Personal and Present

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1 (ESV)

I have always found great comfort in Psalm 23 throughout the 33 years of my spiritual journey, but it has been these last 4 years when it has become the singular passage that the Lord continues to bring to the forefront of my mind. Psalm 23 speaks to me in a wide array of circumstances. From high points of joy and exuberance to the deep valleys of despair and doubt, the Lord continues to bring this Psalm to the forefront of my Christian journey, and I have been immeasurably blessed because of it. I often find myself meditating and reflecting on verse one alone. There is such a beautiful simplicity to it, yet the truth it conveys is deep and powerful. I find myself mulling it over in my mind most nights as I lay in bed waiting to drift off to sleep. I spend these moments rolling each word around in my head and letting them speak to me as individual words in the context of the whole verse. I have found it to be a powerful reforming agent that works daily miracles in my stubborn heart.

I find it utterly amazing that the LORD is my Shepherd. The Creator of all things; the One who is the Author and Sustainer of life itself is my Shepherd. My shepherd is not some invention of my own making that readily does my bidding. My shepherd is not some passing thought or desire within me. My Shepherd is the One and Only God of the universe. The One upon whom all things depend for their every breathe. This is my Shepherd.

He IS my Shepherd. He is not a past-tense shepherd that formerly cared for me. He is not some future-tense shepherd that I continue to wish for and dream about. He IS my Shepherd. He is here with me presently; he has been with me; and he will continue to be my Shepherd forever. My ever-present, steadfast Shepherd.

He is MY Shepherd. He is personal and relational. He knows me by name. He calls me by name. I am his and he is mine. This one word staggers me every time I meditate on this verse. I know that Jesus is personal and relational. I know that I have been united to Him and Him with me. Yet, I often tend to think of Jesus as a Shepherd of the multitude of sheep, of which I am just one. There is a specialness to the relationship I have with this Shepherd. He is mine and I am his. I may just be one of the many sheep in the flock, but he calls me his own and knows me. He knows me intimately and he reveals himself to me so that I too may know him intimately. My Shepherd doesn’t just shepherd me, he has a relationship with me.

The Shepherd cares for his sheep. The shepherd protects his sheep. The shepherd provides for his sheep. The shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. My shepherd goes even further though. He loves his sheep. He not only provides for my physical needs but meets me in all the other areas of need in my life. He provides for my spiritual, emotional, mental, and social needs as well. I find all of these needs met in communion and fellowship with my perfect Shepherd.

Knowing that all my needs are met by this perfect, loving, sovereign, personal, and present Shepherd, I can rest safe and secure in his care. Meaning… I shall not want. I will lack nothing at all.

There are plenty of times where this absolute truth leaks out of my day-to-day life and falls to the wayside as my own fears and failures rise to the forefront. Like a wayward sheep, I often forget that my Shepherd is all I ever need. I take his care and provision for granted. I take his love and grace for granted. I take his patience and kindness for granted. I wander off, away from him because I think there might be something better somewhere else. I think I can find happiness with another shepherd or even become my own shepherd. My stubborn heart rises to bring me down.

In all of this my Shepherd is still my Shepherd. He continues to bring me back again and again. Like a Good Shepherd, he continues to corral me back into his fold. He continues to call out to me by name. He continues to embrace me and love me. He loves me continually and forever. “The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”