Here is the 1st of 5 reflections for this year’s Lenten Journey. Enjoy
Oh Lord, may the words from my lips be from your inspiration to my heart, Amen.
Welcome to our first week of our Lenten journey for this year. As you heard from Pastor Tim on Ash Wednesday, this year’s journey to the Cross will be to dig deep into one of King David’s Psalms, the 23rd Psalms.
The question was asked if there was anybody in either congregation who could say this Psalms by memory, well I have to admit that I couldn’t, not getting the words correctly anyway. So, here we go. Everybody should be able to get the first verse as we say it together, The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Now for the second verse; 2 He maketh me to lie down in greenpastures: he leadeth me beside the stillwaters.
Now as we dive into this verse, a couple of words jump out, green pastures, still waters, lie down, and leadeth besides. Where do you think King David is going with these words. Pastor Tim explained the 1st verse really good, I’ll see if I can continue with this one.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. What better way to say that the Lord will always have a safe place for us to rest, in the comfort of our shepherd. That Jesus will always be there to guide us, even when we think there is nowhere we can go to find shelter form our troubles in this world, Jesus will always be there, with open arms, to comfort us. All we need is to ask for his help and guidance. It is ourselves who have the hard time of understanding this. When we seem to be all alone with no one to turn to or no place to go, all we need to do is ask, and one will always be surprised at who or what shows up to give you comfort. That comfort of laying down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside still waters, what better way to say that our Lord will take us to a calming place. How many times have we been in need of relief from a stressful day, when all of a sudden something occurs that we instantly feel better. You’ve just been leadeth by those still waters. We experience this leading more than we think. I need for you to think how many times that you have felt calmness in your day. How many times that you’ve had your breath take away by yet another one of God’s wonders? This is when we feel God’s presents and this is when we are resting beside those still waters.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me besides still waters. What a caring Father in Heaven we have! One that will guide us, give us a place to find safety, and gives us moments that calms our fears.
As we progress in our Lenten journey to the Cross and learn the 23rd Psalms, lets us not forget what Jesus Christ has done for us at the end of this journey. That the reading of this Psalms at ones funeral gives our love ones comfort in knowing where we will be. Resting with our shepherd, with the Lord Jesus Christ in a green pasture by still waters.
Amen.