Psalm 23

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2  He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3  He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

  for his name's sake.

4 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.

5 You prepare a table before me

  in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

  my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

  all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

  forever.

Associated with death, Psalm 23 is the single-best-known passage in the bible, but it is not a psalm of death. Rather it is a psalm of life and that God watches over us and desires good for his creation, including us, in our lives.

My dad was born yesterday, Oct 5, 1923, to Roy and Clara Baldner. Roy was born in 1894 and Clara in 1900. My dad's journey began in Adams Township, Minnesota and ended here in Lubbock in 2005. In his time, he saw World War II (and was in the Navy during that time in a bomber in the Pacific), the rise of the atomic age, the space age, the rise of technology in our lives, and other notable events in the rise of the US associated with its "super power" status among nations.

He missed the Astros going to the series in 2005, a memorable event but forgettable as they were swept by the White Sox. He missed the forced move in the sale of the Astros to the American League, their rise in status to contender, winners for a number of years in the AL, and two World Series out of four they played in. He loved baseball first and foremost.

I say all that because through it all, God clearly walked with my father. He was dutiful as a Christian, serving the church in a variety of capacities, mostly as a "trustee" as they called them in his day. God watched over my dad through war, through the Great Depression, through the loss of his mother early in life, through several attempts to have children - losing three at birth with my mom, through job struggles after the plant closure in Houston, and other parts of his life.

God walked with my dad in good times and in bad, what appeared bleak at times and what was prosperous at others. 

Christ is that "good shepherd" for us now as he declares in John 10. One of seven "I ams" from Christ in John, Jesus declares to be the very shepherd David writes about in today's psalm. My dad's story is unique to me, but it is a common story for all of us and our fathers who provided for us. Through it all, we are shepherded by Christ, the good shepherd. We walk without worry or fear, fearing in God alone as our provider, our Lord, and our savior.

What is your story? Can you see God's guiding hand in your own life and through the lives of those who brought you to this point? 

Gracious Father, We know you are with us on this journey we call life. I give thanks for my earthly father, whom you gave me to guide me. I give thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ, whom you sent to shepherd me to the point of eternity with you. In Christ's name, Amen.