“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.”
In a way, Psalm 23 provides a job description for a shepherd: providing food, giving guidance to clean water and leading to a safe place of rest. A shepherd leads the sheep, protects them, rescues them when they are in danger and searches for them when they are lost.
The Lord is our Shepherd. Even in the valley of the shadow of death, our Good Shepherd is with us. May we entrust ourselves to our him, listen to his voice and rely upon his guidance.
Prov. 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Psalm 86:11 reads, “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.”
The word “heart” is used over 700 times in the Bible. Today we think of a person’s heart as a vital organ, the muscle which pumps blood throughout the body, and it is. In ancient times, the heart was considered to be the center of a person’s thinking, feeling and doing.
When we read the Bible, it is important to remember this. Prov. 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.”
Let us learn God’s word by heart, trust and love God with all our heart and remember Jesus’ words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1)
May God bless your week!
Editor's note: This article was updated at 4:06 p.m. Sept. 16 to correct spelling errors in the headline and story.
