Perhaps one of the most familiar passages in all of the Scriptures comes from King David.
Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
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.5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
It is a Psalm of comfort and hope.
Within its six short verses we are reminded that we are never alone.
However, as I listen to people from all walks of life share their stories one common thing I hear is that despite living in a world full of people, they still feel alone.
King David’s words remind us of several important truths about God’s presence in our lives.
First, we lack nothing (v. 1). God gives us the important things in life including the gift of love. Love from above and love to share with others. It’s a love that provides healing in our relationships, a love that helps repair friendships, a love that is personal between God and His children.
Next, we see that our God provides us opportunities for rest and spiritual growth (v. 2). Gently God gives us “quiet waters” to lead us to in order to help us refresh ourselves spiritually (v. 3).
In verse four we realize that sometimes life hits us where it hurts and often, unexpectedly. Out of nowhere a loved one passes, we are diagnosed with a crippling disease, we lose a job, or our dreams are squashed in an instant by other devastating news. At these times we feel abandoned, lost, and lonely.
It is in these times where we experience God’s intimate presence. It is during these times where we feel that He is near and that His protection is always with us, like a lost lamb in the field feeling the shepherd’s staff, we are pulled within the loving grasps of the Great Shepherd and we know that He is near. This is a feeling of comfort.
King David reminded us that because of this knowledge, we should express true thanksgiving and joy (v. 5). Even though the world around us is painful, even though we may seem alone, we give thanks because we are not left to ourselves. We offer praise because God is there.
Since God is there, goodness and love will follow you all the days of your life (v. 6) and our eternal destiny will be in the house of the Lord.
No matter where you are on life’s journey, know that you are not alone!