The Very Best of Shepherdsნიმუში

The Shepherd Provides for My Needs

Psalm 23 is a favorite for many Christians. I remember reading it to my little boy when he would have bad dreams, putting comforting Scripture into his heart and mind so he could sleep. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want ... (Psalm 23:1esv) Those are very comforting words.

As we get older, those promises become more meaningful on a deeper level. We need food, clothes, and shelter, but we also need companionship, love, and a sense of purpose. Our needs run deep.

Jesus talked about our human tendency to worry in the book of Matthew. He said, “So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them” (Matthew 6:31–34 NIV).

Sheep are not terribly smart animals. They get stuck on their backs. They get stuck in hedges and in holes in the ground, and the minute you pull them out, they’ll fall right back in again. But the Shepherd knows just how smart a sheep is — not very! — and He provides for that. He plans ahead.

I still remember how our family was moving across the country so that my father could attend school. My brother and I would be attending the same university, and my mother would be the sole wage earner supporting us all. Our boxes and furniture were sent on ahead, and we got into our family’s two cars and drove across the country, believing that God would provide for us.

Looking back on that cross-country move as an adult, I can see what a huge risk it was. At the age of eighteen, I simply trusted that my parents had it under control. But they didn’t! They were heading to a strange city with no jobs.

Halfway there, my mom was sent a message. A company had heard that she was moving to the area, and they had a job for her. Not an interview, a job! If she wanted it, it was hers. She’d start the day after we arrived. I know what a miracle that was, and I will never forget it.

God provides!