The Lord is my shepherd

Psalm 23:1-3 (NLT)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

It is the duty of Christians to encourage themselves in the Lord their God; and we are here directed to take that encouragement both from the relation wherein he stands to us and from the experience we have had of his goodness according to that relation. [Matthew Henry]

Pat Summerall, the well known sports announcer, overcame alcoholism and became a follower of Christ in his late sixties. He said this about water baptism: "I went down in the water, and when I came up it was like a 40-pound weight had been lifted from me. I have a happier life, a healthy life, and a more positive feeling about life than ever before."

About prayer meetings and Bible studies Summerall comments: "It's like an alcoholic looking for a drink. If he wants it bad enough, he can find it—no matter what. I'm like that when it comes to finding prayer services and Bible studies. No matter where I am working, I know that they're out there and I can find them." [Art Stricklin, Sports Spectrum (Nov/Dec 2001), p. 27; Terry Mattingly, Washington Bureau (2-27-02)]

When our strength is failing, God Himself renews our strength and gives us new hope that we might bring honor to his name. God leads us to places that are peaceful and calm; away from the worldly life that seeks to destroy us. He is our shepherd and prepares for us all that we need.