I love personalizing Psalm 23, and last week led this exercise at Launde Abbey – with these sheep in the background! Here’s the rendition I penned, which you might resonate with?
The Lord is my rest giver, I embrace shalom. He makes me release my projects, he leads me to the restoring waters, he refreshes my soul and my body. He helps me clear my diary for my own good. Even though I trudge through the valley of overcommitment, I will not fret, for you are with me; your tools to say no, they help me. You prepare a feast before me with those whom I’ve disappointed. You shower me with your unfailing love; my heart overflows. Surely your gentle invitations will accompany me all the days of my life, and I’ll live with you forever.
How might you apply this beloved Psalm in your life today?
I continue to love personalizing Psalm 23, and this week as I’m at Penhurst Retreat Centre in the lovely English countryside, I’m enjoying seeing the sheep and lambs as I ponder the Lord as my Shepherd. I share in the video below, which I recorded while being in the Shepherd’s Hut at Penhurst, about how to adapt Psalm 23 to us today.
On social media I welcomed hearing your renditions, and I’m delighted to share Caroline Lessiter’s lovely one: “The Lord is my Friend,” with permission.
The Lord is my friend, therefore I lack no support.
He makes me rest when I am tired;
He leads me to thin places
where I can take stock and be refreshed.
He guides me when I am feeling lost,
for His glory.
Even though I may be deeply troubled
I fear nothing,
because You are at my side always.
Your ever presence
comforts me.
You hold out Your hands of love
and welcome me during my times of struggle.
You wrap me in Your loving embrace
and I am filled with Your strength.
Surely Your grace and mercy will be with me
for the rest of my life
and I will live in my Father’s house
forever.
Personalizing Psalm 23 is a gift that keeps on giving. You can see my other renditions here. I love how we can take these ancient words and adapt them to where we’re at.
This morning I wrote the above take on it as I prepare to lead an online retreat, as I feel tired and needing God’s help and reassurance. I had the image of him being my producer, speaking in my earpiece as a news presenter would have the producer in the backroom giving guidance. How amazing to have the Holy Spirit being the one to give us prompts!
How would you adapt Psalm 23 for your needs today?
I love personalizing Psalm 23 according to what I’m going through. You can see various examples in this post about the Lord as my Teacher, with links to other examples too.
This rendition is perhaps the most personal as I get my hip replaced! Thank you to all those who have sent encouraging comments and who are praying for me and my family. I’m so grateful.
The Lord is my surgeon, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in a hospital bed,
he leads me to a clean environment,
he repairs my body.
He guides me to just the right medical care
for his name’s sake.
Even though I enter
the scary sterile theatre,
I will fear no complications,
for you are with me;
your scalpel and your saw,
they comfort me.
You prepare a tray of nourishing food
in the presence of my medical team.
You wrap me in bandages;
my body is safe.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days in my life,
and I will dwell in the healing house of the Lord
forever.
After Psalm 23
(c) 2020 Amy Boucher Pye
Our host for the day was the wonderful Janet Aspey, minister of Altrincham Methodist Church, who also led the worship with Fiona Simpson – a legendary folk singer with a most amazing voice!
I’ve written several times here about personalizing Psalm 23 and how meaningful that can be. Over the weekend I led a day for women at Altrincham Methodist Church, and ended the first session with this exercise. A few of the ladies read their version out at the end, which I loved hearing. And I’m so thrilled to share two of them with you today.
They both resonate with me, but my family and friends will see the particular ways I can relate to the first one! Driving and directions are for me huge areas of challenge, and I love the thought of the Lord being my sat-nav. Mabel R. Nyazika has kindly shared it:
The Lord is my sat nav
I shall not be diverted
He makes me stay on course for my sanity’s sake.
He helps me gaze on my life’s journey,
and makes me aware of others on the journey too.
When I take wrong turns and moves because of life’s distractions
He re-calculates my step and sends me back on the road.
I will trust in his guidance and concern
My confidence is enhanced.
He reminds me of all the dangers of the road
He nudges me every time I doze off behind the wheel
And assures me of his presence
and calms me down always keeping me safe.
Surely his guidance and direction will comfort me
all the days of my life
I will trust and lean on his leading
for ever and ever.
I think when I hear my GPS saying “recalculating,” I’ll think of Mabel’s psalm!
And I also love Carole Crossley’s version, which speaks right to the heart with how she sees God’s love and protection:
The Lord is my strength, my power and might,
He gathers me under his wing and protects my spiralling thoughts,
He enriches my life in protection and friendship,
He soaks up my never-ending tears and lays a clean path before me,
I gaze at his tremendous provision and I am awestruck,
He covers my iniquities, encouraging a new balance in my struggles.
