anxiety woke me up

Jesus Is Our Shepherd

Instead of “I have everything I need,” many translations of Psalm 23 say, “I shall not want.”

But sometimes we do want.

We want things to be different. We want to feel better. We want the healing, the relationship, the results, the answer, the relief. And we often feel like these are not simply wants but needs.

I want to be married.

I want to have children.

I want to have a house of my own.

I want to have a business that constantly brings in students who are hardworking and willing to learn.

I want my parents, friends, love ones to be saved. 

Yup, these are deeply entrenched wants in my heart.

Jesus, our good Shepherd, cares for us in this intimately personal, protective, and sacrificial way.

But does that mean we will never suffer? Does that mean followers of Jesus won’t get hurt, feel betrayed, lose someone they love, or experience dark times?

I can’t think of one friend of mine—Christian or not—who has been spared the grief and stress of this life.

So, what is the promise then?

If we belong to the fold of Jesus, can we really trust that he will give us everything we need?

In his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, W. Phillip Keller (a pastor and former shepherd) answers this question by comparing his friends. Some of them (who do not know Jesus) are extremely affluent and successful by the world’s standards, yet he described them as “poor in spirit, shriveled in soul, and unhappy in life.”2

By contrast, many of his Christian friends who had “known hardship, disaster, and the struggle to stay afloat financially,” he described as being “rich in spirit, generous in heart, and large of soul. They radiate a serene confidence and quiet joy that surmounts all the tragedies of their time. They are under God’s care and they know it. They have entrusted themselves to Christ’s control and found contentment.”3

Serene confidence, quiet joy, contentment. Everything we truly need comes from him:

A safe place to settle with him, an unlimited supply of living water, and restoration for our souls. Guidance in the right direction, real comfort, and companionship in the scariest, darkest times, provision—abundance—even in the midst of stress. The soothing protection and healing of his Spirit, overflow- ing grace, goodness and compassion no matter what happens, and the hope of life forever with him.

Dear Jesus, you are my good shepherd. You are always watching over me and faithfully attending to every single one of my needs. Thank you for sacrificing your life for mine and making me yours. Amen.