08-18-19

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS

August 18, 2019

Scripture: Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Thought for the Day: Many of us know these words well. We might have memorized a slightly different version, but no matter how you first learned them there is an important and beautiful transition in the language that should not be overlooked. Earlier in the Psalm, the author spoke of God in the third person. “The Lord is my shepherd…” is the metaphor by which the author described God, but as we transition into the darkness and shadows of the valley, the pronouns change. The language becomes intimate as the author makes a profound statement of faith: “…you are with me…” The Psalm would have still been beautiful if the author would have said, “The Shepherd is with me,” but with the transition to first person, we find a confident familiarity that is so much more comforting. A shepherd is a nice image to use, but at the end of the day, I don’t want a shepherd in my valleys of darkness. I desire the One who might be LIKE a shepherd, but is in fact the Source of Everlasting Life and Love.

Prayer: Whatever language I may use to describe you, Lord, at the end of the day I do not desire a relationship with language. I want to know you and the love found in a relationship with you. Amen.

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