The Lord is my Shepherd

1 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 right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I 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 my whole life long.

These words are familiar words from the Book of Psalms. Many can recite them and in various forms we often sing them in worship. Are not these words especially relevant for today?

Psalm 23 is a 'Psalm of Trust' and as such it is a Psalm that looks to God in times of trouble. The Psalm contains phrases such as the 'darkest valley' and a table 'in the presence of my enemies'. Clearly the Psalm was either written by or for a person going through times of trouble and yet, in the darkest of times, it points to a God in whom we can put our trust; a God who has been faithful in the past and who is not about to give up on us, even in the most challenging of times.

Today we face real challenge in the form of a deadly virus that is sweeping the globe. There can be no doubt that the next few months are going to be very difficult indeed. During the current lockdown we are having to live with restrictions that we could not have envisaged just a few short months ago. We have to be vigilant for the sake of our own health, as well as for those whom we love and hold dear.

At times we will be tempted to despair. In these moments we need to look to God for help, trusting in God's unwavering love to help and guide us, even through the darkest of paths.

I encourage you to hold fast to the words of Joseph Hart who in a well known hymn wrote these words that still hold meaning for these days:

How good is the God we adore!

Our faithful, unchangeable friend,

His love is as great as His pow'r,

And knows neither measure nor end.

May God's love enfold you at this time.