Listen here.
Welcome to Devotions for Worship where we meditate on the appointed Scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday. I am Pastor Eric Tritten from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hudson, OH. Thank you for being with me today.
Since this Sunday, the 4th Sunday of the Easter Season, is Good Shepherd Sunday, it is very fitting that the Psalm appointed to be read is Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd….” This psalm is very familiar, and is often associated with funerals since we often read it at the graveside. I want to encourage you, however, to listen to it carefully and to think about how it speaks to your life even more than your death.
The Reading: Ps. 23 (ESV)
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.
Comments:
The images of Psalm 23 are so perfect that it is very tempting to think that it is speaking about heaven: no want, good food, peaceful waters, restoration. These all seem like things we need, not things that we have, so we think this must be some beautiful future God has in store for us.
Verse 5 speaks against this idea, though. We hear that God prepares a table in the presence of my enemies. We won’t have any enemies in heaven. This Psalm is telling us about God’s faithfulness and provision during our lives. It is telling us that with God as our shepherd we have the best and richest blessings possible even now. The valley of the shadow death is not the grave, it is a metaphor for this life – a life lived with death always hanging over our heads, but a life lived knowing that Jesus will lead us through the grave to everlasting life.
We are richly blessed now because Jesus provides, protects, and has prepared for all of needs. We dwell in the house of the LORD – we are part of the kingdom of God! Can there be any doubt that God’s goodness and mercy are ours every day of our lives?
Meditate on Psalm 23 today and consider how God does all these things for you now, and not just when you die.
The Reading:
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.
Prayers:
O God, our shepherd, You are so good and Your mercy is new every morning. You protect us from our enemies – especially those enemies who would lead us away from You. You gave Jesus to lay down his life so that no one can snatch us out of His hand. Thank you for restoring our souls and giving us life and peace through Him. Please forgive us for our sins, and help us to dwell In Your house forever. Amen.
Memory Verse: 1 John 3:23 - And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name / of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, / just as He has commanded us. (1 Jn. 3:23 ESV)
Thank you so much for using Devotions for Worship, I pray that our time together has blessed you and given you something to meditate on – some reminder of God’s grace to rattle around in your brain – for the rest of the day.
Would you do me a favor? If you got something out of this devotional time, would you like and/or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever you do social media? That would help me get the word out, and hopefully help these devotions be a blessing to others.
God bless you!
Social Media Post:
Devotions for Worship: Psalm 4 - audio: - text: #devotion #devotional #devotions #devos
If you like this please follow by email on Blogger, subscribe on iTunes, or follow on SoundCloud! That way you won't miss a devotion!
Welcome to Devotions for Worship where we meditate on the appointed Scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday. I am Pastor Eric Tritten from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hudson, OH. Thank you for being with me today.
Since this Sunday, the 4th Sunday of the Easter Season, is Good Shepherd Sunday, it is very fitting that the Psalm appointed to be read is Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd….” This psalm is very familiar, and is often associated with funerals since we often read it at the graveside. I want to encourage you, however, to listen to it carefully and to think about how it speaks to your life even more than your death.
The Reading: Ps. 23 (ESV)
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.
Comments:
The images of Psalm 23 are so perfect that it is very tempting to think that it is speaking about heaven: no want, good food, peaceful waters, restoration. These all seem like things we need, not things that we have, so we think this must be some beautiful future God has in store for us.
Verse 5 speaks against this idea, though. We hear that God prepares a table in the presence of my enemies. We won’t have any enemies in heaven. This Psalm is telling us about God’s faithfulness and provision during our lives. It is telling us that with God as our shepherd we have the best and richest blessings possible even now. The valley of the shadow death is not the grave, it is a metaphor for this life – a life lived with death always hanging over our heads, but a life lived knowing that Jesus will lead us through the grave to everlasting life.
We are richly blessed now because Jesus provides, protects, and has prepared for all of needs. We dwell in the house of the LORD – we are part of the kingdom of God! Can there be any doubt that God’s goodness and mercy are ours every day of our lives?
Meditate on Psalm 23 today and consider how God does all these things for you now, and not just when you die.
The Reading:
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.
Prayers:
O God, our shepherd, You are so good and Your mercy is new every morning. You protect us from our enemies – especially those enemies who would lead us away from You. You gave Jesus to lay down his life so that no one can snatch us out of His hand. Thank you for restoring our souls and giving us life and peace through Him. Please forgive us for our sins, and help us to dwell In Your house forever. Amen.
Memory Verse: 1 John 3:23 - And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name / of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, / just as He has commanded us. (1 Jn. 3:23 ESV)
Thank you so much for using Devotions for Worship, I pray that our time together has blessed you and given you something to meditate on – some reminder of God’s grace to rattle around in your brain – for the rest of the day.
Would you do me a favor? If you got something out of this devotional time, would you like and/or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever you do social media? That would help me get the word out, and hopefully help these devotions be a blessing to others.
God bless you!
Social Media Post:
Devotions for Worship: Psalm 4 - audio: - text: #devotion #devotional #devotions #devos
If you like this please follow by email on Blogger, subscribe on iTunes, or follow on SoundCloud! That way you won't miss a devotion!
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