The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
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.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (PSALM 23, ESV)

The lectionary readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent are 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Ephesians 5:1-14, John 9:1-13, 28-38, and Psalm 23, which is one of the Bible's most famous psalms. Since I do not intend to include Psalm 23 in this Sunday’s sermon, I decided to use it for this morning’s devotional.

As I am sure most of you already know, Psalm 23 is King David’s personal testimony. Each verse reveals a truth about the type of relationship David had with the Lord, and the kind of relationship we can also have with Him. The testimony in Psalm 23 creates a vivid word picture, helping us better understand Him as our Great Shepherd. Not only does it clarify what it means for God to be our Shepherd, but it also shows how our relationship with Him can be transformed through meditating on these truths. To keep this devotional brief, I will share five short statements about David’s testimony of the Lord that you can use to enhance your own study.

…“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” testifies to God’s sufficiency.
…“He makes me lie down… He leads me beside still waters…” testifies to God’s satisfaction.
…“He restores my soul… He leads me in paths…” testifies to God’s sovereignty.
…“Even though I walk through the valley… I will fear no evil…” testifies to God’s security.
…“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me… I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” testifies to God’s steadfastness.

Once again, with these thoughts in mind, let us pray: Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen!