Here’s Hope: “Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness., Lord unto me!” (Hymn: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” Written by Thomas O. Chrisholm, Music by William M. Runyan
Bible Passage: Psalm 23:1-3
Consider This: Many years ago, just after I had become a Christian, I remember going on my first “field trip” as a 18 year old new believer. My first pastor, Tom Gaskins, was speaking for a revival service at his previous church down in North Carolina , my home state. Being new to the faith, I was not very familiar with the Bible and when a youth choir began singing a song for the revival service that night, I heard these words: “ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days, all the days of my life.” I can still hear that country, Southern accent that even penetrated a song, as those teenage girls sang praise to God that night. I hate to admit it, but it probably took me a decade before I realized those were some of the words of the 23rd Psalm
Have we ever had a more beautiful reminder of how faithful our God is each and every day? “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want…” Even today as we think about our circumstances in the middle of this covid-19 pandemic, our compassionate shepherd continues to watch over us and provide for our needs, even our wants. We all miss not being able to gather on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings to worship and fellowship together, don’t we ? We crave to be able to be physically together, to hug our children and grandchildren once again, to shake hands and affirm, it’s good to see you today.
Despite all the social distancing and regulations to gather in groups of no more than 10 people, we still can “see” and appreciate how our Shepherd is taking care of us, his sheep. God is still restoring our souls, when we invite Him to be in relationship with us each day. Are you talking to Him each day and sharing what is on your mind, what you are worried about? Please don’t deprive yourself the privilege of knowing, surely His goodness and mercy are there for you this day. He is waiting to lead you to green pastures so your soul can find rest. Why not repeat those loving words to yourself each day, “The Lord is shepherd, I shall not be in want.”
Prayer: Gracious and loving Father, we thank You that You are our Shepherd that provides for all our needs. We thank You that in the middle of a healthcare crisis, You still provide safe places for us to take refuge and rest from our concerns and worries. Surely your goodness and mercy will follow us all the days, all the days of our lives. Amen.