Ordinary Time

Pause

The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing.

He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; he keeps me alive.

He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name.

Psalm 23:1-3

Listen

Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make his deeds known to all people! Sing to God; sing praises to the Lord; dwell on all his wondrous works! Give praise to God’s holy name! Let the hearts rejoice of all those seeking the Lord! Pursue the Lord and his strength; seek his face always! Remember the wondrous works he has done, all his marvelous works, and the justice he declared— you who are the offspring of Abraham, his servant, and the children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

Psalm 105:1-6

Think

Nearly every verse of today’s passage begins by telling us what to do: give thanks, sing, give praise, pursue, and remember because of who God is. Only that last verse is different – it tells us who we are. When we notice all that God has done and all of who God is, we respond like the psalmist, with thanks and praise and singing and sharing with others. Because we know how great God is, we pursue and seek after God. When we do this, we find God and we rejoice! The reason we do this is because of who we are.

Paul writes in the New Testament that those who follow Christ are descendants of Abraham, like those mentioned in this Psalm and “heirs of the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Christians can therefore see ourselves in this passage. We do all these things when we think about God because of who we are – heirs of the promise, descendants of Abraham; we are created, loved, and chosen by God.

Emily Peck-McClain

Pray

O wondrous and amazing God, I praise your name. I sing out my love and gratitude for all that you are and all that you have done. Keep me ever seeking after you and remind me always of who I am: created, loved, and chosen by you. In your marvelous name I pray, amen.

Go

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me.

Your rod and your staff— they protect me.

You set a table for me right in front of my enemies.

You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over!

Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the Lord’s house as long as I live.

Psalm 23:4-6