"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." (Psalm 23:1)
It is that time of the year when we review the happenings of the past year and make plans for the year ahead. Once again, what actually happened last year had very little resemblance to what I had planned. My new year's resolutions and plans are usually obsolete by the end of January. It's kind of like the GPS device in my car that keeps repeating-- "Recalculating route".
Someone has said; "If you want to make God laugh, just tell Him your plans!" Not that setting goals and making plans are a bad thing. Goal setting and planing are part of being a good steward of the limited time, energy and resources the Lord gives us. But for those of us who belong to Him, we understand that our ultimate security and hope for the future rests, not in our plans, but in this promise; "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."
King David, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote this well known Psalm. As a young man, David was a shepherd and so offered this analogy vividly picturing the role and responsibilities of both the shepherd (the Lord) and the sheep (His people).
A shepherd, of course, is primarily responsible for the leading, feeding and protection of the sheep. The sheep are totally dependent upon the shepherd. Left to fend for themselves and without the shepherd's constant care and protection, the sheep would quickly perish. The Lord, Jehovah-Jireh, is our shepherd. He is the almighty God and Lord who provides everything we need and exactly when we need it.
He provides under-shepherds (Pastor-Teachers) who are to feed us (teaching and preaching the Bible). With His rod and staff He lovingly directs our paths, protects us from our enemies, disciplines us for righteousness sake and leads us safely to His and our heavenly home; "Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6)
While we don't know what will happen in 2010 or what our needs might be, our Shepherd does. He is the Good Shepherd who will never leave us or forsake us. As the shepherd provides for his sheep, so the Lord always provides for us. But the sheep also have responsibilities-- We are to trust and obey our shepherd (the Lord) completely.
We are to not worry about the future, but with childlike faith, we are to put our confidence in the One who controls the future. I like what the great preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon once said about this; "I have wondered whether, if the sheep could talk, they might not talk of silly men; for, of all the foolish things that a sheep never did, surely this is one;--- as it is in the meadow, eating the grass, it never did stop all of sudden, and say to itself, 'I do not know what will become of me in the winter! There will be deep snow on the ground, and I shall not be able to get at the grass; I cannot really see how I shall be provided for!'
God wants those who belong to Him to trust Him in everything and also to obey Him in everything. Whenever and wherever the good shepherd leads, we are to obediently follow Him; "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me..." (John 10:14).
So again this new year, we will set goals and make plans, but as we do, remembering "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." May Jehovah-Jireh abundantly bless you and your family in 2010 and everyday as we look forward to His second coming. Maranatha!
