Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalms 23:1 NKJV

I don’t pretend to be theologian.

I’ve never gone to seminary.

But, I’ve raised sheep and I look at this verse through that perspective.

There’s so much meaning contained in these few lines.

“The LORD is my shepherd” means He is in control of supplying my every need.

He is the One who knows where I should go, what lies ahead, and how He will provide.

Thus the line: “I shall not want” is in response to the beginning of God being the Shepherd.

For me it means two things.

It’s referring to the truth that God will supply all my needs.

It’s also a statement: “I shall not want”.

Sheep will stand knee deep in lush grass and try to get their head through the fence to eat the tough old grass growing alongside the road.

Sheep will have plenty of forage in the field, but will refuse to go eat it because they are standing next to the empty feed trough.

It’s empty because of two things: it is not time to feed yet or they don’t need to be fed because there’s plenty of forage.

Yet, some will choose to ignore the field and will remain next to the empty troughs, loudly complaining about the lack of grain.

“I shall not want” is a realization that my Shepherd has provided.

He may not always give me what I want, but He has always provided what I need.

I can choose to thank Him for what He has supplied without worrying about what I will need in the future, without longing for something else.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalms 23:1 NKJV

It’s a testimony to build on.

It’s a truth to rest securely in.

It’s my promise both for this world and for the one to come.

Praise the Lord!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your promises. Thank You for Your truth. Lord, You have supplied all my needs and I’m so grateful. You have far surpassed my expectations time and again, sustaining me when I couldn’t see how You were going to provide. Lord, if You could handle multitudes of people in the desert for forty years, I know You can handle me. Thank You! I love You, Jesus. Amen

Suddenly…

I was awakened, again.

It had been happening all night, but this time it wasn’t distant, it was loud and nearby.

It was a tree, falling and the branches hitting our bedroom window.

Last night was the second night in a row of freezing rain.

And the poor trees couldn’t handle the weight.

Power was lost during the night.

My husband didn’t sleep hardly at all due to the sounds of trees falling all around us.

This morning he and our son left to help move trees and branches from the roads.

Ordinarily, my husband wouldn’t have been able to cut down much as we no longer have a chainsaw.

But God…

Our son-in-law had left his in our garage just a few days ago.

So, my husband even has the tools needed to help.

I’m so thankful to the Lord for His provision.

Just yesterday I was saying to someone, “Only God knows what will happen tomorrow and I trust Him to provide for whatever that is.”

And He has.

Although, in floor heating won’t work, we have a propane topped stove, so I can still cook.

We have a propane fireplace, so it’s not too chilly.

The truck has gas in it, so my husband can drive.

We have a generator and plenty of gasoline.

Even the tree falling didn’t break the window.

Truly, we are so very well provided for.

And I know from experience that if something worse had occurred, God would have provided for that as well.

Because He is our provision.

Psalm 55:22 KJV — Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

He provided a way for our souls to be saved and has not neglected our daily needs.

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Lamentations 3:22‭-‬24 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/lam.3.22-24.KJV

Psalm 79:9 NKJV — Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake!

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised, for His faithfulness and salvation is everlasting.

Psalm 145:3 NKJV — Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for providing so much for us each and every day. Thank You for walking with us and providing for all our needs. Lord, thank You for keeping us safe from the storm. Lord, may we never allow the things of this life shake our steadfast trust in You and Your salvation. Lord Jesus, You are amazing and we praise Your holy name. Thank You. Amen.

December 5

Today’s prayer:

Sing praise to the Lord , you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
Psalms 30:4‭-‬5 NKJV

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You so much for all Your wonderous works. Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your love. Lord, we look to You for all things. We trust You for our lives and we honor You as Lord of all. Father, we need Your guidance for our lives, our families, and our nation. Lord, the world needs You. There is evil and brokenness all over. We have reaped the consequences of our sin and we are suffering. Lord Jesus, please heal our land. Please return the prodigal, save the lost, and protect the innocent. Lord, thank You for Your care. Thank You for salvation. Lord, let all the peoples praise You! Let your name be glorified throughout the whole earth. Amen.

God provides

When Jase and I had been down for his doctor appointment, I’d briefly visited the church Bell’s shower was to be in.

Pictures are a part of any event in this age.

I’ve learned it’s important to think about the background.

A really cute moment on digital memory can be married by the weird lighting or some strange looking overhang.

Which is why I began talking and praying about a backdrop for her bridal shower.

It was needed.

I mentioned it to my husband and we discussed what we could build.

Our son-in-law was also part of the conversation as he would be setting it up for me.

I began looking on the internet for the required items to build what we discussed.

Yet, I felt this nagging inside me.

Like my plans were off.

So, I went back to prayer.

I kept getting a mental image, but it didn’t line up with our plans.

Infact it was far to much work for the time frame.

I couldn’t understand what the Lord was trying to tell me.

But I have learned not to rush forward in these things.

If I can’t get peace or clear direction, I wait and pray.

Days went by and I still had this mental picture, but no ability to create it.

One Sunday afternoon, while we were all sitting around the house I felt led to get on Craigslist.

Which is odd, because I try to avoid Craigslist.

So, I prayed again, before typing into the search engine.

“What should I search for, Lord?”

Screens.

I did and up pops a picture.

I could hardly believe it.

Besides being a different color, it was exactly the same screens I had in my mind.

I quickly showed the picture to both my husband and our son-in-law.

What surprised me the most was the price.

Free. You haul.

Our son-in-law picked them up the next day.

The weather and the Lord gave me several good days and I painted them.

They were perfect for the backdrop at the shower.

We plan on using them for the wedding as well.

All this came together with perfect order and God’s timing.

In the big picture of life it’s a tiny insignificant thread.

But in my heart it’s a beautiful reminder of what happens when I trust God instead of trying to make it on my own.

I could never have built anything this nice.

But I didn’t need to.

God knew exactly what He was doing.

All I needed to do was trust Him.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for another moment in my life where I can remember how You care even about the tiny details. Lord, I know there is so much happening all around us, daily, and I am humbled by Your care for me. Your love is unfathomable and I thank You for it. Please, help others realize how much You love them. Help others to stop trying on their own and instead wait upon You. I know it’s not easy, but it’s definitely best. Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching me every day. Thank You for salvation. I love You. Amen.

Supply all…

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 NKJV

Paul, speaking to the Philippians, was discussing their generous gift and how they had sent support at other times as well.

And then this beautiful truth.

God has said it throughout Scripture.

He is faithful and will supply all.

His works are continual and constant.

So much is beyond our understanding or our knowledge.

Which is why He tells us to trust Him.

When we go scurrying back and forth in a panic, we only cause pain and destroy peace.

When we choose to seek Him and walk in faith, we find everything supplied.

Not always as we desire nor exactly as we expect, but His plans are so much better than anything we can come up with on our own.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NKJV

My prayer for today:

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for always supplying our every need. God, You are incredible. May our lives honor You. Lord Jesus, You understand what we need before we do and You have a perfect plan both for the times of less and the seasons of more. Lord, please help us learn to praise You in every season. Lord, help us to be open to Your voice and quick to respond. Lord, there are so many who still have yet to know You, please draw them to Yourself and use our lives as a testimony. Jesus, please help us to live following Your example. Thank You for all Your provision, may we never lean on our own strength. Thank You, Lord Jesus, thank You.