"The Lord is My Shepherd"

Today's Sample Devotional

 Day 1: “the lord is my shepherd, i shall not want” 

The Lord is my Shepherd. What a wonderful thing to consider. The great Shepherd of Israel is personally yours, and you are His. Fears melt away when you meditate on this truth. One can only imagine that as King David wrote this delicate poem of praise that he was overtaken by the comfort and peace that such thoughts would arouse. He is mine. The leader of heaven’s armies is your gentle, compassionate, careful, and watchful shepherd. The Bible tells us that “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the wrongdoing of us all to fall on Him” (Isa. 53:6). This same LORD, who bore our iniquities in His body on the tree, is our Shepherd. Jesus Himself says that He is the Good Shepherd, and He will lay down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). What kind of loving care is this? We are all so prone to worry and fret over the things of this life. But I wonder, how much of our pressing anxieties would be quickly submerged and forgotten in the sea of His shepherding love if only we took time to consider these things? I am so prone to get wrapped up in the rat race of life and am best reminded of His peace when I quietly meditate on the truth that the Lord is my shepherd. 

If He is my Shepherd then it is certain that I shall not want. If the Lord almighty is the great Shepherd of my soul, I can also trust that He will gladly provide for my every need here on earth. His loving kindness and faithfulness are dependent upon His perfect nature, and not my ever-changing nature. He will be my Good Shepherd when I falter, fail, and flounder about like the clumsy lamb that I am. He loves to remind me- to remind us- that He is constant. We shall not want, so long as the Lord is our Shepherd. 

Finally, He says, “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them” (Ez. 34:11). Seeking us out isn’t a task that He delegated to angels. God is devoted to us completely. We are His special flock, and He is bound by His word to tenderly care for us. Isaiah says, “He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young” (Is. 40:11).

Reflection 

Take a few minutes today to meditate on these nine simple words that God has spoken to communicate a deep and comforting truth. Make it personal and believe the truth for yourself. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”.

Prayer

“Lord, I thank you that you are my Shepherd. Your gentle care over me is so often overlooked. Help me to see it more clearly and to remember that with you as my Lord, Savior, and Shepherd I will lack no good thing. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.”

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