Lead Me To Goodness

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 18th, 2021:
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 23

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

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. 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff — they comfort me. 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. 
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R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

The Lord is always with us in our journeys through both green pastures and dark valleys. He desires a true relationship with each of us through it all: good and bad, easy and difficult, happy and sad. God is not frightened by darkness as He has already conquered it. 

Furthermore, the Lord knows and expects that we will wander into the darkness throughout our lives. But, sin, shame, or guilt will never get in the way of God’s great love for us. We may push the Lord away for our own reasons in times of darkness, however, that is the very last thing that He desires for us. God desires that we turn to Him always, in all circumstances. 

When we trust in and rely on the Lord, there is nothing He won’t provide…”I shall not want.” The Lord promises to lead us to goodness and mercy if we choose to let Him. Peace and joy are sure to follow when we trust in Him. 

There have been several times in my life that I have withdrawn from God because I felt that I was not deserving of His goodness, or because I was carrying the weight and guilt of sin. But, withdrawing from God only ever leads to more darkness. 

Although you may doubt it in the moment, the Lord always wants to hear from you and will always be willing to lead you back to green pastures, and by still waters. In those moments of doubt, be sure to remember that God only expects human behaviour from us and He desires our love and relationship always. There is not one thing that you can do on this earth to change that. You are always loved and desired by Him. 

I pray that I will allow the Lord to lead me to goodness each day. Amen.




​Megan Noye
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