I Have All That I Need
Do you recognize your need for a Shepherd?
Verse of the Day
‘The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.’
Today’s Devotional
We are going to spend a few days soaking in the 23rd Psalm. Because its truth needs to permeate our lives. We have just celebrated Easter, and I believe this psalm may help us to settle into who we are and who God declares us to be.
Let’s just start at the beginning. Some of this may sound familiar, but hopefully you will read with fresh eyes today.
If God is a shepherd to us, what does that mean? In ancient cultures, the role of the shepherd was the lowest role a person could do. That’s why David, as the youngest son in his family, was out tending the sheep when Samuel came looking for a new king. It was not a glamorous role, nor did it come with any status. Our God, the creator of the world, has willingly taken on a lowly role in order to care for us. God has no shame in lowly positions, which is evidenced in the life of Jesus. God seems to delight in the less-than-glamorous role of caring for us, His flock.
Think of the role of a shepherd. He feeds his sheep, guides them, governs them, defends them from predators of any kind, handles them gently, heals their wounds, and is their constant source of security. Not only that, but a shepherd LIVES with his sheep. This is not a clock-in then clock-out kind of job. It is a full time, round-the-clock gig. That’s what God is doing for us.
The Lord IS my shepherd. This is a declaration that David makes. It is not wishful thinking or a hopeful stance about God’s presence in his life. David presents it as fact. We should too. Next, notice that David says “my” shepherd. He is claiming God’s Lordship in his life. Saying that something is “mine” makes it personal. David doesn’t say that the Lord is, in general, shepherdly. One commentary states: “He does not say, ‘The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as his flock,’ but ‘The Lord is my shepherd;’ if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me.”
One last thought about this declaration of God being my shepherd. It makes the assumption that I am a sheep. That I NEED a shepherd. This completely contradicts our self-sufficient culture. But I find it comforting to recognize my sheep-ness in today’s world. I can plan and arrange and promote my will all I want. It all ends in frustration. When I can finally grasp my humble sheep-like position before the all mighty Shepherd, it makes me feel like I can breathe. I think that’s what truth does to a person. My willingness to admit that I am a sheep and that I need a shepherd may be the heart posture that Jesus was describing when He said, “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:3)
Finally, we move on to “I have all that I need.” That doesn’t always feel true to me. But my feelings don’t make it any less true. In the NIV version, saying “I shall not want” is both a declaration and a decision. There is power in being able to decide and declare God’s truth over our lives. Everything I have today is all that I need. If my feelings don’t align with that, then my feelings are deluding me. (Feelings do that a lot.) I can choose to be content with what I have right now, where I am right now, who I am right now. Because the Shepherd led me here. He’s with me. If I will allow it, He is guiding every step of the way and providing for all of my needs.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How does God’s willingness to shepherd you affect you?
How does it make you feel that He is willing to serve you in that way?
How can you declare that God is your shepherd today?
How do you need God’s shepherding today?
How can you decide and declare that you have everything you need in this moment?