The Lord Is My Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd.
He gives me everything I need.
He makes me to lie down
In pastures that are green
And he leads me to drink from
The waters that are still.
The Lord is my shepherd.
He gives me everything I need.

He feeds me in the presence of my enemies.
He makes my cup to overflow.
How it overflows.

The Lord gives me new strength;
He guides me in His righteous path.
Though I stumble through darkness,
I need not be afraid.
For the Lord will protect me
With His rod and with His staff.
The Lord is my shepherd.
He gives me everything I need.

He feeds me in the presence of my enemies.
He makes my cup to overflow.
How it overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy
Will follow me throughout my life.
The Lord is my shepherd.
He gives me everything I need.
He gives me everything I need.

About This Song:

Who would’ve thought I’d feel inspired to take the very primitive version of a song I wrote forty-two years ago out of the drawer–it took a while to find it–and almost totally rewrite it? You can listen to this updated version here.

I shouldn’t have been surprised at God’s leading me to do that.

After all, Sunday by Sunday our pastor has kept referring to the twenty-third Psalm in his efforts to encourage the congregation during the very disturbing days of COVID-19 and other things that are going on right now.

I’m not great at memorizing Scripture, although I’m sure I used to be able to quote the familiar King James version below:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. ³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

But I needed a version I could sing, be encouraged by, and hopefully encourage others with. After you listen to it, I hope you’ll not only feel uplifted, but that some of the words and notes will stay with you. Maybe you can even use them to encourage others yourself.

Oh, and the free lead sheet is available from the Lead Sheet tab at the top of this post.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

About Roger E. Bruner

Seventy-four-year-old Roger E. Bruner is the author and publisher of eighteen Christian novels and the writer of more than two hundred Christian songs and choruses, a handful of musical dramas, and a number of shorter works. He sings, plays guitar and bass, and records his original songs in his home studio. He will be active in his church's nursing home ministry again when circumstances permit and in the church choir when it starts up again. In the meantime he'll keep playing bass on the praise team. Married for seventeen years to Kathleen, he has one grown daughter. Kathleen has two. Roger enjoys reading, moderate exercise, photography and book cover design (he's done all of his own except for Rosa No-Name), playing Snood, making walking sticks, and complaining about the state of the nation while continuing to pray for it.

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