Thoughts Reflections and Inspirations

When I have a need, what do I reach for to supply that need? Where do I turn to for help? Many feel like they really have no one to turn to that they can trust.

David said I shall not want because the Lord is my Shepherd. He faced great times of need but the Lord was his supplier. Apostle Paul had the same testimony. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

The story is told of a certain village in another country where people starved to death one winter. It was during a time of great famine in the land. The winter was hard with a lot of snow. This village was within a few miles of another village. In the next village there was a greater supply of grain and they would have had enough to help the first village survive. However, the people in the first village supposed that the next village was in the same predicament, so they never searched further than their own village and ended up starving to death.

Within our reach is an endless supply of all that we need, but we must go to the source. The Good Shepherd has an endless supply of all we need and is eager to help us in time of need.

” I shall not want” follows immediately after, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Psalms 23:1. The definition of want in this sense is to lack, to fail, to lessen, to be lacking. During the time that David was a fugitive running for His life, there were times when food itself was a challenge to come by. We read this in the book of I Samuel. In this we see David understood by experience what it was like to have times of great need. But in all this his testimony is, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

We live in a day of great need, yes right here in America. In one year alone in this nation, about 64,000 people died of drug overdoses. In one state alone, about 4000 people died of overdose. This was in one year’s time.

I heard just yesterday the story from a father who lost his son to drug overdose. It seems this overdose was not intentional. He took one pill, not realizing it was laced with a deadly drug. One pill killed him and that unexpectedly. He left a greatly, grieving family.

This does not need to happen to you or to me. But we need the Good Shepherd to keep us from want, lack, even wrong desires or reaching for the wrong remedy.

The great King David of ancient Israel said, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Psalms 23:1 Being a shepherd, taking care of His father’s sheep from boyhood up, David understood very well what He was speaking of when He spoke these words. David was saying, the Lord is to me what I am to my sheep.

David took care of these sheep by day and by night. Suddenly, a bear came to attack the flock. David killed the bear with his own hands. Again, a lion was trying to steal his sheep and he killed the lion with his own hands, facing death squarely. David had a jealous love over those sheep and he was willing to put his life on the line for them.

No wonder David trusted the Lord when King Saul was hunting him to kill him. He knew the Lord was his Shepherd and that the Lord himself would rise up and fight for him. There was a bond of trust between David and the Lord who was his good Shepherd that would last a life time.

Even when David sinned that terrible sin by having a man killed and then taking his wife, David received the correction from the Good Shepherd and repented of His sin and was restored.

God said of David, “I have found David the Son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” Acts 13:22

The options are clear. We have the choice between two masters. Many try to serve two but in reality that is an impossibility. Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” These words were spoken by Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, Himself.

The root of the problems we so often face has to do with never having fully established the question of who our master really us. Many say, ‘I’m not going to choose. Maybe sometime later.’ That in itself is a choice. I will follow myself for a while till a more convenient season. In that case then who is the master? We all have one without exception.

There is one Master who is life and leads us on the path of life, eternal life. That life is one of peace, joy, and righteousness, but includes trials and tribulations. This Master has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Hebrews 13:5

There is the other master who promises great things but cares nothing for us. He is a liar and the father of all lies. His work is to rob, steal, kill and destroy. Much of this he does through deception.

The first Master, Jesus, said, “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Once there were two flocks of sheep. The two flocks were side by side on two separate farms. There was a fence separating the two farms.

The flock on the one side was on lush, green grass. They looked well fed and well filled out. Their wool was nice, fluffy and clean. None were lamed or diseased. When a problem came up, it was soon taken care of.

On the other side, the sheep looked like they never had enough to eat. The grass was brown and eaten down to the ground. There were those who were lame and those who had infected hooves. Some looked like they were infested with parasites. The sheep were skinny and the lambs looked like their growth was stunted.

What made this great difference in these two flocks of sheep? They were in the same weather and the same type of farming community. It came down to one difference, something they had no control over. The difference was in the shepherd that owned them and took care of them. These sheep had no say in the matter at all.

You and I are also sheep. The difference is we can choose who our shepherd and owner is. Who is your shepherd and owner?