The Lord is My Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
Don’t miss it. Don’t glaze over the words we have heard so often. Pause. Reflect, let it sink in. The one thing we need most right now is to remember who He is. First, and always.
There’s too much static out there to sort through without solid ground to stand on. So stand here first.
He is my shepherd. I lack nothing. (Psalm 23:1)
I lack nothing.
If I take God at His word, I don’t need anything. It’s all okay- under control, already being taken care of.
Really?
But what about the line-items I have on my list to take care of so I can ensure that everything goes smoothly and stays in my control? Is it really in my control at all? Or is it a mirage?
God’s heart is for His sheep to be tended, herded in the right direction, and protected from being lost. He fights for them when they wander, scolds them when they get rebellious, and provides redemption pathways over and over.
And what if He means it?
What if God actually means that He wants to tend to us? To point us in the right direction, provide clothes and food, and protection? Like really?
A shepherd takes responsibility for his flock and all that they cannot do themselves. He tends, herds, feeds, and guards the sheep. He protects them and ensures their overall well-being.”
What if it were true?
I recently had a dream— not just a “Whoa, I got really good sleep, and my brain unloaded all the stuff” dream. One that came to an early morning, groggy hours conversation with the Lord that cut through that same fog to the heart.
In the dream, I was invited to a women’s conference where this friend told me I could chat with the speakers afterwards. She told me where to go and where to stand so that I would be able to hear the whole conference, and then join the speakers for a meal. I was excited, I wanted to ask questions and gain insight. What a fun opportunity!
As the dream progressed, I arrived at the conference, found the side room my friend had mentioned, and found a bench seat to sit on. The conference began, and all the speakers took turns speaking, and just a few minutes in, I found myself drowsy in the dream. I “woke up” in the dream at the end of the conference, just as the speakers and assistants had gathered the people for the meet and greet, and I had missed it by being asleep.
I woke up to the Lord speaking to my heart- “It’s time to be awake and sober-minded- there is an urgency, it’s not rushing, but it isn’t assuming all will fall into place. Where is the shepherd? Have you kept your eyes on Him? Do you know where He is? Or have you let your wandering take your gaze from me?”
Had I?
My quiet time had taken a hit because in the real-life world, I was tired. I wasn’t getting it in at lunch because I was in “to-do list mode,” or dinner because I was in “reset and next” mode. But didn’t God know my heart? Doesn’t He understand that I’m tired and trying and wishing I could spend hours a day with Him?
Yes. He understands. And He sent a dream to remind me that though tiredness would find me, if I allowed it to lead me, I may find myself apart from Him, and the gifts. In the same way, if I let a too-full list and self-expectations lead, I would miss some things. He knows my heart, and that I want to be MOST present for where He is going, not miss it because of comparison traps of what life “should” look like.
Sometimes wandering looks like standing still when the Shepherd is calling us somewhere. Sometimes wandering looks like going after a different destination than Him. It doesn’t take open rebellion to lose His gaze, just a lack of movement, trust, rest, and relationship. Faster than it seems possible, we wander. Not intentionally, but unintentionally.
Repentance and turning back are all that we need to come close. I’m thankful for dreams that catch my attention, remind me that I lingered too long in self-sufficiency, or self-protection. He is a good shepherd, and He gently calls us back.
We get to choose to trust Him again. To stay close in the flock, to draw near, and to keep ourselves close enough to hear His voice.
It’s intentionality. Where is He? What is He doing? Am I staying close?
I had lost sight of where I was, assuming all was well.
But God herds us back, patiently and faithfully, our shepherd.
Right in black and white, no matter which version you read:
- (NIV, New Heart English) The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
- (NLT) The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
- (ESV, Berean, KJV, NKJV) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want
- (New American Standard) The Lord is my shepherd; I will not be in need
What if I step back and consider my to-do list as if I were the well-cared-for sheep in the flock? One ear listening for the shepherd, one being present in the pasture of blessing I’m in?
Intentionality has a weight, but so does self-sufficiency. Which one do we want to choose? To be tended, led, fed, and protected? Or to tend, lead, feed, and protect ourselves?
What will it cost to carry the weight of that responsibility?
What if the time and space we crave are only possible through following?
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Psalm 23 NIV
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
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 your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
