“The Lord’s My Shepherd”- (Pilgrim Hymnal, #84)

In a beautiful paraphrase of Psalm 23, this month’s hymn gives us a reassuring and challenging image of God, who is celebrated as our shepherd, the One who provides for all our needs. Those words wash us with the "quiet waters" of peace because they assure us that God will never leave us in want. But the image of God as shepherd also confronts us with this challenging question: If God is our shepherd, are we sheep who follow and trust? Or do we wander our own way?

The gentle shepherd promises to lead us to pasture and to fill our every need. Yet how often have we looked for food somewhere else, not trusting God to provide? In hundreds of ways, Christians wander from the Shepherd and at the root of our wanderings lies a lack of trust in God-a fear that he won't come through. Not content with the quiet pasture God's provided for today, we start worrying about tomorrow and devising our own plans to fill our needs. We don't need to worry about tomorrow's needs. Our Shepherd has provided enough for today, and will do the same for tomorrow and every day beyond.

"The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want" first appeared in print in the Scottish Psalter of 1650. Though it was well-loved in Scotland, "The Lord's My Shepherd" did not enjoy popularity outside the Church of Scotland for nearly 300 years. It finally appeared in the Methodist Hymnal of 1876 and later the Congregational Hymnal of 1916. The hymn version of Psalm 23, everyone’s favorite, remains faithful to David's psalm. Its popularity in England grew in part because of its use during the 1947 marriage ceremony between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. Since that time, it's become a well-known hymn, often requested for weddings and funerals today. The tune Crimond is named after a village in northeast Scotland .