The Lord is My Shepherd…But - Martin Wiles

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd, I will not want…but I do. A new car would be nice. One that doesn’t register 225,000 miles. A vehicle I could trust driving on vacation without worry over a breakdown. One that has a shiny paint job instead of one covered in overspray. 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…but I do. A home with more space would do just fine. Instead of 1100 square feet, I’ll take 2200. One that has an extra bedroom for visitors. One with an office area with floor to ceiling bookcases that will host my entire library. One that actually has a yard to enjoy instead of four square feet of fake grass. 

The Lord is my shepherd, I should not want…but I do. A nice cushy retirement nest egg would suffice. One that will allow me to retire early. Enough that my wife and I can live comfortably on and even have a little left over for recreation. Sufficient to keep me from having to work after I start drawing Social Security. 

The Lord is my shepherd, I will not want…but I do anyway. For once, I’d like to enjoy more money than month. After the bills, enough to splurge a little. Nothing big…just a few wants satisfied now and then. A few play toys. 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…but I do. A stress-free year. Just one with no deaths, sicknesses, losses, or tragedies. Nothing that causes pain. 

David knew all about shepherding. He was one in his younger years. A large part of shepherding was ensuring the sheep had plenty of the right type of grass to munch on. Poisonous varieties could kill them. He knew what they needed, and they trusted him to lead.

I should follow suit. God has never given me all I want—he knows I wouldn’t handle it well. But he has consistently given me everything I need. I’ve never lacked for the necessities of life, and he has always given me strength for anything he’s asked me to do. He’s a trustworthy shepherd. 

I should not want—and I won’t when I trust him to direct my life. Who’s your shepherd?

Prayer: Father, we trust You to lead us safely and sufficiently through our life’s journey. 

Encouraging Tweet: God's a trustworthy shepherd. I should not want—and I won’t when I trust him to direct my life.
 

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