Psalm 23

February 29, 2016

Opening Hymns:
381 Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh381.sht

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 23
23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;

23:3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.

23:4 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.

23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

23:6 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.

Message:
This is the first scripture I remember memorizing. We didn’t need to memorize anything, but if we completed all the different tasks that the teacher had us do, we would win a prize… the prize was a small keychain Loon. I ended up being the only one in the small class who decided to do all the memorizations. The keychain was cute, I remember feeling so proud of myself for earning it. I found it just the other day as I was cleaning my room. However, knowing this psalm by heart has been much more valuable. Being able to live out the words of this Psalm is priceless.

I’ve met so many amazing people in my work as a nurse. I often find myself fortunate as I have been healthy most of my life, and haven’t needed to go through what so many of my patients have gone through. However, so many of them have taught me what true faith and bravery are. They teach me what it means not to want, and for all their desires to be met in the Lord.

One patient had lost her husband, and was now living with her grandson. Because of medical reasons she wasn’t able to do a lot of the things she loved to do. Through her stories I saw how she didn’t “want” for anything beyond than what she had. She always looked at the positive, and anytime my facial expression showed that I felt bad for her, she would shake her head and say “no, I’ve been so blessed”.

Another patient I had was dying of cancer. She was so brave, and worried more about her family and what they were going to do, then of her own situation. She had true faith in the Lord, and that faith carried through her final days. She lived out this Psalm in her life.

It is heartwarming to see so many beautiful examples of faith. As I’m fingering the keychain I realize that while it only took a small amount of work to memorize Psalm 23, it has taken a lot longer to truly understand it. I pray that in time I too will be able live out these words in my life.

 Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, teach us to love as You would have us love. Teach us to have faith in the good times and the bad. Teach us to love our enemies, and to see all the good that You have given us in our lives. Let us not focus on what our lives lack, but on what gifts we have. Help us to remember this Psalm, and let us see what it can mean for each of us in our own lives. Amen.


The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
650 Give Me Faith Which Can Remove http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh650.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God