“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” Psalm 23:1 NIV
These last few months have been difficult for me in a variety of ways: in particular as a mother and as a retiree. As a retiree, what would the Lord have me do? I have been blessed beyond measure to be available to my daughter when needed (best thing ever), while wondering what the Lord has in mind for me. I have not gotten a clear message on that so far, so I am learning to wait on Him.
I have also been overjoyed and have ached for my daughter who is expecting her first child while going through some very hard circumstances. There has been such a rollercoaster of emotions…from elation to despair and back to elation. I have seen my daughter cry for joy over the health and growth of the child within her and cry in pain and frustration over happenings of which she has no control. I have been sharing in her joy and been angry for what has been occurring.
In response, the Lord has brought words to me from different sources. One of those being The Word for You Today. There was a two-day entry re: “The Art of being a Shepherd,” based on Psalm 23:1. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” (NIV). The final words on the second day were: “…believing in and relying on His protection and provision isn’t instinctive-it’s the only decision you make; an act of your will. Regardless of your feelings or circumstances, you make up your mind to trust the shepherd to handle things and act as your security…He fulfills His promise that you will ‘lack nothing.’”
None of this is new to me. I heard it anew because my circumstances had taken me away from living in the truth of these words. The Lord is indeed my one and only Shepherd, caring for me, and more importantly my daughter, in ways only He can in the depth of love He has for us amidst our circumstances.
How do you see God in your day to day? Do you rest in Him as your Shepherd or do you, as I was doing, see your circumstances as bigger than His provision? It is a choice we must make day to day. Thankfully, He is in it all. Praise be to God!