7th - 13th April 2025
It all begins with an idea.
After the cold, wet days of the past winter it’s lovely to see the signs of spring that are all around us. I wakened one morning, a few weeks ago, to the sound of sheep bleating and, when I opened my blinds, I saw that the local farmer had moved his flock of sheep into a neighbouring field.
As I listened and watched them, some grazing the fresh grass, some lying peacefully in the early morning sun, my thoughts turned to Psalm 23 and to the ‘life without lack’ that it describes. The words are so familiar, we hear them read at weddings and at funerals. We see them printed on cards and bookmarks. We may have them framed and hung on our walls. Most of us can quote them from memory. But as we pray with this Psalm over the coming week, I invite you to LISTEN for your shepherd’s voice – what is HE saying to YOU in the familiar words of this Psalm?
“Listening is the beginning of prayer” (Mother Teresa)
Written by Liz Mullan
MONDAY
“THE LORD – JEHOVAH / YAHWEH – IS MY SHEPHERD”.
In these opening words of the Psalm the focus is on the Shepherd. It is God himself – “the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 40:28) who is our Shepherd and nothing that we encounter in our lives is beyond his power. Nothing is too hard for him to take care of.
David knew that from personal experience. In his roller coaster journey, from looking after his father’s sheep to becoming king of Israel, he experienced times of great joy and blessing but also times of failure and times of darkness, fear and defeat. But in all of that he also experienced the power and ability of God to care for him and to meet his needs. It was with his faith in “the living God” that he faced Goliath and throughout his life he knew God to be his ‘fortress’, his ‘rock’ and his ‘strength’. He knew God’s unfailing love for him in his times of failure and he knew him to be trustworthy, faithful and full of compassion.
In Psalm 9 he says, “Those who know your name trust in you”. David knew and trusted in his God.
As we let this Psalm remind us of who our Shepherd is – take time to reflect on your own journey and what you have known of him and his care for you.
“Let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care”. (Psalm 95).
TUESDAY
“He makes me lie down in green pastures”.
I have to confess that I know next to nothing about sheep and their needs or about shepherds and their work – but David knew! The first job on his CV was ‘Shepherd’ of his father’s sheep.
So, as he writes this Psalm and reflects on his life, he notices how God’s action in his life is like that of a shepherd caring and providing for his sheep and he paints these beautiful little pictures for us! – “He makes me lie down in green pastures”.
In his mind’s eye, David could picture his father’s sheep doing just that – enjoying the green pastures that he had found for them and resting in the safety of his care and provision for them. But David’s life journey from those early days as a shepherd boy had been a long and difficult one. Hated by King Saul, running for his life, living in caves. He experienced personal failure, family breakdown and much tragedy in his life. So how can he paint this beautiful tranquil picture and say, “he makes me lie down in green pastures”? It was because, in all those storms and difficulties that he had experienced, God was his Shepherd, providing for him everything he needed.
We live in different times but most of us, like David, will have experienced storms in our own lives. Times of darkness, loneliness, sorrow, tragedy. Perhaps the place you are in right now, feels a million miles away from this tranquil picture. But as we pause with these words and allow them to turn our eyes to the Shepherd – we are reminded that, not only can he provide for our needs but also that he wants to. We hear his heart, his desire to care for us as he invites us to rest with our trust and confidence in him – knowing that “whatever needs to be taken care of will be taken care of” (Dallas Willard).
Father, thank you for your work of grace in my life that has brought me into relationship with you. I belong to you, and you are my Shepherd. But I realise that too often when I encounter difficulties in my life, I let my worries and concerns take my focus away from you and I forget that I’m not alone and I have a Shepherd who wants to care for me. Forgive me, Father, when in my forgetfulness I shut you out. I pray today, for grace to keep my eyes on you. I pray for grace to trust you, to allow you to care for me and to enjoy the rest that you want to give me. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
“He leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul”
This is the next picture that David paints for us. David knew from his days back in Bethlehem, looking after his flock, that sheep need more than food and rest. They need water – and water was scarce in those dusty hills. So, David would have taken his sheep through rocky mountain passes that were rough and dangerous to find the water they needed. He knew exactly the kind of place and water to look for. He knew that noisy, rapidly flowing water would frighten his sheep and be dangerous for them to drink from. So, he led them until they found still waters where they could drink and be refreshed and where the dust and dirt, cuts and wounds from their trek through the mountains could be cleansed. And those are the images he uses in this picture as he writes: “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul”.
David was chosen by God to be king over Israel. He was described as ‘a man after God’s own heart’ but there were times in his life when he felt abandoned by God. Hurt and wounded by friends and enemies alike he was overwhelmed and at rock bottom. And yet in the care of his Shepherd he found places of healing where his soul was restored.
Most of us have times in our lives when we too feel overwhelmed. Battling with unexpected illness, facing financial insecurity, wounded by broken relationships, we also can find ourselves at rock bottom, running on empty. We need a place where we can slow down and catch our breath. We need someone to restore our weary souls. “He leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul.”
As we sit with these words once again, we encounter the Shepherd. Our Shepherd knows exactly what we need. He knows when we are down and out and need him to get us back on our feet and that is what he does for us. He leads us to quiet places where we find him and where all our needs are met. He satisfies our thirst, he cares for our wounds and he restores our souls.
Thank you, Father, that you know where I am in my journey, and you know exactly what I need. You know when I’m at rest and trusting in you and you know when I’m struggling, drained by the stuff that life is throwing at me. Thank you that you never turn your back on me. You lead me out of those places to the quiet places where you wait to refresh me, to heal me and to put me back together again. Help me to pay attention to where you are, and I pray for grace to follow you there. Amen.
