Daily Reading: 22 July

(from www.christianaid.org.uk)

God cares for our whole lives.

Something to read

The Lord is my shepherd

- Read all of Psalm 23.

Something to think about

God tenderly cares for his people, and in this famous psalm, the psalmist compares God's care for his people to that of the shepherd over his flock. Sheep are often problematic creatures!

They need close attention. They often wander, fall ill or stray into trouble.

Not only does the shepherd look after the material needs of his sheep (pasture and water), he looks after their soul and spirit, too, and offers hope and leadership when they fail (v3), and is there with them in difficult situations (v4).

This hope is amazing and it lasts ‘all the days of my life’ and in ‘the house of the Lord my whole life’ (v6). God cares for our whole lives – material and spiritual – and shows that in the life and death of Jesus, he is the Good Shepherd (John 10).

Something to do

As God cares for his people, he calls us to care for each other. List the different ways you receive and offer care, hope, leadership and company today.

Something to pray

'Great is thy faithfulness!' 'Great is thy faithfulness!'

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

all I have needed thy hand hath provided –

'Great is thy faithfulness,' Lord, unto me!

Sul, Gorffennaf 22ain

Darllen: Salm 23

I feddwl amdano: Gofala Duw yn dyner am ei bobl ac mae’r Salmydd yn y Salm enwog hon yn cymharu gofal Duw i ofal bugail dros ei ddefaid. Creaduriaid trafferthus yw defaid yn aml, ac mae angen llawer o ofal arnyn nhw rhag iddyn nhw grwydro, mynd i drafferth neu glafychu.

Nid yn unig mae’r bugail yn gofalu am les materol y defaid (porfa a dŵr), ond mae’n gofalu am les eu heneidiau a’u hysbryd hefyd gan gynnig gobaith ac arweiniad pan fyddan nhw’n diffygio (adn. 3) a rhoi ei gwmni ei hun mewn llefydd anodd (adn.4).

Mae’r gobaith yma yn anhygoel yn un sy’n para am ‘weddill fy mywyd’ ac yn ‘nhŷ’r Arglwydd am byth’ (adn. 6). Mae gan Dduw ofal am ein holl fywyd - yn gorfforol ac ysbrydol, ac yn dangos hynny ym mywyd a marwolaeth Iesu, y Bugail Da (Ioan 10).

I’w wneud:

Tra bo gan Dduw ofal am ei bobl, mae’n gofyn i ninnau ofalu am ein gilydd. Rhestrwch yr holl ffyrdd yr ydych chi’n derbyn ac yn cynnig gofal, gobaith, arweiniad a chwmni heddiw.

I’w weddïo:

'Diolchaf am gysuron gwiw wyf heddiw’n eu mwynhau;

Diolchaf fwy am ddoniau sy’n oes oesoedd i barhau.'

Author: Huw Powell-Davies is a minister with the Presbyterian Church in Wales in Mold and the surrounding area. He is also editor of codenominational Welsh language paper Y Pedair Tudalen.