Today is April 27thGrace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”Today’s reading is from Psalm 23"1 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,[a] 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."Instead of a reflection, you’re going to hear this scripture two more times. This time, I’ll read it from the Message translation. I’m going to read it very slowly, and want you to pay attention to particular words or phrases that stand out to you. Trust that the Spirit of God is with you, drawing you to parts of this holy text that He intends for you to notice today.The Message"1-3 God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.4 Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraidwhen you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.5 You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.6 Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life."This line is the one that sticks out to me: ‘you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction’. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, like I’ve run too far too fast! This reminds me that God allows me to slow down, to get my heart rate back to normal, and then that I can rely on Him to direct my next steps, my decisions, my actions. It’s not all up to me and my fast moving, fast thinking, or fast activating. This reminds me who God is, and who I am. You’re going to listen to the Psalm one final time. Try to slow down and simply abide in these words:"1 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,[a] 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."God is pursuing you with His goodness and His love. He is with you in the valley of the shadow of death and even there, in the dark spaces of life, His beauty and love chase after you and protect you. Can you set an alarm to remind you to take a few more times today to slow down, take a deep breath, and read or recite this psalm again? If you’ve never memorized a scripture, this is a great one to start with.Music Credit:Good Shepherd (Lead On) - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

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