Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23:6)   We’ve been through good times, hard times, brokenness and blessings in Psalm 23. Now we’ve reached the conclusion, David, who wrote the psalm, is convinced that:  God is good.  God is merciful.  He is with us always now.  And we will be with Him forever. How convinced are you? Lord, thank you for the lessons in Psalm 23. Thank you that even though life will have its ups and downs, you will always be with us, now and forever. Amen

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Psalm 23:5) I love a good roast. But when it comes to washing up the roasting tray the oil doesn’t come off easily. I frequently find my wife rewashing my pitiful attempts.  In this verse the host anoints the guest with oil - a sign of hospitality and honour. I take comfort in the fact that this oil doesn’t wipe off either! No matter what, because of Jesus, God will always welcome, honour and anoint us as guests at His table. Lord, thank you that you anoint us with oil that cannot be wiped off. What an honour to sit and be welcomed to your table. Amen

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) I’m pretty sure the sheep is utterly bemused at this point. Two verses ago we were lying in grassy pastures by tranquil waters, now we are walking in the dark, down deathly valleys. Situations in life can change in an instant, and we can be left asking ‘why?’. But one thing is consistent, the shepherd is always with us. Lord, thank you for always being with us. Thank you that you beat death on the cross. Even when life is hard, and we can’t see a way out of the valley, let us remember that you are still there. Amen

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. (Psalm 23:3) I’ve become a big fan of The Repair Shop on BBC. The show sees people hand over old battered rocking horses or rusty clocks to a shed full of expert craftsmen. Over the programme, the items are carefully restored to their former glory and returned to the, usually tearful, owner.    God has done the same for us. When we were down, broken and hopeless, and seemingly beyond repair, God sent Jesus to restore us and our relationship with God. And no matter what we are going through today, if we hand over our lives, God remains the great restorer.  Lord, thank you for being the great restorer. Help us to trust you with our lives, so that you can restore all that is broken within us. Amen

He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. (Psalm 23:2) For a sheep this is the dream. Lying down, quiet waters, green pastures. But notice the shepherd makes the sheep lie down. It sounds like the sheep doesn’t want to. The shepherd knows what the sheep needs - rest. Let’s work hard in life, but let’s also know the importance of resting in the shepherd's presence. Lord, sorry for when life gets so busy that I forget to acknowledge you. Help me to live life with the right balance of hard work and rest. Amen

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) I’m no sheep expert. But from what I have observed is that they spend a lot of their time, head down, grazing. Seemingly oblivious to what is going on around them. How often are we like sheep, head down, focused on what is immediately in front of us. Let’s not forget to look up at the shepherd who knows what we want, and can see the bigger picture. Lord, thank you for being our shepherd. Forgive us when we don’t acknowledge you. Help us to look to you in all we do. Amen