The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. -- Psalm 23:1
I suppose this could be taken as a “prosperity” verse, and
it is, in a way. It’s something that
might be said with regard to the Way in Taoism.
The Lord is there for us, with us, listening and responding as the
shepherd looks after, is with, and attends to his sheep. God interacts with us where we are, as we
are. He is Good -- this is certain, but
our attitude may alter the character of His goodness. Good to the straying lamb is the discipline
that brings it back in line.
We will lack nothing that we need, whether provision, favor,
opportunity, strength, and wisdom – or weakness, loss, fear, confusion, and
dead-ends. Whatever is needed, whatever
it is we lack to perfect us in Christ, this the Shepherd will provide.
Even that makes it sound too much like an arrangement or a
formula. That’s not what it is. It is a play of yielding and seeking,
humility and trust that casts aside anxiety.
The Lord is my shepherd. I follow
Him, trust Him, knowing that it will never be given to me to figure out all
that is or can be. Yet, walking right
here next to me is One who knows. Even
if He told me how it all is, I wouldn’t understand apart from an inkling in
analogy, a hint from poetry.
I can’t grasp it completely, but I can trust
completely. It is the secret of living
in the peace of God; it is the rest of which Hebrews 4:3 speaks, “For we who have believed enter that rest
…”. All we need waits for us there.
No comments:
Post a Comment