Reading Psalm 23
‘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. 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 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’.

Living Lord, You tell us that You are the good Shepherd, the one who walks beside us and refreshes our souls. As the week draws to a close, we take a moment to reflect and give thanks for a time when we may have felt You guiding us forward, when we have struggled with a choice or decision. We give thanks for the times when we may have asked for Your protection when we have felt afraid or insecure. We give thanks for the times when You may have refreshed our hearts and minds when we have felt tired or low. We give thanks for any blessing, any unexpected gift of comfort, assurance or love You may have given us this week and finally we give thanks for the peace that comes from being in Your presence, now and throughout eternity, when we place our trust in You. The Lord is our Shepherd and we give thanks. Amen