The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

-Psalm 23

As I sat down this afternoon, I didn’t really have a plan for what to read. I began with Matthew 18, the forgiving King and the unforgiving servant. I then went to Daniel 6, Daniel getting thrown into the den and being rescued by his God. And then somehow I ended up in the Psalms. As I read through Psalm 23, I realized it was everything that I have been wanting. I wanted to know that my God is with me, that He has good things for me, and that he loves me and protects me. He is all that I shall desire, as I do that, everything else is cherry on top of the cake.

And as much as that stuck out to me, it was the first line of the Psalm that really stuck out to me. The Lord is my Shepherd. He’s mine. I have learned so much recently about the relationship that a Shepherd has with their sheep. They call them by name. They guide them to green pastures so that they can eat and be filled. At night, when the sheep are in their dwelling place, the Shepherd sleeps at the door so to protect them from any possible intruders. My Shepherd calls me by name. He knows me. He knows what I desire, what makes me me, more than I do. He puts himself between me and harms way so that I am kept safe. I’m sure there are many times throughout the day where I had no idea that He stepped in and protected me from some worldly danger.

I, at the moment, feel like the dumb sheep. I’ve been led by my Shepherd for awhile now that I forget what it is like to need to look up to find him.. I feel like I can roam amongst the other sheep and attempt to find protection among them. I also need to look up and make sure that I am following my Shepherd and not the rest of the flock. I need my Shepherd. He knows the path that I must take to get the food I need and the safety that I can only find in Him.

Jesus,

Thank you for being my Good Shepherd. Help me to keep my eyes focused on You and where You have me to go. Help me to not rush ahead of you or to one side or another thinking that it may find what I want instead of what You have for me. As I come to you Lord, I pray that you would restore my soul. Renew me Jesus, so that I can serve You in a way that You desire. I thank you for the moments of quiet that You give me. For it is in You that I truly discover who I am and what this life is meant to live for. Help me to seek You more, to seek You at a deeper level and desire to know You better. Fill me Jesus so that I can fulfill the mission that you have called me to do.

Even though I feel as though I am not moving forward with missions, I know that You are working and I rest in that. I must acknowledge my horrible attitude in desiring an answer. You are my Good Shepherd and sometimes, it takes a while before you are able to get your sheep to another green pasture. We are walking Jesus, I beside You, knowing that what is up ahead, in Your timing, is exactly what I need. Help me to rest in that.

I love You Lord Jesus. It’s in Your name I pray these things,

Amen