Finding Peace in the Middle of Anxietyনমুনা

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.

David wrote this Psalm as one who clearly understood sheep. A shepherd knows these vulnerable animals require constant care. They need mineral-rich pastures cleared of weeds and holes. They need a continual supply of clean water and fresh hay. They need shelter to protect them from the hot sun and bitter cold and fences to keep them from wandering away. They need care for their injuries and oil applied regularly to prevent parasites. They need a brave and alert protector willing to sacrifice sleep and risk physical harm to fight off predators.

David was a devoted shepherd who not only knew the needs of his flock but had both the strength and the desire to take care of them. So, when he wrote Psalm 23 beginning with, “The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need,” we can believe him.

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.