I Lack Nothing

Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me besides quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

            The usual post-Thanksgiving Day feast/tryptophan coma set in at our house.  This year we tried something different. Instead of remaining glued to the recliners, we took a refreshing walk up the hill. It was a very nice evening to enjoy the fresh air and the neighbors have been busy setting out the Christmas lights. The problem for me is I now have snowman and deer envy. One of the houses up the hill has a beautiful set of golden grapevine illuminated deer in the yard and a big illuminated snowman on the porch. I guess I lack something.  But I am quite sure what I lack is not important in God’s eyes. Lord, please forgive me for coveting my neighbor’s fake deer and fake snowman. I’ll bet I can find a set on Amazon…

            One of the joys of reading scripture is opening up the words and looking at the context in which they were written.  In biblical times shepherds were common. Shepherds tended their flocks as they moved from one place of forage to another. In modern society, shepherds are not so common. In many parts of the world the agrarian part of society is foreign or even unknown. For many, they do not grasp the concept that someone has to tend and protect the sheep that became the lamb chop they enjoy or the wool sweater they wear in winter. The same is true about the burger they enjoy or the leather for the shoes they wear. The animals just do not take care of themselves, they need to be guided, cared for and treated with love. In fact without care, they die. It was a simple principle for shepherds. If the flock thrives, so does the shepherd. If the flock withers, so does the shepherd. Each provides for the other. God our Father, depicted in the role of a shepherd may be difficult to understand for many. When we look for something similar in our modern world it can be difficult to find a similar relationship to use as an example of one side desiring to give love and the other side needing to be loved. If we look at parents, we can find sterling examples of good and bad parenting. If we look at care-takers for elderly people, we find similar examples.  No, the shepherd is probably the best example to use, even considering the difficulty in relating to shepherds in modern society. But then again, do you suppose that we could actually learn something by studying God’s Word and the context of His Word? You don’t suppose that was all part of God’s plan do you? Nah, something that simple could not have been part of a plan. Or is it too simple. Well, anyway give it a try.  Of one thing I can be certain. The one thing I lack is a complete understanding, and so I need to study His Word more.

PRAYER: Almighty God, You are our shepherd. You lead us, You care for us and You provide for our needs. You give us rest for our souls, and forgiveness for our sins. You provide for us completely. For this we give you thanks in the strong name of Jesus Christ, Amen.