Day 34 - Lent 2026
GUIDANCE, ABUNDANCE, PROTECTION AND RESTORATION
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul; He leads 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 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 runs 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 Forever. Psalm 23:1-6 NKJV
Psalm 23 is familiar to many of us You may have learned it in Sunday School as a child or an adult. It is arguably one of the most well-known and beloved scriptures of all time. So much so that we may even take it a bit for granted.
The psalm positions God as Shepherd. The role of a shepherd is to guide, protect and provide for his flock. We see that in our daily lives. If we look to God, He will guide us, order our steps and supply all our needs.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
I especially love these 2 verses; they speak to the restoration and revival only God can provide.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me
His protection is so complete, we can face anything, even something as formidable as the promise of death. His promise is to never leave us or forsake us. He fights the battles we may not have the strength to fight. That knowledge alone is so comforting. As the saying goes: Don’t tell God how big your storm is, tell the storm how big your God is!
He is our protector.
The psalmist David is a shepherd speaking to God. He is acknowledging the nature of his relationship to God. I don’t know any shepherds. I understand that they still exist but certainly not as much as they existed in David’s time. Yet this psalm has remained relevant for centuries. While I don’t know any shepherds, I do know many of us who work or have worked a variety of roles and functions in this modern world.
Though we may not be near pastures daily, God can lead us to righteousness and rest anywhere. He can restore our soul wherever we may be.
Whether we are at work, at home, or in our vehicle, He is there guiding protecting and providing. His love endures, forever. Though this psalm is so familiar, let us remember to fully appreciate this message of God’s deeply personal and protective relationship to us, His flock.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, Thank you God, Thank you for being there, and for providing for us every day. Oh God. Thank you for guiding our steps and for standing in the gap to protect us time and time again. So often, we come close to danger or even disaster, and you just yank us out of that problem, that issue, that dark place. It is you God who saves us, not because we deserve it, not because we’ve done anything special. It is because of Your grace that we are protected and provided for. And we remain so grateful oh God.
Thank you Father.
In Jesus holy name,
AMEN.
SUBMITTED BY DEACON SUSAN GROENEVELDT