"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1
None of us know what we may be facing this year. Perhaps it is a life filled with anxiety, disappointment, worry, or grief or perhaps not. But we all know we will have difficulty. How can you get through it?
Promise of Peace
Regardless of the difficulty you may face, I want you to know that there are six verses in God's Word that hold the key to true satisfaction. That's right! Whatever struggle you're facing right now, you can have unshakable peace and contentment by applying these six verses. Where are these verses? Psalm 23.
You may say, "That sounds too good to be true. Lasting satisfaction is just another piece of religious pie-in-the-sky." But it's not! There are many principles that we can learn from this incredible Psalm, but I want to share just one.
Notice that David starts off the Psalm by rejoicing, saying, "I shall not want" because "the Lord is my Shepherd." When you can say, "I am His and He is mine" then you will be complete. Let me explain.
A passing hunger for prosperity, progress, or prestige only brings shallow satisfaction. When we stuff ourselves with so many worldly snacks, we don't have any appetite left when it is time for the real feast!
Practice His Presence
On the other hand, a deep hunger for Jesus Christ leads to a perpetual feast full of knowing Him. And the glorious truth about feasting on the Lord is that you’ll be continually filled and satisfied! Now that is a deep satisfaction!
So how do you feast on the Lord? By practicing and living in His presence every moment. Learn to realize that at each moment of every day, Jesus is always there with you — in your kitchen, your office, your car — just as He promised. Think about Him all day!
As one poet said, "Lean thine arms upon the windowsill of heaven, and gaze into the face of thy God. And then, with the vision full in your heart, turn to meet the day." And that's what I want to encourage you to do. Practice the presence of God. Feast on Christ. Wake up half an hour earlier. Turn off the television a little sooner. And spend time with your Shepherd. Then look at life from His perspective all day!
Ponder the Psalm
I believe there is no better place to start than Psalm 23. This Psalm has been a sweet, personal blessing to me — and not only to me, but to others through the ages. It is as sweet to the child as it is perplexing to the scholar.
I want to encourage you to read and meditate on Psalm 23 and let the Lord show you that the secret to satisfying all of your needs lies in the hands of your Shepherd. You know, there are many people like you and me who might brush right over Psalm 23 — and the glorious news of the Good Shepherd — because they think they've heard it all before. And yet they continue to desperately seek satisfaction and search for happiness in life. These things can only be fully known in a right relationship with God.
In closing, I want to encourage you to start — if you're not already — practicing the presence of God today. Why not begin with Psalm 23 and discover how your Shepherd can satisfy your soul.
