(BLOGGY GIVEAWAY) Psalm 23 Study - God Meets Our Needs

[Enter a comment and you will be eligible to win this beautiful print. Deadline is Saturday, May 17, at Midnight CST.]

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” (Psalm 23:1, NIV)

“THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.” (Psalm 23:1, The Amplified Bible)

Sometimes I daydream about what I would do if I won a million dollars (I’m shallow that way). A few things come to mind.



As you can see, I’ve given this topic some serious thought.

But Jason Castro (channeling Neil Diamond) gives us a little reminder about money.

(Isn’t he a cutie? I want to squeeze his cheeks every time I see this.)

(And take scissors to his hair. Please, Lord, get the boy a fauxhawk.)

(And the thing about blue jeans? They can be quite expensive these days.)

Anyhoo, when David said, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want,” he wasn’t declaring God to be a disburser of winning lottery tickets. As a matter of fact, when a rich young man came to Jesus asking how to gain eternal life, Jesus told Him to give up physical riches to gain spiritual ones.

So as our Shepherd, what does He provide for us? We’ll be learning more about this in the weeks to come, but here’s a few examples just to get us thinking:

• freedom from fear
• equipping to do what He’s called us to do
• peace
• comfort
• protection

I’m a computer engineer (i.e. NERD), so of course this idea of “lacking nothing” reminds me of computer games. (What, you too?) I like the type of game where you travel through a mythical land, pick things up along the way, and solve puzzles. When I reached a puzzle that I needed to solve to continue in the game, I would look at everything I’d picked up and see how I could use them to solve the puzzle and move forward. (“Surely I must be able to use this used bubble gum and bungee cord to find the invisible map!”)

In the same way, if I stay connected to Him, God gives me everything I need along the way to fulfill His purpose for me. Be it wisdom, a particular skill, the right friend at the right time, or even some much needed cash, it all comes from Him. And if I don’t think that I have what I need? Well, I know where to go to find it. It’s amazing how Scripture can speak to my specific situation during my quiet times and give me an idea or change in perspective.

Don’t get me wrong, I won’t turn down a million dollars. (Cash please.) But it will not meet all of my needs. Instead of looking at the cash, I look to the Shepherd. And He’s worth much more to me than a lottery ticket.

Questions:

• What do you want or need?
• How has Jesus met your needs?
• What skills, abilities, experiences, and relationships has God given you to equip you for your future?
• Do you feel comfortable approaching Him to meet your needs?

Comments

[Garrett]

Every experience God has brought me through has made me the man I am today and it continues to prepare me for the future. One example is my dating experiences. All those unique experiences got me ready for Leslie. They helped me realize exactly what I wanted in a wife. Once God knew I was prepared for Leslie that was when he brought her into my life. Isn't that cool or what?

I believe in our free will to make good or bad decisions but God takes our decisions and tries to show us what his ultimate plan is for our lives. It is our responsibility to listen to what his will for us is and trust in it.

BTW, I nullify my participation in the giveaway. Since I am married to the poster, I shouldn’t be in the running to win the print. Happy posting everyone and good luck!

[Mom Reyes]

Yes, Amen to that Leslie and Garrett! I too know this, that The Good Lord is always directing and teaching us if only we open ourselves up to his voice in our daily existence. Sometimes he speaks to us through nature (a twinkling star (hi - I am here), a birds cheerful singing/greeting in the morning (every new day is a promise of happy hopefulness), a puppy's unconditional devotion (smile)), through other people's experiences, or through our own journey - there is always a lesson for us everyday of our lives, bringing us each day closer to His ultimate goal, that we be more like Him, and in tune with Him.
What do I want or need? Jesus has given me all that I need, as promised in the Psalm. At this particular period in my life, he has provided me with the gift of some 'time' (through my early retirement) -- and he has been whispering to me to 'be still' to acknowledge Him and listen to his voice. He has allowed me a few stumbles along the way which have served to assure me I can be hopeful and confident in the future - as it all works out at the end (go with the flow), and he has shown me that for all the searching we do for outside gratifications - only He can meet our spiritual needs.
Thank you Leslie, for sharing your lessons with us!

[Julissa]

Honestly...I want a lot of things. That doesn't sound very spiritual does it? I recently spoke with a sister in Christ who reminded me of the scripture that tells us God gives us the desires of our heart. I couldn't help but feel hurt because my desires weren't being met. Then she clarified how he will tells us what to desire...he will determine the desires if we allow him and submit to his will. I forgot that. So I guess he meets my needs by reminding me to submit to his will and trust him. He has provided me with wonderful people in my life to instruct me in wisdom and remind me of his character. I know he meets my needs though I don't always understand his way or his timing. Now I am working on learning what HE desires for me...what he WANTS for me. Once I learn it I hope I will learn to accept it and want it as well.

3 weeks ago, Leslie Maddox replied...
Thanks for your honesty! Psalm 37:4 says that God will give us the desires of our heart if we delight ourselves in Him. One way that I delight in God is by observng nature - the moon, stars, trees, etc. How else can we delight ourselves in Him?

[Jennifer, Snapshot]

I'd love to win this!

Thanks for visiting my site. Since you're thinking about a million dollars, you might want to visit my latest post and see how you can enter to win some gold coins (okay, chocolate coins, but still--and also a great Christian fiction series)

[Lauren]

What a great gift! I love Psalm 23 and the print is just fabulous!
I LOVE your blog and I can tell you are a wonderful Christian.

[Rozette Peckham]

What do you want or need?
How has Jesus met your needs?
What skills, abilities, experiences, and relationships has God given you to equip you for your future?
Do you feel comfortable approaching Him to meet your needs?
He has been my provider in times of need, a father to my child when she had none and a healer to me in dark times. I look back through my life and I see how so many people touched my life...and some don't even know it...the lady who gave me a book to read that helped me see how God works today, the woman that was His light shining when I didn't even know light existed and friends that sometimes knock you over the head with God's truth.
I want patience and stillness and yeah...sorta scared the answer will be...now don't be lazy Rozette....get to work. kidding but you know what I mean.