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The Lord is my Shepherd
I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
This verse describes a beautiful truth and presents a difficult choice – all in nine words.
The Lord is my Shepherd.
An amazing truth; an unchangeable fact.
If you have accepted Jesus’ forgiveness and are building a relationship with Him, He is your Shepherd.
Most of us picture a gentle man carrying a lamb, with sheep gathered around Him.
A peaceful pastoral scene.
When is life ever peaceful?
Our Shepherd is active in our lives and interacts with us continually.
- He provides what we need.
- He guides us through difficult times.
- He helps us with decisions.
- He protects us from danger, generally by walking beside us.
Now comes the tricky part:
I will not want.
Are we ever satisfied?
Remember the old saying, “The grass is always greener…”?
I've got a great husband, nice house, a new car, great kids, two perfect grandchildren, and a dog who loves me unconditionally.
But…
I see bigger houses and I want them.
I've always dreamed of having a Ferrari. A Ford just doesn't cut it.
I have friends who can drive over to their kid’s houses to visit the grandchildren.
I’m envious, mine live in the northeast and I want them to be closer.
I want what I don’t have!
What does it mean to say, "I will not want."?
- I choose to be satisfied with what He provides, no matter how small.
- I choose to accept His guidance, though I might not agree.
- I choose to follow where He leads, though I might wish to go elsewhere.
- I choose to trust His protection, though things around me are frightening.
I will not want.
These four words mean that we choose to want nothing besides what He gives.
We choose to desire nothing but Him.
I’ll be the first to admit, I’ll never accomplish this.
The lure of the world will always hover around me.
Even so, we can trust our Shepherd.
- He will never withdraw His protection.
- He won't leave us without guidance.
- He strengthens us and helps us to follow Him closer each day.
- He loves us and will continue to call us to His side.
The Shepherd never leaves His sheep.
What does it mean to you that Jesus is your Shepherd?
Check out the Life to the Fullest blog for a post by Robin Patchen Contentment for The Moment
Shepherd photo courtesy worldsundayschool.com
Horse photo courtesy Steven Heap via depositphoto.com
Thanks for helping me focus on the latter part of that verse which I have never really focused on before! ~ Judy
ReplyDeleteI'm loving writing this series! There are so many things in this Psalm I never saw before. Thanks for stopping by! Will I see you in Blue Ridge?
DeleteEvery time I see that picture of Jesus carrying the lamb, or think of Jesus as my shepherd, I think of that poem of how Jesus walks beside us. And when there's only one set of footprints, that's when He carries us. It's here: http://www.poetseers.org/the-great-poets/misc-2/footprints-in-the-sand/ He truly IS our shepherd, guiding us and protecting us all the time.
ReplyDeleteAs for the 'I shall not want,' I think human nature always wants more. But being satisfied is what GOD wants. That's not easy, but if you're at peace with your life, He will provide what you need. I've seen it happen again and again.
Thanks for the post. It made me think and you're very right!
What wisdom, Sue! He will provide - even the ability to be satisfied in Him. Thanks for sharing!
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