Lenten Reader | Day 27

Today’s passage is one that you might be familiar with. I cannot think of a more appropriate individual than King David to pen the words, “The Lord is my shepherd.” David is called a man after God own heart (1 Sa. 13:14, Acts 13:22) because he followed God all the days of his life. David exemplifies a man leaning on the arms of the everlasting God. Being a shepherd, he understood quite well what the shepherd does for his sheep.

David’s understanding of a shepherd becomes even deeper through the rest of his life experience in leaning on the Lord to refresh his soul. David spent a considerable amount of time on the run from Saul who sought to kill him out of jealousy. David roamed about in the wilderness where there was little nourishment, yet God provided for David and his men. David survived his time in the wilderness because the Lord – his Shepherd – led him by still waters and refreshed his soul.

I doubt many of us have ever been on the run for our lives like David, but we still have experiences and circumstances that produce the same anxiety, stress, and fear. How can we be like David when our finances are tight, when the car is broken down again, or when we lose a close family member? The answer is in David’s steadfast commitment to God. In all circumstances he turned to God and relied on Him to provide and care for himself. For us today, the challenge is not to simply know we can turn to God in all life’s circumstances but to practice doing so. Trusting God in everything is not easy when we are used to manifesting things for ourselves. However, as we continue trusting Him more, with time we will see all He is our Shepherd and with Him we lack nothing. He refreshes our souls.

Brady Miller