Thought for the Day - Wednesday 17 March

Psalm 23:1-3 (New Living Translation)   A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honour to his name. Today’s reading is from one of the best-known Psalms and I imagine most of us from a certain age onwards, would not require to read the words when singing this Psalm because we’ve sang them and heard them so many times over the years. When doing a little bit of reading in preparation for this article, I came upon some observations in relation to this Psalm that I don’t recall ever hearing before and I would like to share them with you today. Charles Spurgeon, a famous English Baptist preacher in the 1800’s wrote; ‘Psalm 23 has charmed more griefs to rest than all the philosophy of the world.  It has remanded to their dungeon more felon thoughts, more black doubts, more thieving sorrows, than there are sands on the seashore.  It has comforted the noble host of the poor.  It has sung courage to the army of the disappointed.  It has poured balm and consolation into the heart of the sick, of captives in dungeons, of widows in their pinching griefs, of orphans in their loneliness.  Dying soldiers have died easier as it was read to them; ghastly hospitals have been illuminated; it has visited the prisoner and broken his chains, and, like Peter’s angel, led him forth in imagination, and sung him back to his home again.  It has made the dying Christian slave freer than his master, and consoled those, whom, dying, he left behind mourning, not so much that he was gone, as because they were left behind, and could not go, too’. Millions of people have memorised this Psalm, even those who have learned few other portions of scripture.  Ministers have used it to comfort people who are going through severe personal trials, suffering illness, or dying.  For some, the words of this Psalm have been the last words they have ever uttered in life. It is interesting to note that a shepherd’s work was considered the lowest of the low and frequently, these duties were allocated to the youngest son.  This Psalm was written by David, most probably when he was a king but, even then, he must have recognised the importance of his previous duty of tending his father’s sheep by describing God as his personal shepherd.  It demonstrates the personal relationship that can be had with God just by knowing these words. Prayer Heavenly Father, we thank you for this Psalm written so many years ago by your servant David, while being guided and inspired by You.  We thank You for the comfort and assurance it has brought to friends and strangers at the most difficult times in their lives.  Help us ensure that this gift is passed to our younger generation so they, in turn may experience the benefits of knowing these words and, hopefully, in future years, we pray that they will pass it on to their own children.  Amen.