Psalm 23
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.
3 he restores my soul.
In the church where I serve, there is a beautiful Good Shepherd Window stage left of the pulpit. It’s flanked by a beautiful Resurrection Window on the lectern side. They aren’t always in my sightlines when I’m preaching, but I’m always aware that I’m proclaiming the Gospel between these two powerful images of our faith.
When I’m feeling overwhelmed, or exhausted, or burdened, or frustrated, I slip into the Sanctuary where I can sit in front of the Good Shepherd Window for a little while. I’ve never found the limit to how much “stuff” I can carry in there and dump in front of The Good Shepherd. He just receives everything I bring and replaces it all with His Peace.
So today, I encourage you to gather up whatever “stuff” you’re carrying around, find yourself some sacred space, and offer it all up to The Good Shepherd. He will be delighted to take that burden from you and to restore your soul.
Prayer: Jesus, Our Good Shepherd, thank you for your loving and attentive care for all of us. AMEN