One evening when he was about to introduce the Twenty-Third Psalm, a hand shot up from the audience. The hand belonged to a young lady, a teenager really. She humbly asked if she might have a try at reciting this Psalm. The audience was quite large this night and for a moment the actor hesitated, not wanting to give up the stage. He was take off-guard a bit and read the crowd as wanting to hear from the young girl. What could it hurt he thought to himself, an amateur would only make his performance that much more powerful the next evening.
The young lady made her way up to the stage, stumbling on the top stair. She regained her balance and turned to the crowd. She cleared her throat and started to speak. When she finished reciting the Twenty-Third Psalm there was no sound, no applause, no standing ovation. All that could be heard was the weeping of a crowd that did not have a dry eye.
To the astonishment of the actor the crowd stood and left in silence.
He ran up to the young lady and asked her what she had done to move the crowd, had she trained somewhere, did she have experience an acting tutor? He had to know....
She kindly and quietly responded, "Sir you certainly know the Twenty-Third Psalm, I however know the Shepherd."
The LORD Is My Shepherd - A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23 ESV)
Amen!
