For almost 70 years I've been reciting the 23rd Psalm. Usually it's at night when I can't sleep. I go over it, the Lord's Prayer, and some old songs: "When Peace Like a River," "I Love You Lord," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." I have no idea how many times I have been over them all in my head.
Yet I have always heard this one phrase the same way. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Because Jesus is my shepherd, he will never lead me to a place where I have need of anything or to where I desire anything. He will always take care of me. He will lead me beside still waters and into green pastures. It is a very comforting thought. But don't we sometimes end up in places we wish we had not entered - wanting something more or something different?
Recently, very early in the morning, I had a different thought. There is another way to look at this passage. Suppose the responsibility in this phrase is mine, not His. Jesus is my shepherd! He will lead me where ever He wants me to go - even through the valley of the shadow of death. And whether I am in that valley or down by the still water, I am not to want anything. Because He will make sure I have what I need, there is no reason for me to think up things I want to have, that would be nice to have, that would make my life easier at that moment - regardless of how miserable I may be. He will take care of my needs and will bless me and I am not to be wanting more stuff. To want more than He has given me, is being disloyal to him as my leader.
I can only speak for myself here, but I like this interpretation better. It solidifies my relationship with the Lord as a dutiful follower, where ever He leads.
I thought of this recently when I was in and out of a coma in a Nigerian hotel room and hospital, and while I was on the speed boat that put me there. While people around the world were praying for my return to health and for my safe journey back to the States (thank you, thank you , thank you), I was just saying, "Thy will be done. I will fear no evil for thou art with me."
And indeed He was. His Spirit was there embodied in my friend Richard Inyang who made all the decisions got me rehydrated and on the big Delta jet headed home. Thank you Richard. Thank you to all those who prayed and thought good thoughts. And thank you David of old for the Psalm.
3 comments:
David, I weep, not with tears of pain, distress, nor fear, but of the joy and peace our Father through the Spirit can provide. Most profound, His Will - need I say more.
One of the most difficult challenges I face is to know the place of "free will" in God's plan. Does the sheep have the ability to give up all the 23rd Psalm says by making a choice to go a different direction? Does Jesus only take care of us when we allow him to?
I tend to spiritualize the blessings we're promised. We could have a good discussion about whether I over-spiritualize, but I don't see a lot of promises about material blessings in Scripture; neither health, wealth, or life itself.
So my response to Dave Arnold's question is, "Yeah, I think it's possible to walk away from the spiritual blessings (the profound peace described in Psalm 23, for instance) any time we want.
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