The Shepherd Knows the Way to the Water

Daily Office Readings for Today, Saturday, September 5, 2026: Psalm 30, 32, 42, 43; Job 22:1-4, 21-23:7; Acts 13:26-43, John 10:1-8.

“As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God.” — Psalm 42:1–2

Some days we dance.

Some days we mourn.

Some days we know exactly where God is.

And some days we wonder where God has gone.

Maybe that is one of the things I appreciate about the Psalms. They don’t pretend that every day of the spiritual journey feels the same.

In Psalm 42, the writer is discouraged. He remembers better days and longs for the presence of God. His soul is thirsty.

Yet in Psalm 30, David can say that God has turned his mourning into joyful dancing.

And in Psalm 32, David rejoices:

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven.”

There is a time for mourning and a time for dancing. There are valleys and there are mountaintops. There are days of discouragement and days of celebration.

But David also seems to understand something else: joy requires honesty.

We cannot hide from ourselves and expect to experience freedom. David knows what it is to acknowledge his sin before God and discover mercy.

Then we come to Job.

If Only I Knew Where to Find God

Eliphaz believes he understands Job’s suffering.

Surely Job must have done something terrible. He begins suggesting things Job might have done to deserve what has happened to him. His theology has provided him with an explanation.

There is only one problem.

It isn’t true.

Job refuses to confess sins he hasn’t committed simply to make Eliphaz’s theology work.

Instead Job says:

“If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court.”

And then Job says something I find remarkable:

“Honest people can reason with him.”

There it is again.

Honesty.

David’s honesty requires him to admit what he has done.

Job’s honesty requires him to refuse to admit what he hasn’t done.

Both stand honestly before God.

Sometimes our prayer may be, “God, I have sinned. Forgive me.”

Sometimes it may be, “God, I am hurting.”

Sometimes it may be, “God, I am angry.”

And sometimes it may simply be:

“God, I don’t understand.”

Job isn’t walking away from God. He is looking for God.

“If only I knew where to find him.”

That sounds a lot like Psalm 42 to me:

“I thirst for God, the living God.”

Through Jesus There Is Forgiveness

Then Paul stands in the synagogue at Antioch and announces the Good News.

He tells the story of God’s people and God’s promises. He speaks about David and then points beyond David to Jesus. He quotes the Psalms and proclaims the resurrection.

And then he tells them what this Good News means:

Through Jesus there is forgiveness.

Suddenly Psalm 32 echoes again:

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven.”

David knew the joy of forgiveness.

Paul announces that this forgiveness is being offered through Jesus Christ.

Job cried:

“If only I knew where to find God.”

And the Gospel answers:

Look at Jesus.

But today’s readings have one more image for us.

The Shepherd at the Gate

In John 10, Jesus talks about sheep, shepherds, thieves, gates and a sheepfold.

Years ago, I visited the Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. They had built replicas of various places and objects from the biblical world. One of them was a sheep pen like the kind described in John 10.

It was a simple enclosure with an opening through which the sheep entered.

What has remained etched in my memory is what I learned about that opening.

At night the shepherd could position himself there, guarding the entrance and protecting the sheep. Anything coming through that opening had to encounter the shepherd.

The shepherd himself became the gate.

That image has never left me.

So when I read Jesus saying, “I am the gate for the sheep,” I see that sheepfold.

And just a few verses later Jesus says:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

Now I see the Cross.

The Shepherd doesn’t merely point toward safety.

He places himself between the sheep and danger.

The Shepherd doesn’t remain somewhere safely removed from the valley.

He enters it.

He gives himself for the sheep.

The Shepherd Knows the Way

And suddenly I am back where today’s readings began.

“As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.”

I think about Psalm 23:

“He leads me beside peaceful streams.”

The thirsty soul is searching for water.

The Shepherd knows where the water is.

The Shepherd does not promise that every day will be easy. There will still be valleys. Job knew them. David knew them. Paul knew them. Jesus knew them.

So do we.

There are days when I thirst.

There are days when I confess.

There are days when I question.

There are days when I mourn.

There are days when I rejoice.

And, thank God, there are days when I dance.

Faith doesn’t require me to pretend that every day is a dancing day.

It invites me to be honest about where I am and continue listening for the Shepherd’s voice.

Perhaps that is what I am learning from today’s readings.

God desires an honest relationship with us, not a performance.

When I have sinned, I can confess it.

When I am hurting, I can say so.

When I don’t understand, I can ask questions.

When I cannot seem to find God, I can cry out with Job.

When my soul is thirsty, I can pray with the Psalmist.

And through it all, I can listen for the voice of the Shepherd.

Because whether I am mourning or dancing, walking beside still waters or through the valley of the shadow of death, the Shepherd is still there.

And when I am thirsty and don’t know where to go next, I can remember:

The Shepherd knows the way to the water.

A Prayer

Good Shepherd,

There are days when my soul thirsts for you and I do not know where to find you.

Help me to be honest with you and with myself.

When I have sinned, give me courage to confess and receive your forgiveness.

When I suffer without understanding why, give me courage to ask my questions.

When I mourn, walk with me through the valley.

When joy returns, teach me to dance.

And when I cannot see the road ahead, help me listen for your voice and follow.

Lead me beside the still waters.

For you are the Good Shepherd, and you know the way.

Amen.