The 23rd Psalm
The Holy One is my Shepherd;
there is nothing else I need or lack.
In verdant fields God urges my rest,
by clear, sweet waters God leads me.
You refresh and revive my soul,
and are my guide to holy pathways
that I may glorify Your NAME in each step.
Even if evil and death overshadow me
and the walls of the deepest valley tower over me,
no fear of evil shall overtake me;
for You are my companion alongside me always;
Your rod and staff are ever between me and danger,
and I am comforted and at peace.
In the face of those who seek my harm
You prepare a feast;
You have marked me as holy and beloved,
and have filled my cup to overflowing.
The sureness of Your goodness and mercy
is the foundation and lodestar of my life,
and my home is with You in each moment,
and eternally.
Leslie Scoopmire is a writer, musician, and a priest in the Diocese of Missouri. She is rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Ellisville, MO. She posts daily prayers, meditations, and sermons at her blog Abiding In Hope, and collects spiritual writings and images at Poems, Psalms, and Prayers.
