In the late hours of the night, I heard my youngest son, James, cry out for help. Angrily grumbling, I stumbled my way in the darkness to his bedroom.
As I began to calm him, the Lord put His Word into my heart in a way that moved me.
We've all heard Psalm 23 as children, but when was the last time you took time to really think through the power of this scripture.
These words of David that I knew, came to me as a simple prayer for James. It went like this:
Lord, would you be James shepherd?
Lord, may James not want
Lead James to lie down in green pastures
Would You lead him beside still waters?
Lord, restore James soul
Lord, would you lead James in paths of righteousness for Your name's sake?
While James walks through the valley of the shadow of death, I pray he would fear no evil
Remind James that You are with him
May Your rod and staff comfort James
Thank you Lord for preparing a table for James in the presence of his enemies
Would you anoint James head with oil, that it would overflow?
I pray goodness and mercy would follow James all of his life
That James might one day dwell in the house of the Lord forever
As I prayed this simple, but powerful prayer, I felt the Lord grab my own heart as I considered the words of David. What was supposed to be a prayer for James, had indeed touched my own heart to it's core.
That's the funny thing about fatherhood that I'm learning. The Lord works on my heart in the most commonplace of moments, right in the middle of the chaos and crying.
In the darkness of the night, peace, quiet, and stillness overtook James room. The Lord had led us to still waters.
Whatever season you are in, I hope you hold fast to the truths of Psalm 23 as you navigate life. May we always remember that the Lord is with us, wherever we go!
Matt
