I Shall Not Want
In his beloved psalm, Psalm 23, David begins with a profound statement, which should impact everyone who reads it. It is not a confession of his own attitude of satisfaction nearly so much as it is a declaration of the goodness of the Lord to His sheep. David wanted to declare for all to hear that God was his Shepherd, and He took care of him so well that he did not want for anything.(Psalm 23:1) This can be the testimony of every believer, and it should be the testimony of every believer.
Jesus saves us from our sins when we enter into that relationship with Him as Lord of our lives. That forgiveness enables us to relate to the sinless God. It also enables us to walk with Him in a close daily fellowship where we hear His voice and follow His commands. This begins a Shepherd and sheep relationship. Sheep can't do anything for themselves, so the shepherd has to lead them in everything and protect them from everything. He loves them, and they know His voice and follow him to still waters, green pastures, and safety from all enemies. This is Jesus' desire for every one who knows Him; it is the abundant life.(John 10:10)
The tragedy is that many believers choose to go out on their own. They do not listen to the calls of the shepherd. They reject His directions. Their soul is not restored through fellowship with Him on a daily basis, and they find themselves fearing all sorts of evil. They wander from the fold, and they place themselves in danger. In fact, they do not say, "I shall not want." They say,"I need so many things, and I can't believe that Jesus is not meeting those needs." They blame the Shepherd for their want. Consider the foolishness of this type attitude. It is not living by faith, and it is giving a negative confession of our wonderful Lord and Savior.
If you are in want today, you either don't know the Lord Jesus, or you are wanting for the wrong things and living apart from the Shepherd. Turn to Jesus today, and find out the reality of what David said so long ago. It is real. I declare to you, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 25-28.
Jesus saves us from our sins when we enter into that relationship with Him as Lord of our lives. That forgiveness enables us to relate to the sinless God. It also enables us to walk with Him in a close daily fellowship where we hear His voice and follow His commands. This begins a Shepherd and sheep relationship. Sheep can't do anything for themselves, so the shepherd has to lead them in everything and protect them from everything. He loves them, and they know His voice and follow him to still waters, green pastures, and safety from all enemies. This is Jesus' desire for every one who knows Him; it is the abundant life.(John 10:10)
The tragedy is that many believers choose to go out on their own. They do not listen to the calls of the shepherd. They reject His directions. Their soul is not restored through fellowship with Him on a daily basis, and they find themselves fearing all sorts of evil. They wander from the fold, and they place themselves in danger. In fact, they do not say, "I shall not want." They say,"I need so many things, and I can't believe that Jesus is not meeting those needs." They blame the Shepherd for their want. Consider the foolishness of this type attitude. It is not living by faith, and it is giving a negative confession of our wonderful Lord and Savior.
If you are in want today, you either don't know the Lord Jesus, or you are wanting for the wrong things and living apart from the Shepherd. Turn to Jesus today, and find out the reality of what David said so long ago. It is real. I declare to you, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 25-28.