The Lord overcomes my fears with his tenderness,
When I am alone and cowering, he wraps me in his arms,
He Spurs me on to tackle each new problem, in his light,
The Lord focusses my vision, as I see his magnificent acts,
He teaches me thankfulness; he never leaves me,
In him, I am able, I can do it and I will!
A lovely local path for me is next to a brook. An oasis of peace in a suburban area.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Psalm 23 (NIV)
Have you noticed that sometimes we put a huge amount of effort and energy into a project, but it never moves past the planning stage? While other times something just barrels into existence, without much of our insight or care? A Christian writer friend noted this principle as she reviewed the past year. Seven projects that she had cultivated had all fallen flat, but three were birthed without much advocacy from her.
I thought about this Christian writer as I read through Psalm 23 recently, for I realized that God’s guiding us along the right paths can mean that we spin fewer plates. If we trust him and his word, including his admonition to take a Sabbath rest, we trust that he’ll lead us the right way for the other six days, whether through our paid employment, volunteer work, caring for children or grandchildren or loving our neighbors.
Another Christian writer friend faces a change in her working circumstances as one of her regular sources of income comes to an end. Can she trust the Lord to lead her by the quiet waters as she considers the way forward, knowing that the true refreshment to her soul lies only in him? And that he will be faithful and will lead her to the right projects for his glory and praise – and her well-being?
We all face the challenge of which words we’ll believe – the quiet whisper of the Good Shepherd as he beckons us to follow him, or the fear that can bubble up in our soul, or the skeptical views that colleagues or family members might cast our way when we announce our purposes and plans. May we hear and heed the still, small voice today.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I want to believe that you will lead and guide me, but sometimes I struggle. Give me faith and help me to believe. Amen.
The lovely Heythrop College, part of University of London until next year when it will close.
Some years ago a writing friend shared with me how he liked to personalize Psalm 23 according to the different roles the Lord could play in his life. Thus instead of a Shepherd, I wrote about the Lord being my Publisher. (And here are some examples of other people engaging with this psalm.) Recently after receiving a not-so-stellar book review, I wrote about the Lord being my Reviewer, and this morning, as I struggle to write my penultimate essay for my MA in Christian spirituality, I’ve written about the Lord being my teacher (or I suppose I should say “tutor”).
The Lord is my teacher, I lack nothing.
He makes me rest from my studies,
he leads me beside the bubbling brook,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right ways of thinking
for his name’s sake.
Even though I trudge
through the valley of low marks
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
Your assignments and comments,
they comfort me.
You prepare a place for me
At the academic high table.
You anoint my hands to type;
my ideas overflow.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the College of the Lord
forever.
How could you make the beloved Psalm 23 applicable to you today?
What’s the Lord to you? Your Shepherd? Director? Boss? Father? Friend?
Photo: Suzy Bower, flickr
Recently, when reaching the end of a retreat, I led a group of women in an exercise of engaging with Psalm 23. We talked through this beloved psalm of David, imaginatively placing ourselves in it, and asking such questions as: Is the Lord my shepherd? Do I graze with the flock? Does he lead me beside quiet waters? Can I fear no evil? Do I feast with the Lord? Do I live in God’s house? (I recommend giving this a try – you might be surprised by how God speaks to you through these familiar words.)
Our exercise was to personalize Psalm 23. I read them my version from a writer’s point of view, but delighted in their creativity when, at the end of the exercise, they read me theirs. With permission, I reproduce two here:
The Lord is my strength, I lack nothing
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside quiet waters He strengthens me
He guides my feet along the right path for His name sake
Even when I go through difficult and trying times He strengthens me
I WILL NOT FEAR FOR YOU ARE WITH ME YOUR PRESENCE AND PROMISES COMFORT ME
You prepare a table before me in my times of doubt and fear
You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life
I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
The Lord is my closest Friend.
He knows everything about me.
He draws me to a quiet place and refreshes me.
He brings everything back into perspective and renews me.
Even when I go through the storms of life He is right there beside me.
He rescues me from evil, heals, comforts and restores me.
He prepares a banquet before me in the presence of all my enemies.
He anoints me with His precious Spirit and my cup overflows.
Surely blessings and love will be with me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the Lord’s house forever.
Why not, this weekend, take some time and write your own?
The Lord is my publisher, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie in cozy studies,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of rejection,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your commissions and reviews,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my critics.
You anoint my hand with ink;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the publishing house of the Lord
forever.
(Inspired by Jonathan Burnside)
PS Can you guess whose study that is? Pretty sure he wouldn’t have claimed this psalm as his own…
