Reflections
Psalm 23: 1-3, 3-4, 5, 6 (Read)
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
The Psalm's words are a source of peace
for us, a source of strength, a source of healing.
The Lord provides for us,
“There is nothing I shall want.”
The Lord restores us, for we tend to go astray
like sheep. We belong under the care of
the Good Shepherd, who is guardian of our souls.
Jesus assures us that we who enter the sheepfold
through Him will be saved and will find pasture.
Jesus promises to raise us up and to destroy death,
our biggest enemy. Our psalmist promises that
we are to be anointed by the Lord, “You anoint my
head with oil, my cup overflows.” We are made
ready to go forth on our journey of eternal life
with the Lord.
Like a Good Shepherd, Jesus says He should
not lose anything of what the Father has given Him,
but that He should raise it on the last day. (John 6: 39)
We lack nothing when we trust in the Lord.
We fear nothing. Having been rescued by our Savior,
and now counted among His obedient sheep,
we are groomed to enter the Kingdom
and dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm promises a heavenly banquet at a time when we
are faced with our greatest enemy, death. "You spread the table
before me in the sight of my foes." Speak of how you are
comforted by the Psalm's verses.
2. Our psalmist assures us that our Lord is the guardian of our
souls and that we shall have eternal life with Him. Explain how
confident you are that you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
"Explain how confident you are that you will dwell in the house of the Lord."
ReplyDeleteVery…….am I exceptional…….”NO.” But that’s what we as Catholics believe……..”We shall have eternal life with Him.” We’ll all probably spend a little time in purgatory, but that’s not the issue/question!
God is like a shepherd. Sheep follow their shepherd. The shepherd leads the sheep to all that they need: food, rest and water. Jesus leads us to all that we need. We have to remember that what we NEED is not always what we WANT.
ReplyDeleteGod is like a guide. With God as guide we are safe. God brought David through the shadow of death. He will do the same for us - if we believe in Jesus. We must all die. It is a great help to know that: Jesus died and God raised him from the dead. And if we believe in Jesus, God will raise us from the dead
God is like a friend. Heaven is the home of God. People that believe in Jesus go there. They go there after they die. If we believe in Jesus we can say, “I will always live in the house of the LORD.” The house of the LORD is in heaven.
We really need to learn to appreciate that when we truly embrace the concept of God as our shepherd and guide, we will be protected and helped in ways we cannot imagine.
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." That last verse of Psalm 23, in any translation, provides such comfort and assurance of my salvation. Although I can try my best to fight off sickness or endure tough times, I can't do a thing to outsmart death; it will come. With God as my perfect shepherd, I know that I'll be guided and protected in this world, this side of death. When it is time to cross through to the other side, I am told I will dwell in His house forever. Whenever I am attacked with doubt or misgivings, I just need to remind myself of the many Biblical promises laid out in this beautiful Psalm.
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