Psalm 23 | Jeff Prosser

Psalm 23 — A passage this familiar is easy to zip past, so read it this morning as if you've never laid eyes on it. Jeff Prosser continues Summer in the Psalms at Severns Valley.

Psalm 23 is quoted so often we tend to check out, so Jeff Prosser slows down to walk through the shepherd's actual world: still waters, the rod and staff, and the oil a shepherd poured over the snake holes so his sheep could graze in the very presence of their enemies. From there he shows a Shepherd who provides before we know our need, restores us when we wander, and takes the sting out of death. That same Shepherd put on flesh in Jesus, knows our voice, and leaves the ninety-nine to bring the one back home.

A few things to carry into your week:

- The Lord is my shepherd. Sheep aren't as helpless as their reputation, but they are completely dependent on the shepherd, and so are we. Freedom doesn't come from carrying our own weight; it comes from following him.

- He provides before you know you need it. Before you ever knew you needed a Savior, one was already given. And when you stray, he restores, just as Jesus met Peter after three denials and simply asked, "Do you love me?"

- You don't have to clean yourself up first. God can't love you any more than he already showed at the cross, and he comes right where you are, no speech required, like the father who ran to meet his son.

- Death is only a shadow. Jesus took the sting out of it the way a father catches the bee, so we can walk the valley without fear, steadied by his Word, his Spirit, and a table he sets even in the presence of our enemies.

"Are you listening for the Shepherd's voice, and will you let him lead you home?"

July 5, 2026

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