The Good Shepherd’s Staff

My Lord leads as a shepherd to deep meadows green
Then down gentle pathways to a still quiet stream
And when sin beckons, He tells me to walk
On the straight narrow way through the cleft in the rock

Then on through the valley of shadows and tears
His rod and His staff comfort all of my fears
No matter what dangers we find ahead
We'll feast at His table where a banquet is spread

Though I'm reminded of all I’ve done wrong
His goodness and mercy still follow along
For the Cross that He bore is the Good Shepherd’s staff
And the key to His home at the end of the path!


The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want
Psalm 23:1 KJV


Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2022
All rights reserved

Photo by Sebastian Palomino on Pexels.com

The Swallow’s Nest

The swallow’s nest was hidden
Up above the bales of hay
And as I opened up the door
She quickly swooped away

She thinks it is not possible
That I could be her friend
Though it was I who built this barn
Where each Spring she comes again

And can’t believe her little ones
Are safe when I draw near
Nor knows I listen with a smile
When I their voices hear

Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds
Luke 12:24 NKJV


The Swallows Nest
by Peter Caligiuri
copyright 2024 - all rights reserved

Down to Sleep

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:5 NIV

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray Thee Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray Thee Lord my soul to take
Amen

When I was small, I remember my mom coming in almost every night and praying these words with me. I never really thought about their meaning, or wondered where they came from. It was just sort of the finish line for my day, where I crossed over from busyness to dreamland. About forty years later, when I was reading through Psalm Three, I suddenly realized to my astonishment, that the source of my mother’s prayer was in this prayer of King David. Here he is fleeing from an army, led by, not a foreign enemy, but by none other than his own son Absalom. Imagine David’s feelings. He must have been both sorrowful and discouraged as he realizes that after years of trying to figure out how to be a good father, he has utterly failed, and Absalom has completely missed the boat in his relationship both with David and with God. Then added to this, David must face the very real possibility that with Absalom’s army right on his heels that if things don’t go well, he and all his men might be killed in the morning. Whether we are facing situations far less dire than David’s, or if matters of life and death are on our doorstep, today’s verse offers us both encouragement and comfort. We can be encouraged because, if we belong to Jesus, we are His, both on earth and as well as in Heaven, and can pray in faith, “Now I lay me down to sleep” But we also can lie down in peace, even if things go terribly wrong, because whatever happens, God will sustain us. God has promised to be our strength, our friend and our deliverer in whatever lies ahead. I wrote a little poem yesterday, which though meant for children, could be every one of ours tonight, and I pray that God keep you safely in the palm of His nail pierced hand. He loves and cares for you and is calling you to come to Him!


Christ My All in All

Before I sleep I ask the Lord
My soul to safely keep
I tell Him that the road seems long
And the hills rise up so steep

Then He tells me He has promised
To lead the way ahead
And tonight stay by my side
While I lie in my bed

Then in the morning when the light
Comes shining on my wall
I trust Him that whatever comes
Christ will be my all in all

Christ My All in All
by Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2024 all rights reserved

Photo by Vika Glitter on Pexels.com