Psalm 23 Continued…
Psalms 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
Living with the understanding that the Lord is my shepherd means that I embrace the truth that He will actually care for my needs. David, as an older man wrote this psalm thinking back on his life. Having endured the betrayal of his own children, having been through wars, having endured the pursuit and persecution of Saul…he reflects back to simpler days in his youth when he was the shepherd his father could rely on.
He knew how to care for the flock. He knew what it meant to be a good shepherd. And David uses this imagery to recall that is exactly how God has handled him his entire life. When God is our shepherd, we know him and can distinguish his voice (John 10:14, 27).
Do you know what worry is? Worry is our attempt to try to control the uncontrollable. When we worry about the future, we are trying to figure out today how we can control something that hasn’t even happened yet.
Worry is one of the biggest wastes we have. Because worry never changes anything. You can worry about something from now until next week and it won’t make any difference. But David, like Paul knew what actually changes things. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Our Shepherd would love for that message to get through all the fur (or lack thereof) and right on through our thick skulls! Don’t worry about anything! Instead, Pray. Ask Me! (He would say.)
Every time we find ourselves worrying, we need to remember that we have a Shepherd who already knows about our problem. He already knows the solution to our problem. He is bigger than our problem. And, thankfully, He will answer our prayers and take us through the problem. If we would just remember that then we would stop wasting time worrying!
Peter tells us: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) We need to constantly be reminded of this important truth. We need a shepherd who we can turn to and say from our hearts, “I don’t know how to get out of this! I don’t know how to stop feeling this way! I need you to be my guide! Lead me through this!”
If you are reading this on the day it was released, then it is Thursday, April 7, 2022. There are millions of people who find themselves in the midst of a frantic rat race, worrying about things like provision and guidance and protection and correction.
David calmly, simply reminds us all that we have a God who loves us as our Shepherd. He will meet every need we have. Maybe a simple, but important thing you need to do today is simply repeat the first verse of Psalm 23 over and over again.
Pray
Father, help me remember that you are my Shepherd. I have nothing to worry about.