Thought for the Month of October by CWL Alan Austin
As we move into the last three months of 2026, the extreme heat which has afflicted our region and much of Europe appears to be past. Soaking rains are forecast – at last!
This is the fulfilment of one of the reassuring messages of the Psalm we will reflect on in our October service – Psalm 23, which begins ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’
This much-loved Psalm promises God’s care and protection both in our daily physical lives and in our spiritual journeys. Verse three affirms that God will refresh us spiritually, just as the nourishing rains are refreshing the parched fields and the heat-wearied livestock.
The Hebrew word for “refresh” is sometimes translated as “restore. It means to replenish, to return to its original healthy state, which we all need during periods of difficulty – whether those relate to the weather or the other challenges life throws our way.
This Psalm reminds us that it is the Lord who restores our life, who revives us when we need strength. It is the Lord who gets us back on our feet and back into the fight when we stumble and fall. It is the Lord who puts our lives in proper perspective – an eternal perspective.
Only God, our Good Shepherd, who loves us with a power and tenderness we cannot comprehend, can restore our souls.
Let’s be encouraged that God wants to achieve this in our lives. Then let’s welcome the blessings He has promised to those who accept His love and salvation through Jesus:
“Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”