grass and water to nurture his animals. It was probably quite difficult. Yet, the writer says with confidence in his great shepherd, “I shall not want.”
As we begin a new week I encourage you to stay in touch with the caregiver who holds you in the palm of his hand. May your wants and needs be supplied as you face your own barren, rocky, dry landscape. May you be blessed with enough energy to care for others just as your caregiver provides for you.
A Prayer attributed to Martin Luther: “Lord, misery and misfortune oppress me. I long to be rid of them. You have said, ‘ask and it will be given you.’ So I come and ask. Amen.”
--Ben Keckler
05-24.10
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment