Is anyone out there?
Is anyone out there?
I personally know how it feels. Probably you do too. December is a month full of meetings. Songs surround us; Holy Night is playing on every corner. There’s a real feeling of celebration, family gatherings, reunions after a long time of not seeing each other - what a joy!
But now December is gone and with it, the lights, the songs, and of course, many of the people. In the midst of this bleak picture, has our joy gone too?
Is there someone out there?
There is.
Let me share with you a short reflection that has helped me in my darkest valley…
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Photo by Natalie Runnerstrom on Unsplash
If you haven’t read the Bible before, don’t worry! This is a verse for everyone. In the beginning of this passage, it says: ”The Lord is my shepherd, [so] I lack nothing”. How can we reach the point of saying, ‘There is nothing more that I want'? Probably the writer was a lot like us, with many things to be missed; but even though he was a king, surrounded by many things and by many people, we can see his strength and joy don’t lie in those things. King David is so honest, that it makes me have confidence in his story, because he is not silent about the hardest times of his life where it has felt like “the darkest valley”. David recognises that this good shepherd is the one who refreshes his soul, guides him, is with him and comforts him. Why? How? We all need that!
I know the feeling that David expresses, and it might be surprising to many that a real king feels that way! Maybe in our society today sometimes we think we can be fearless, comforted and refreshed on our own; but there’s something missing, to be more precise, SOMEONE missing. I have experienced it, maybe you have too.
This honest king, David, shows us a surprising aspect. I read that passage and I get by his words that he truly knows his Lord. He knows Him so well, so even if he is passing through the darkest valley, he is not afraid. David is so confident because he knows this good shepherd. And today you and me can get to know this good shepherd! The Lord has given us a precious gift that is written in a way you and me can get to know Him first hand: The Bible.
So, why not start this new year by not being on our own. The one that told King David ‘I will comfort you’, wants to be known by you and me, so we can say too, “the Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing”. This year I have a New Year’s resolution, and I encourage you to join me. I will read some of the Bible with a friend! I want to discover together all of what God has to tell us, and getting to know Him more. You will not regret it. By reading the Bible, and looking by yourself at God’s word, you can start to explore and find, not only these amazing promises, but God himself. If you know someone in your group of friends you can read your Bible with, someone who is a Christian and already knows God, please give them a call. Be surprised by what God has in store for this new year! We are not alone.
~ By Yaira Cancino