The Shepherd Restores Us Devotional Guide
Monday: Psalm 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Many interpret this verse to mean that when we follow the Shepherd, we will receive goodness and mercy. This is true, but it is not the meaning of this verse. The key word in this verse is “follow” me. In other words, David is saying that when we are loved by the Shepherd, we can’t help but reflect his love and goodness to others. Has there ever been a time when you realized you had an influence on another person? What lesson did it teach you?
Tuesday: Read and pray this Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.
What thoughts come to your mind when you pray this prayer? How can you live out this prayer today?
Wednesday: Today, think about someone who has had a significant influence on your life and faith. What did your experience of that person teach you about influencing others?
Thursday: Read the parable of the wheat and weeds in Matthew 13. What does this parable teach us about how to respond to the challenges of this world?
Friday: When you say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me,” do you mean it? What kind of shadow are you casting with your life? What do you leave behind? Do you leave peace or turmoil? Forgiveness or bitterness? Contentment or conflict? Joy or frustration? Love or hatred? How do people feel when they leave your presence?