The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
— Psalm 23:1
This morning I sat on my veranda overlooking our cove, the still of the morning wrapping around me like the blanket cocooning my body. The lake was peaceful and still, the sky a blinding blue that promised another day of warmth and wonder. No one was up but me and the guy across the cove who was quietly fishing off his dock. Even the birds were silent, as if waiting for the whisper of God’s “good morning.”
Just like me.
And to top everything off like the cream in my hazelnut coffee, was my devotional this morning, which was about the 23rd Psalm, my favorite chapter in the entire Bible. To me, the 23rd Psalm is as comforting as my toasty blanket and as invigorating as my steaming cup of java, wrapping me in the incomparable cocoon of God’s love and peace.
But I have to say that the real joy came when I read an amazing commentary on the 23rd Psalm. Well, actually, a commentary on just the first line, which is also our header quote today:
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
You see, this commentary expounded on the Scripture line above one word at a time, imparting a view of God that is deeper than the lake before me and as soothing as its still waters, barely kissed by the whisper of a breeze.
I was so blessed by this blogger’s interpretation of the first line of the 23rd Psalm, that I knew immediately it was a lesson I wanted to include in my upcoming novel, His Steadfast Love.
And just in the nick of time, too, since I only have eight scenes left to go! I was praying about a final spiritual lesson at the end of the book, so this will be what our hero Pastor Chase Griffin will impart to the heroine, one Catherine Marie O’Bryen. Because Cat is a lost soul who is eventually “shepherded” back to still waters by a man who depicts God’s steadfast love for each of us.
And so, instead of me writing a blog today, your time would be so much better spent by reading this amazing commentary if you so desire, which blessed me to no end. I pray it does the same for you!
Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd by Daira Curran
Winner of the Ind’tale Contest!
A HUGE thank you to all of you who entered my April contest — I wish I could give a prize to each and everyone! But, unfortunately, Rafflecopter only picks one winner who will have a character named after her in His Steadfast Love, a signed paperback copy, and her choice of two more of my books, which could be hard since I’m pretty sure this particular winner has most if not all of them!
So SUPER CONGRATS to the following sweet reader friend, who is my InD’tale Contest winner!!
ANDI TUBBS
But … as a big THANK YOU to each of you for taking the time to enter and help me promote InD’tale Magazine, I have decided that my next Journal Jot blog will include a fun sneak peek at an excerpt from His Steadfast Love about Shannon and Sam’s honeymoon. I promised another dear reader friend — Kelly Reed — that I would post it in today’s Journal Jot, but since it’s a bit on the … ahem, super romantic side … I decided it didn’t belong sharing the page with the 23rd Psalm. 😉
Now, I’m not sure when my next JJ blog will be, so you might want to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss it. All you have to do is enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right of this page, and you will automatically receive an email with the contents of my next blog WHEN I write it! 🙂
Until then, enjoy Daira Curran’s wonderful commentary, and may it bless your week as much as it has mine!
Hugs,
Julie
Deal Alert on A Hope Undaunted!
If you haven’t yet read book 4 in the O’Connor saga, A Hope Undaunted, then PLEASE take advantage of this fabulous 99-cent sale that will run from May 5 – 11, 2017. AHU is my FAVORITE book I’ve ever written and truly the richest novel as far as an in-depth look at ALL of the O’Connors in one book. So if you’ve already read it and liked it, then please spread the word to your friends, okay?
Here are the links for the sale that runs from MAY 5-11:
