Daily Devotional for Suturday, June 22

The Provisions of the Great Shepherd

“A Psalm of David. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters,” Psalm 23:1, 2.

Have you ever heard the saying that “you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink”? Anybody who has ever tried to force a horse to drink water, even when you know it is thirsty and needs the water, knows exactly what I am talking about. Or how about when a child needs to take medicine that will help him feel better, but he does not like the flavor of the medicine, and he refuses to take what has been prescribed for him. Sometimes, what we need has been offered and provided for us, but we will not accept it or take it because we are listening to someone else, or we just refuse it because we do not like it. At times, we are like a horse or child and refuse what has been provided and is good for each of us from the Lord.

This psalm shows us how the Lord not only provides for us but offers us the best provision (verse 2). We do not have to worry about what will happen to us in this life because He is right there by our side: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (verse 4). It goes on to teach us that goodness and mercy will be with us all of our lives (verse 6), but does that mean that nothing bad will ever happen to us? On the contrary, it means that Jesus has the right provision and prescription to make it better (Romans 8:28).

REFLECTION
“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalm 34:8).

Tim Chambers