Words that can only come from my heart when my mind is righteous - not when my needs are met.
Every Tuesday the leaders of Doors have a Bible study and devotion. At 7:40 this morning, I'd just spent an hour and a half on the phone with America before I remembered it was me leading. I asked God where we needed to study and He said "psalm 23."
"We've all studied that before." I mumbled to God.
"My Word is not dead, it's living. Let it breathe life."
I opened my Bible.
The Lord is my shepherd..... A shepherd's job is to make sure the sheep are fed really well, to protect them, and to keep them close to him. As a sheep, our job is to be led, fed, and abide with the shepherd. The greatest leaders for the Kingdom are the ones who submit to being led. It is not our job to submit our plans and wait for His stamp of approval and "it is not our job to give God instructions, we simply are to report to duty..." (Corrie ten Boom).
There is nothing I lack (verse 1).
When God sees His sheep ( those who have chosen to follow Him), He doesn't see them lacking anything. If we aren't careful our entire relationship with Christ can be us asking for where and what we see ourselves lacking. Great poverty and great wealth share a lot of the same sickness - a perceived lack that will satisfy us. for the impoverished it is lacking basic needs and a mentality that they will never have anything they need. For the wealthy it is a lack of the next best thing and a lack of things that they deem can comfort them.
Lacking is a mentality we as believers need to get rid of.
If we let The Lord be our shepherd, He leads us to everything we need.
I shall not lack food. ( He lets me lie down in green pastures. Not yellow or brown - green! Grace! )
I shall not lack living water. (He leads me beside quiet waters)
I shall not lack vitality. ( He restores my life)
I shall not lack direction (He leads me on right paths)
I shall not lack courage (He is with me even in the valley of the shadow of death)
I shall not lack comfort. ( The daily disciplines of walking with Him, His rod and His staff, they comfort me)
I shall not lack being blessed (He prepares a table before me)
I shall not lack healing. (He anoints my head with oil- shepherds used to use oil to help heal wounds and scratches on sheep ).
I shall not lack praise. ( my cup overflows!!)
I shall not lack anything good. ( not worldly good, Godly good! Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me!!)
I shall not lack a dwelling place ( I will dwell in the house of The Lord as long as I live.)
To the world I look like a young; single woman, living across the world from her family, constantly saying goodbye to my friends, with a bank account that does not secure my living, a job that make you feel every emotion in the world five times each in the same day, and a life that doesn't really have a plan.
But I can truly and joyfully say - I am not lacking anything. I have everything I need.
That's not just a mentality God wants to free me from. Most of you who read this are on the other side of the world and His will for you there is the same for me here.
He wants you to see yourself the way He sees you, not lacking anything, only then can we stop looking at the things around us to define us and satisfy us.
His freedom is beyond measure. Lets let the Shepherd lead. -Mal
