When I think about the Lord as my shepherd, what do I feel about it? Some of us, including me, have a vague feeling that He’s there and He cares but that’s about it. I am going to discuss the 23rd Psalm each week for four weeks. Each time I am going to talk about a few verses of this very-underrated writing. We only bring this out at funerals to read which is unfortunate. It has advice for us on how to live the Christian life every day.
The Christian life can be very challenging. I say “life” not “lifestyle” because I believe there is a difference. “Lifestyle” means a more shallow definition than “life” so I don’t like to use it at all. I think our main problem is we take our focus off Christ, our Shepherd and focus too much on ourselves and our problems. Then, we sink into the mire and join the other “castaways” that gave up their faith, too – and there’s probably a lot out there. They’re bitter, angry and critical of Christians and Church in general because they got “burned” somewhere along the way. I hear this lament from people all the time and even get sucked up into it myself sometimes.
This is the program and agenda of our adversary. But “by the grace of God, we have our conversation in this world, and the more abundantly to you-ward.” (I Cor. 1:12) Let’s hang in there and be heroes of the faith just like Paul, Peter and all the others we read about in the Bible. They encountered tremendous stresses and problems in their lives. They were not exempt from suffering and trials. They were flawed human beings that “by the grace of God” accomplished great things because they did it through God’s strength and power not their own.
Anyway, back to today’s thought: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (Ps 23:1). “Want” comes from the Hebrew word “chacer” which means: “to lack, fail, want, lessen, be abated, decrease, lack, make lower.”
Jesus is the answer to all our problems. He is not going to allow us to lack if we trust in Him. It’s a radical thought that this world rejects. But it is the truth. Are you fully trusting Him today? Is your life in alignment with His will? Yes, we sin a lot but He is always ready and quick to forgive us. Let’s fully trust in Him today and ask Him to take control of our situation no matter how difficult it may be. Then, He will be our Shepherd and we will not want.
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