A Sojourner's Walk Through Psalm 23

^{The LORD is my shepherd;  I have a provider, protector, and rescuer.  He is the Redeemer of my soul, my very life.}

^{I shall not want.  Even though I feel want many times a day, I know that my Good Shepherd will not leave my soul in a state of want; He will not abandon His children to “lesser loves.”}

 ^{He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He will stop me when I am veering off into danger and will cause me to rest where I can safely recuperate. In these green lush pastures of soul nourishing truth I taste and see that He is good.  No one else will lead me into places of restoration and safety like my Lord.}

^{He leads me beside still waters.  Water is life and without it I perish - neither can I drink from a fire hose and survive, I would be swept away.   He satisfies my thirst without overwhelming me; He knows exactly what I need.}

 ^{He restores my soul.  A work of restoration is slow, tedious and hard - yet, He patiently restores, remakes and heals over time through many different means, even in one sweet word. He is the great physician.}

^{He leads me in paths of righteousness,  I do not know where to go unless He leads me.  But so often my fearful flesh rebells against the path He has for me.  Oh how wonderful the thought that He has gone before me in His perfect righteous life and His death shattering resurrection!  There is no flaw in Him, but only what is good, right, and eternal. Because I am covered in His righteousness, I have no need to fear.}

^{for his name's sake.  Oh what a jealous lover He is!  He will not share me with another but will bring glory to His name through all of His particular workings in my life. His name will be glorious!} 

 ^{Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,  This is not a “maybe” or an “if” but a “when.”  I will walk through the valley of the shadow of death in my life - over and over again - emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  But He has a plan and a purpose for this walk, for He is leading me to the places he wants me to go.  I do not have to fear for I will never be separated from Him, wether by life or by death.}

^{I will fear no evil,  Because I know my good Shepherd, the Lover of my soul, is walking before me, I do not need to fear.  Nothing will utterly destroy me - I choose to not fear evil for my Shepherd is good.}

^{for you are with me;  He leads, but even better than leading, He remains. He walks with me through every shadow of death. I remember that He has defeated every enemy, even death; they all flee before Him.}

^{your rod and your staff,  He has a rod and staff that protects and guides me.  He uses many things in my life to teach and protect me, but I forget His faithfulness and I fear what He may be doing.  In His good and loving discipline He uses everything to make me into the person He created me to be.}  

^{they comfort me. No other teacher, leader, or provider could ever teach or chide me with the comfort that he gives. No other name, no other love could go that deep.} 

"The Breakfast Table" by John Singer Sargent

 ^{You prepare a table before me  He serves me and knows what I need. He lovingly and thoughtfully prepares a table to eat with me.}

^{in the presence of my enemies;  While I am here on this earth, in this mortal body, my enemies will always be present. My fears, my past, the world’s seductive song, and Satan’s lies call out to me even as I sit down at the very table He has prepared for me.  All of my enemies want to starve my soul to death, but the Lord has prepared all the nourishment my soul needs, even in the face of my enemies.}

^{you anoint my head with oil;  He shows me His abundant love by anointing me and caring for me, in front of all that would destroy me.  I feel the richness of His joy and pleasure over me; I am accepted in Him, I am beloved.}

^{my cup overflows. He fills my meager broken cup of clay again and again until it overflows and runs down.  I cannot contain what He is pouring into my cup, it is other worldly.  Mercy, Love, Grace, Joy, Care, Truth. He gives me the cup, and He fills it to overflowing. I do not know where all that He has poured out will go; it is a beautiful mystery.} 

"Invitation to Take Two Cups of Coffee" by Giuliana

^{Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me  I am followed by all that is good for He is good!  I am surrounded by mercy for He mercifully saved me and keeps me.  It is my story. He surrounds me in His goodness and mercy in the midst of trial and difficulty. He turns my head to see all the good that has followed me to this very day.}

^{all the days of my life,  All of HIs goodness and all of His mercy for all of my life without end. No one can number the days of goodness and mercy that I shall know.  It is the music that follows me and the song that others hear.}

^{and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD  I have a home.  I am not destined to be a sojourner on this earth forever.  Every day, every path, every new page in my story is leading me closer and closer to when I will go to join those that have run their race before me.  He is preparing a place for me even now, my bridegroom waits until the appointed day when I will come home to be with Him.}

^{forever.  The good Shepherd watches and waits to be with me forever without end, age after age, from everlasting to everlasting, for He is the Lord.}  

 ^{Sojourning Until That Day,} 

  ^{Your Fellow Sojourner}