Time blows by like a speeding train. Anyone else feel this? 

So when I opened my Bible this morning and landed in Psalm 23, I knew I needed to pause.

 

It feels like yesterday that I held my little girl for the first time. I watched her take her first steps and heard her read her first words. Years later, I held my youngest in my arms and thought, There’s going to be a last time for this joy. The tears came instantly. 

 

Now the house is empty, and the changes keep coming fast. It feels like I’m running out of time.

 

In these moments of drastic change, when I feel like I’m being stretched beyond my limits, I hurry. There’s no time to waste. At my age, who has time to wait, to stop and listen? Yet that’s exactly what God asks of me. I’m learning there’s power in letting go of my schedule and resting in God’s perfect path. He’s been teaching me to slow down and trust his plan.

 

So when he led me to Psalm 23, I slowed down and listened. What could he teach me through this simple, well-known Psalm? When life spins out of control, I find rest in his Word. But, first I have to admit I’m arriving with baggage. Some things weigh heavy on my mind and heart.

 

The Worries I’m Bringing To The Table 

Money. It’s always money. Will God meet our needs this month? This year? There are so many things press on our finances, and the needs never seem to end. I feel the worry in my shoulders, my head, my stomach. Fear fills my heart, and I roll and tumble at night. 

My work. Will God bless the work of my hands? Writing is slow and painful, and nothing seems to move or change. I’m a person that measures worth by change, so I feel like a failure. Yet this is the work God gave me. It is without a doubt, the hardest and best place for me to be.

 

Family. So many people in my extended family are struggling. The enemy seems to have his hand on the throats of those closest to me, stealing life and joy. And it’s hard to see God’s plan through tears of grief as I walk beside my mom while Alzheimer’s slowly steals her mind.

 

What worries are you bringing to the Word today?

 

Now that I’ve confessed my fear and my need, I can come with open hands ready to receive what he wants to teach me.

 

The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need. (Psalm 23:1)

 

Can this be true?

 

What The Word Says

I know his word is faithful, but is it true for me in this moment? Hebrews 4:12 resonates in my heart as I meditate on this question. His Word is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 

 

So whatever he says to me through his Word today, I know it is meant for my own heart. It opens my eyes to see the changes I need to make in my thinking and in my heart. And as I dig deeper the truth is revealed to me in the slow, purposeful way that God likes to teach me. 

 

Let’s take it word by word in that slow way. Chewing on each word. Looking deeply at the meaning and message he has for us today. And we’ll watch as he meets us where we are.

 

The Lord (Yahweh): Who is the God of Psalm 23?

YHWH (Yahweh), the most holy name of God. The beautiful, eternal name of the One seated on his throne, high and lifted up. This is the God I serve: the creator who breathes life into my body, my sustainer, the one who answers prayers and teaches me how to hear his voice. He rescued me from death and darkness. He is my Master and Savior.

 

What comes to mind when you say the words “the LORD”? How has he shown himself to be the LORD in your own life?

 

My Shepherd (Yahweh Ro’i): What Does It Mean That the Lord Is My Shepherd?

Yahweh Ro’i, “The LORD my Shepherd.” God bends low to meet me where I am. He doesn’t demand perfection or beauty. He simply loves me. A Shepherd’s primary role is to care for the sheep: to tend to their needs, find good pasture and clean water. He wants his sheep to be healthy and safe. He leads them and protects them from predators. If I follow his lead, how can I doubt his goodness? Watching over me is his nature.

The problem is my own wandering heart. Every shiny distraction pulls me away. Instead of keeping my eyes on him and his Word, I let the world to turn my head. Pain distracts me just as easily. I fixate on the hard experiences instead of seeing God’s hand in them. In Psalm 119:67, David admits he is prone to wander until God disciplined him. But, now he follows the Word closely. Am I willing to submit to God’s discipline to bring me close to his heart? Can I trust that the hard things are a part of his plan to bring me into his presence? 

 

How have you discovered God as the Shepherd of your own life? Are you willing to trust his leadership even when the way is hard?

 

I Have All That I Need: What Does “I Shall Not Want” Really Mean?

God meets every need. The original language reads: Yahweh is my Shepherd. Nothing shall I lack. Without his all-sufficiency, I’m left with a void. I lack the capacity to care for myself. There is a deficiency in me I’ve tried to fill with so many other things. Even as a lifelong believer, I still look for fulfillment in jobs, relationships, and stuff — but none of it satisfies.

 

In the first verse of this song, David reminds me that the Lord is the one who cares for me, and because of that, all my needs will be met. Scarcity and want have no place in my vocabulary. His faithful care provides for every need and I lack nothing. Absolutely nothing. Because he is with me, there’s no room for want.

 

So when expenses outrun the month, and my heart breaks over the changes that come with caring for my mom, even there, in the places I feel most broken and lost, God is present. He is still my Shepherd. 

 

In the Mark 6, when the crowds followed Jesus, compassion filled his heart. They were wandering like sheep without a shepherd. He didn’t tell them to get their lives together. He didn’t scold them for their poor choices or fuss about their wandering hearts. He taught them. 

 

He does the same for me. When I wander, when I doubt, when I let worry fill my heart, he doesn’t look on me with condemnation. In his gentle way, he begins to teach me from his Word. 

 

Today, he reminds me: I am your Shepherd. You will have all you need.

 

How have you seen God provide for all your needs?