Monday Devotional: May 5, 2025

Bible Reading: Psalm 23:1-6 (NRSVUE)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; ³ he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

Inevitably, all of us will walk through dark times. The nature of those dark times, whether it be overcoming cancer as my older brother did in six successive bouts or recovering from the devastating loss of a love relationship as my friend did after four years of joy or confronting the lack of a palpable sense of God’s presence year after year while faithfully preaching and teaching is less the psalmist’s concern than finding out he is not alone in the universe. For most of us, the modern question is not, “Does God exist?” but “Does God exist for me!”

The psalmist chooses to believe that the Divine Presence is here and now. And he also knows that he will more readily experience that presence if he dwells “in the house of the Lord” or chooses to live in faithful community, to put the phrase into the vernacular.

In “rugged individualistic” Western culture, we often find that it goes against our grain to reach out for companionship and divine presence when life is dragging us down. But the psalmist says he is going to do that even when he is surrounded by enemies or misfortune or calamity or hopelessness. We, too, can hope for comfort, no matter what darkness swirls around us; the promise is here to lift our hearts and souls: “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me” (CEB).

Prayer

Jesus, I need courage to face the darkness that rolls through all of life. Amen.

By Roy M. Carlisle, The Upper Room Disciplines 2016, page 132.

Bible Study

“Embracing Life” By Von W. Unruh

Unit 1: Living Water

Session Title: Healing Water
Focal Passage: John 5:1-15
Background Text: John 5:1-18
Purpose Statement: To affirm that Jesus is the healer who makes us well.

Questions:

• How do you imagine the man felt when he could walk again after 38 years? How do you think this might have changed his perspective on the healing waters of the pool of Bethsaida?
• Have you ever encountered Jesus’ healing presence or power in a way you could not explain? Have you ever experienced healing and wholeness and only later realized that it came from Jesus?
• Where do you see inequities in access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare? What do you believe Jesus calls you to do about it?

Zoom Session

Monday, May 5, 2025, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

(For Zoom Link, send an email to [email protected])

In-Person Session

Wednesday, May 7, 2025, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, Conference Room, McGee Building.