The Lord is my shepherd...Psalms 23

The Prayer of the 23rd Psalms is a prayer of worship rendered by David at what could only be stated as the most stressful time of his life. King David sat on the side of a mountain and looked down at the palace seeing the betrayal of his beloved son Absalom. Knowing the heart of his son wanted to kill him. Facing this tragic turn of events David reflected on the deliverance that God alone can give. God deliverance portrayed the Lord in the persona of the most understood caretaker of that time, a shepherd.

The shepherd was kind, gentle, and caring. Despite the meticulous aroma of sheep, even though they often found trouble or brought trouble to the shepherd, the shepherd still protected, guided, and provided for the sheep. David had as we often do, brought this trouble to his kingdom and his household. Two incidents play into his trouble, one was a sin of omission, the other a sin of commission. But the reason he is still described as a man after God's heart was his willingness to own the role or reason he was punished.

David cried out asking for forgiveness of his sin with Bathsheba and God did forgive him, but the results of his sin set into motion the situation he now faced. David’s example to us is how he describes the trouble he brought as “the valley of the shadow of death.” A valley is a low place and the shadow though scary was just a threat that the shepherd was going to guide him through. Remember beloved that past sins do have consequences, but God is gracious to help us face the results as long as we repent and get in line. David wept during the night but once he got through the valley, his joy returned.

*The sin of omission was towards Absalom while the sin of commission was with Bathsheba.     

God Bless and Command Your Day!

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