THURSDAY
“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
As David looked after his father’s sheep he would have been constantly on the move, taking them out each day in search of fresh food and water. He would have been familiar with the territory around his home, would have known the best paths to take, and his job was to lead his sheep along those ‘right paths’.
Once again, David’s experiences as a shepherd and his experiences of God in his life come together as he paints another picture - “He guides me …”
In times of uncertainty, facing his enemies, in places of failure, David looked to God his Shepherd to guide him. From those places we hear him pray: “Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.” (Psalm 5:8).
And as we read David’s story we see how, time and again, God guided him in the right paths and towards the end of his life he could declare “As for God his way is perfect.” (2 Samuel 22:31).
But there is something else in this picture. “He guides me along the right paths, for his name’s sake.” God guided David in the right paths – not just for David’s sake but for His own name’s sake. Because when David followed God and walked in the right paths, God’s name was honoured, and God’s righteous character was made known.
As we navigate our way through our fast-changing world we can sometimes be unsure of ourselves. Lost in the noisy clamour of a multitude of competing voices and opinions, we lose our way.
So, how do we stay on track? How does God guide us in the right paths? Jesus said: “My sheep listen to me … and they follow me.” (John 10:27). He is the Shepherd who will guide us – our part is to be attentive to him, listen for his voice and then follow him.
Father, as I sit with these words today, I feel again the depth of your love and your care for me. You haven’t left me to figure out life with all its complexities on my own. Thank you for the reassurance that you go before me and that you guide me in the right paths. Help me to listen to your voice and give me courage to follow you so that your name is honoured. Amen.
FRIDAY
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and staff they comfort me”.
Having paused and prayed with the beautiful pictures that David painted of life under the care of his Shepherd, we now get to listen in as he prays out of his personal experiences of his ‘life without lack’. In the roller coaster story of David’s life there were green pastures and still waters but also many dark valleys. David experienced the reality of God with him in those valleys, knew the protection and comfort of his Shepherd’s care and that is why he can confidently pray these words.
As we live our ‘not-yet-perfect’ lives in a ‘not-yet-perfect’ world, most of us will know what it is like to walk through a period that feels like a dark valley. We might be grieving the loss of a loved one, battling with depression, dealing with a difficult medical diagnosis, a relationship breakdown or financial difficulties. Whatever the cause, a dark valley can be a lonely place. A place of overwhelming fear and uncertainty.
But notice David’s words as he prays “I will fear no evil for YOU are with me.” That changes everything for David and for us! The valley is still dark, but we are not alone. So, we hold on, maybe at times by our fingertips, to what we know – our Shepherd walks beside us through the valley, gently guiding our faltering steps and protecting us from danger.
“I will fear no evil, for YOU ARE WITH ME, your rod (to protect) and your staff (to guide), they comfort me.” (AMPC)
Father, I pray for my brothers and sisters who are walking today through dark valleys. I pray that in the darkness, they will feel your presence with them, that they will know deep in their souls that they are not alone, that you are with them and that they are safe in your care. As you walk with them today, Father, protect them and comfort them. I pray that they will find in you everything that they need for today and know that nothing – nothing today or tomorrow … thinkable or unthinkable, absolutely nothing, can separate them from you and your love for them. Amen. (Romans 8. The Message. Adapted).
SATURDAY
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies - You anoint my head with oil – My cup overflows.”
David is praying out of what he knows of God in his life. EVEN THOUGH there have been dark valleys and EVEN THOUGH he has lived surrounded by enemies – his focus as he prays is on God and on what he knows of God’s overflowing abundant provision and blessing in his life.
This is David’s lived experience! Throughout the Psalms he shares it with us as he tells the stories of his ever-present enemies alongside his joy and exuberance in God.
“How many are my foes! How many rise up against me! ... but you Lord are a shield around me, my glory, the one who lifts up my head high.” (Psalm 3).
We live our lives in a very different landscape to the one that David lived in. We have different challenges, face different enemies but the God that David knew is also our God. The same God blesses us with the same lavish love and care that he blessed David with.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You honour me by anointing my head with oil”. (NLT).
What an amazing scene! A beautiful table, thoughtfully prepared, the best of food – a feast – provided by God himself for us. And HE is our host, HE invites us, as HIS honoured guests, to sit down and enjoy what HE provides for us. It’s a picture of feasting and abundance – even – in the presence of our enemies! He knows about our enemies, he knows about the stuff we battle with in our lives. Jesus told his disciples “In the world you will have trials and distress and frustration but be confident! For I have overcome the world – I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you” John 16:33 (AMPC).
So, we don’t just survive with gritted teeth, but we can sit down, without fear and feast with joy, on all that God provides for us – even in the presence of our enemies.
Father, I am deeply moved as I sit with these words today. They feel so intimate and personal. YOU see me, YOU know when I’m battling with my enemies, and YOU prepare and provide for me ALL that I need in those times. I feel the immensity of your love for me and the abundance of your personal care. My cup overflows. So, I pray, Father, for grace to receive all that you provide for me and to live out of the abundance of that provision. Amen.
SUNDAY
“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.
As David comes to the end of his prayer, everything he knows of God and his care for him flows over into this confident statement. David is confident that as he lives life with God, under his shepherd care, he will continue to know a ’life without lack’ through all the days of his life. His faith and trust are in God and in his provision and unchanging love.
As you reflect back over the Psalm today, is there something that stirs your heart that you might want to pause and respond to?
Father, we are thankful that in you we can know a life without lack. Slip up on us today – get past our defences, our worries and concerns. Gently open our souls to you and to your work in our lives. Let your Spirit move in our minds and hearts so we believe ever more fully that because you are our all-sufficient Shepherd we shall never want.
(Prayer adapted from ‘Life Without Lack’. Dallas Willard)