I’ve read the Twenty-Third Psalm, memorized it, enjoyed it. Today I heard it used as a sermon at a funeral. Isn’t our purpose to apply what we read to a person’s life? To mine?
In the last three days, I’ve realized that my last three weeks has been filled with anything but the peace and assurance of the 23rd Psalm. My brother’s death a month ago, along with numerable family issues resulting in hurt feelings and anguish have not made the paths where I lie down peaceful. Anything but. This week our small group prayed for three individuals facing struggles. This day, three day’s later, two of them are dead; one was reported dead but indeed still lives, and we are “in want.” We want answers. We want closure. We want to feel in control, when the lesson we must learn is that God is in control, and in His perfect timing and His perfect direction, he will lead us on the paths that are best for us.
Yes, it will be for our good, just as the Psalmist wrote many years ago. I must not run ahead of the Shepherd, but follow him.
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