Excerpt from Psalm 23

"I fear no evil, for thou art with me."

Reflection by Martin B. Copenhaver

Every parent knows what it is like to be awakened in the middle of the night by the cries of a child who has had a nightmare.  Sometimes the fears are easily quelled:  "Daddy, I think there are bears in my closet."  "No, there are no bears."  "How do you know?"  "I'll turn on the light and you'll see."

Other times, however, the fears expressed are not those confined to childhood:  "Mommy, I'm afraid of being alone."  "Daddy, does everyone die?"  We stumble through our responses.  On such occasions we become painfully aware of the limits of words.  We are relieved when the child says, "Just stay with me," relieved to learn that the child is not looking for magic words, but for the gift of presence.  We are able to respond easily:  "Yes, yes, of course I will stay with you."

But then there is one more question:  "Will you stay with me no matter what?"  Then it is your turn to sense the stir of fear and to feel tears appear in your own eyes because you know that, although you can stay with the child tonight and, if need be, for many nights in the future, there will come a time, perhaps a night much darker than the child has ever experienced, when she will cry out and you will not be there.

This psalm, with its assurance of God's continued presence no matter what a day may hold, was written for that parent and that child:  "I fear no evil, for thou art with me."

Prayer

God, I am so grateful that there is no road I might take that I must travel alone.  Amen.

About the Author Martin B. Copenhaver is Senior Pastor, Wellesley Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Wellesley, Massachusetts. He is the author, with Lillian Daniel, of This Odd and Wondrous Calling: the Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers.

The Daily Devotional is now on Facebook. Become a fan!

Sign up to receive Daily Devotionals

More items written by the Stillspeaking Writers' Group