April 4, 2025

Psalm 23:1-2
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

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Lord, I thank you that you're my shepherd,
that you lead me
so that I'm not trying to flounder out there today by myself.

I thank you, Lord, that I lack nothing.
There is nothing that I need that you don't have.
And all I have to do is ask.
I thank you for being my great, great provider.

Lord, I thank you so much
that in grassy meadows we can find rest.
Sometimes when I'll look out
and I see the beautiful green grass,
and thinking about lying there and looking up into the heavens,
my heart is filled with your peace and rest.

And then, God,
you keep the waters around me from being tumultuous.
That I can rest beside your waters
that are still and quiet and reflective.

You provide times of quiet for me
So that I can gather myself.
You provide times of rest
and rejuvenation and restoration
because you are our Shepherd.

You know what we need even before we ask.
You hold us over your shoulder
as you speak words of comfort and peace to us.
We follow your voice
because your voice is the only one we want to follow.

Thank you for providing everything that we lack.
Even if we don't have a job yet, we believe that a job is coming.
Whatever it is that we think that we need--?
We believe that it may not be here now, in the physical,
but we believe in the spiritual realm, God,
that it's coming—
because you are the Shepherd
who knows the needs of your sheep before they ever ask.

And sometimes, God, in the waiting,
you are working with our spirit and our mind
to get us prepared for the great gift you have in store for us.

So, in advance of the gift, we say thank you.
And thank you for being the Shepherd of all shepherds,
the leader, the one that we look to,
the one that we never tire of, following Jesus Christ the Savior.

Amen.