I shall not want

    As I once again attempt to write on the idea of peace, I admit that it has not been easy finding stories or passages of scripture I have not already written about in the past. Case in point, I have written a few posts on Psalm 23 and felt there was no need to use this Psalm to illustrate the idea of peace again. But, when it comes to God’s Word, I am learning that there is so much you can learn from even one story, one verse or portion of scripture. 
    In Psalm 23 we see a descriptive picture of a shepherd taking care of his sheep. The Psalm begins with the words, “ The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want” (v.1). That very first verse encapsulates and covers what comes in the following verses - because the Lord is my shepherd, my keeper, my support, I will have need of nothing. I used to think that that need mainly referred to physical needs but I have come to realise it does not. Whether I have material, emotional, mental, physical needs, my Shepherd covers them all.
     Here’s the thing, when you think of a shepherd and his sheep, you think of creatures that are heavily dependent on their keeper. They are aware that they cannot take proper care of themselves. At times they may not even be aware of what they need but that’s where the shepherd comes in - He knows their every need and does His best to supply it. It’s the same with us. In our case, we would love to think that we know everything and can take care of ourselves. But the reality is, we don’t know everything and sometimes we make choices and decisions that cause us more harm than good. 
    Verse 2 says: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” Clearly, it’s not the sheep who makes the choice to lie down but the shepherd. Similarly with us, God knows when we need to rest and rejuvenate. We ourselves may not know it, but God certainly knows how to help us get the rest we need when we need it. I recall here the story of Jesus and His disciples. He had sent them out two by two to do ministry in various places (Mark 6:7-13). When they returned, He encouraged them to go to a quiet place to rest (v.30-32). Jesus was pleased with their efforts but He knew and understood the importance of rest.
    It is interesting to note however, that sheep will not easily lie down unless certain needs are met. If they are afraid, hungry, bothered by flies or parasites, or facing conflict among themselves, rest is virtually impossible. The shepherd has to first ensure that all these needs are addressed to enable the sheep to get the rest it needs. It’s the same with us actually. I know for me personally, rest can be difficult to attain if I am dealing with fear, conflict or some other distress. I can go to sleep but get up feeling quite tired because my mind is dealing with fear and stress. Yet, I have also learned that when I literally give it God, rest is not so difficult to achieve. 
    So, how does all of this relate to the idea of peace? In pretty much every way! Remember last week I shared a few definitions of peace: freedom from disturbance, tranquility, mental or emotional calm. When we put our confidence in our God, He meets all our needs, frees our mind and spirit from distress and turmoil and ensures that we get the rest we need when and how we need it. Right there is where we can experience peace. It’s the peace where we know that we know that our Shepherd will take care of us, He will leave nothing out but ensure that in every area of our lives, our needs are met. We don’t like when trouble comes, yet, we don’t have to worry, when our Shepherd is right there, ready to tackle on our behalf whatever challenge comes our way. As I always like to say, He has our backs, He will not let us down.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. Our God is truly a Shepherd who sees our every need. He cares and He knows exactly how to help us find rest and peace when we need it. Be encouraged!​

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