I love Christmas! People are generally kinder, the music makes me happy, the lights on houses are beautiful and there's just an excitement in the air.
One of my favorite verses is Luke 2:19 "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." It's a beautiful reminder of what Christmas is all about: focusing on the birth of the Savior of the world.
Jesus Christ came because we need someone to be our shepherd... we need someone to save us. Isaiah 53:6 says "We all like sheep have gone astray, each one of us has turned to his own way." Not one of us is perfect or even close; the Bible says our righteous deeds are as fithy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). We all are in need of someone to save us from our own way, and then once he has saved us, to provide for us: to provide nourishment, direction and guidance, rest, comfort, love and a slew of other things. This someone whom we all need is Our Shepherd, God the Father.
I thought this Christmas season would be the perfect time to walk through Psalm 23 together to find out just how much the Creator of our universe desires to have a close relationship with you and me. Over the next few days I plan on writing about what I've learned as I study this Psalm. Come with me as we draw closer to our Lord and Savior while celebrating his birth this Christmas.
Verse 1 "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."
Note first that the Psalmist uses the word "my," not "our shepherd." His Lord is personal seeing each person on earth individually. He relates to each of us in our own personal lives. John 10:3 says He calls his own sheep by name. He knows your name; he knows the number of hairs on your head. We need to understand God's tenderness.
One of the most amazing things about our Shepherd is that the God who spoke the world into existence desires to be close to each individual... including YOU.
For this is what the high and lofty One says--
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite." Isaiah 57:15
Nothing you've done can take away God's desire to be close to you. He will always love you and want a strong, close relationship with you. He's so unlike us in that regard. When I've been hurt, I want nothing to do with the person who has hurt me. I want the other person to suffer as much as I have. I may even sever the relationship. Not so with God. No matter how much you've rejected his ways, nothing will take away his desire to draw near to you.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love
of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
The word "want" in verse 1 means "lacking" - The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not lack.
The provision of the Shepherd is total: complete care, complete guidance, complete provision. He doesn't promise to meet us halfway if we can come up with the other half. I'm sure you've heard the popular saying, "God helps those who help themselves." Nothing could be further from the truth!
So what do we not lack?
In another one of David's Psalms he gives us insight:
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:8-10
The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not lack any good thing.
Well, that's is enough for me to chew on for today. Next time we'll look at verse 2, perhaps my favorite verse of the Psalm.
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