Walk without Fear
Read: Isaiah 41:10-13 I will fear no evil. (Psalm 23:4b) If we are honest, all of us are afraid of something. I fear bees, health challenges, and losing my memory to name a few. Some fears are bigger than others, but all of them create an intense feeling of helplessness. David had every reason to […]
Walk Through
Read: Isaiah 43:1-7 I walk through the valley. (Psalm 23:4a) Valleys are found between two high places. We get from one high place to the other by going through the valley. In today’s verse from Psalm 23, David describes passing through “the valley of the shadow of death” (v. 4). The valley was dark; it was […]
Walk for His Name’s Sake
Read: Philippians 2:1-11 He leads me . . . for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3b-c) I like receiving praise for something that I have done. Receiving praise is not wrong or sinful, but when it puffs me up with pride, I am walking for my name’s sake and not God’s. Do you find yourself doing the same? […]
Walk in Righteousness
Read: Matthew 22:34-40 He leads me in paths of righteousness. (Psalm 23:3b) To live right physically, I need to keep moving. Exercise is good for my health, but for sheep, movement is absolutely necessary. Sheep can ruin the ground where they graze if they stay still too long, and become susceptible to more parasites. That’s […]
Walk Restored
Read: Matthew 2:1-12 He restores my soul. (Psalm 23:3a) Today is Epiphany. It is a time when believers in many Christian traditions celebrate the magi coming from afar to worship Jesus. The magi followed an unusual star that guided them. In his commentary on this passage, Matthew Henry said, “This star was the token of […]
Walk in Peace
Read: Mark 4:35-41 He leads me beside still waters. (Psalm 23:2b) I live near Lake Michigan. Sometimes when there is no wind, the lake resembles glass—perfectly still, perfectly peaceful. But then, a sudden storm will produce huge waves. Life can be like this sometimes. Everything can be going well, but a new health diagnosis, a […]
Walk Forward in His Rest
Read: Mark 6:7-13; 30-33 He makes me lie down in green pastures. (Psalm 23:2a) Walking and resting may seem contradictory. But sometimes we need rest so that we can walk well, instead of just stumbling forward, exhausted physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Have you longed for rest, but because of life circumstances you couldn’t experience it? […]
Walk with Enough
Read: Exodus 16:1-23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) When I first memorized Psalm 23 as a child, I thought verse 1 meant “I shall not want my Shepherd, although he is mine.” I was confused! It really means that we lack nothing with our Shepherd. In his book A Shepherd’s […]
Walk with the Shepherd
Read: John 10:1-14 The LORD is my shepherd. (Psalm 23:1a) I used to think that sheep were stupid, but recently I learned that I was wrong. Experts who know sheep well say that sheep are intelligent and social. They are excellent mothers; they make friends with other sheep, and they know how to grieve loss. […]