Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Daily Devotion
Thankful for Psalms
By Yoga Raj
The book of Psalms is my favorite portion. They are the most used and re-read pages in my Bible. There are several reasons for that. I love Psalms as I can relate to it the most, any season of my life. It is first-person narration with direct conversation with the Lord. It is personal. Psalms make us understand who our God is and what His character is like. The knowledge of God in turn brings the fear of the Lord and the reverence that is due. Psalms gives us comfort, peace, joy, hope and encouragement. It reminds us that the Lord is always there for us watching over us. How feeble we are as human beings and how majestic He is. How short and unworthy we are and how merciful He is. How sinful we are and yet how forgiving He is. Psalms have applications to our day-to-day life and routine.
There have been numerous instances where I was not able to pray because of heavy burden, pain, or grief in my heart. In those times, I would read Psalms out loud as my prayers to Him. There have been times where I didn’t have peace because of a trial or a situation. I didn’t know what exactly to pray for with my limited knowledge and comprehension. In those times, I would pray to the Lord and would not leave until I felt His presence and He gave me peace. I would read Psalms out loud. There has not been a single time where He did not meet me where I was. He has always been faithful to show up and give me peace that passes all understanding.
Even though I was a Hindu, I was blessed to have done my schooling under an organization run by the Christian missionary. Brought up in a staunch Hindu family, I was 20 by the time I got a copy of the Old Testament and read Psalms for the first time. But, looking back I realized that I have been singing David’s psalms as my elementary school prayer songs, all along. Those hymns that I learned as a child stuck with me forever. Below is one of the hymns I love and have in memory because of repetition. When life took different turns and brought me hardships, while I was growing in the knowledge of the Lord, getting to know Him more and accepting Jesus as my Savior, the words of this song gave me peace and comfort.
In God’s green pastures feeding, by His cool waters lie,
Soft in the evening walk my Lord and I;
All the sheep of His pasture fare so wondrously fine,
His sheep am I.
Waters cool, [in the valley] pastures green, [on the mountain]
In the evening walk my Lord and I;
Dark the night, [in the valley,] rough the way, [on the mountain,]
Step by step, [step by step,] my Lord and I.
Through the streets of the city in the darkness of the night,
Far from the fold, He heard my lonely cry.
Now I sit at His table in the palace of light;
His sheep am I.
Surely goodness and mercy ever shall follow me
All through the day the Lord my shepherd be
In the House of the Lord I will forever be
His sheep am I
Just the thought that Jesus is my shepherd and that I am His sheep, has given me comfort and strength. The promise that He will walk with me every step of my way in the valleys and mountains, has given me peace. The assurance that His goodness and mercy will follow me ALL THE DAYS of my life, has given me hope. The promise that I will be in the House of the Lord forever, has given me joy. I am thankful that we have His Word to uplift us at any point in our life.
It is the time of the year where we bless others with gifts and goodies. Below are a few scriptures that we can claim for ourselves and bless others with. I pray that every single person that is reading this devotion be blessed with the grace and peace that only the Lord can give.
- Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
His Sheep Am I(Song) https://youtu.be/vqxoNr0wtzA