• Home
  • About
  • DavidKitz.ca
  • Youtube Videos
  • Books by David
  • Books on Amazon.com

I love the Psalms

~ Connecting daily with God through the Psalms

I love the Psalms

Daily Archives: October 5, 2021

My Good Shepherd

05 Tuesday Oct 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 23, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

good shepherd, Jesus, Psalm 23, Psalms

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.

Psalm 23_1-3aReading: Psalm 23

O LORD my God,
I want to follow after you.
Dear Jesus,
be my Good Shepherd,
now and throughout this life you have given me.
I love you because you first loved me.
I want the good life that comes from following you.

Amen.

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here. Journey through the Psalms in a year.

Pursuing the Good Life

05 Tuesday Oct 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 23, Psalms

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

good life, good shepherd, happiness, Psalm 23

Reading: Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
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.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the L
ORD
forever.
(NIV)*

img_20210920_0748161

Beside quiet waters, Bilberry Creek, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
If there is a biblical recipe or prescription for the good life, it can be found in the words of this psalm. This is a psalm that drips with satisfaction. It oozes with the very fullness of life; it overflows with a quiet peace. There is a mellow ripeness to these words that runs down your chin, lights a spark in your eye, and puts a spring in your step.

The first line is the key to it all. Is the LORD your shepherd? If He is, then all the rest follows: the refreshing, the goodness, and the love, simply come trailing along behind Him as you follow in His steps. This is so easy, so obvious; you can miss it, because it seems far too simple.

We live in a world that is in feverish pursuit of the good life. The self-centered pursuit of happiness has become the crowning, but ever elusive goal. The word ‘pursuit’ says it all. Apparently, happiness is something we are to chase after. Can happiness be found in a host of products, devices and programs?

What a profoundly different model for the good life is found within the words of this Psalm. The good life, which in our hearts we all seek, is anchored in the Good Shepherd. Jesus is that Good Shepherd. Listen to his words, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep, and my sheep know me” (John 10:14, NIV).

It is in following Him, rather than following our own desires, that happiness comes. There is an abundance that comes into play the moment we surrender our stubborn will to the Good Shepherd and then begin to follow Him with our whole heart.

Response: O LORD my God, I want to follow after you. Dear Jesus, be my Good Shepherd, now and throughout this life you have given me. I love you because you first loved me. I want the good life that comes from following you. Amen.

Your Turn: Why do self-centered pursuits leave us feeling empty? Are you pursuing the things of this world, or following the Good Shepherd?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

https://BibleGateway.com/blog/bloggergrid/

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. Journey through the Psalms in a year. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.

Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer

Psalms 365 Volume II

Psalms 365 vol 3
— Psalms 365 Volume III

Psalms

Recent posts

  • Heal Me on the Inside August 15, 2022
  • My Heart Is Wounded within Me. August 15, 2022
  • With God We Will Gain the Victory August 14, 2022
  • Awakening the Dawn August 13, 2022
  • Pronounce a Blessing August 12, 2022
  • Generosity Is Never out of Season August 12, 2022
  • Life on a Higher Plane August 11, 2022

Calendar

October 2021
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Sep   Nov »

Blog Posts

Blogroll

  • David Kitz Website
  • Discuss
  • Get Inspired
  • Get Polling
  • Get Support
  • Learn WordPress.com
  • Theme Showcase
  • WordPress Planet
  • WordPress.com News

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Comments

  • davidkitz on My Heart Is Wounded within Me.
  • wally12662013 on My Heart Is Wounded within Me.
  • davidkitz on A Higher Call on a Dark Road

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • I love the Psalms
    • Join 1,595 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • I love the Psalms
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...