What do you truly want?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
(Psalms 23:1 (NASB))

Have you ever given any serious thought to the meaning of this passage?

Most people read this and take it to mean that anything that we could possibly want in this physical world is ours. Let’s take a step back and take a look at the word “want.” Our society has shifted the meaning of this word to mean something that we desire. We say things like, “I want a new car” or “I want a bigger house,” but is this the type of want that the Lord provides for? With this type of attitude, too many people fail to get what they want and, as a result, they fall away from faith. They misunderstand this passage and think that is means that the Lord our God is nothing more that a genie who is there to grant our every wish, our every desire. When this doesn’t happen, they falsely assume that since this isn’t true, nothing is true.

If this is your vision of God, then it makes sense why our society has become so self-centered and self-entitled.

If we look at this passage from the perspective and understanding of when it was written, we get a much clearer picture. A shepherd has multiple sheep under his care. He provides for the needs of the whole flock. He will lead them to green pastures for food. He will care for the sick. He will search for the lost. The shepherd makes sure that all under his care are protected from attack. The sheep know his voice and they follow him. They know and they trust him to provide for their needs both collectively and individually.

Did you pick up on that?

The shepherd provides for the needs of his flock. He does not provide for the selfish desires. The shepherd knows what is best for each sheep. He makes sure that each need is provided for. With this in mind, is wanting a bigger house a need or a selfish desire? For some people, it truly may be a need, while for others, it is a selfish desire. The Lord sees each of our needs and knows how best to provide for us. When David wrote these words, he understood this concept. He understood that the Lord, as his shepherd, was guiding his steps and that all of his needs would be provided for. David realized that everything was on the Lord’s timeframe and not his.

Sadly, our society has lost this understanding. We seek instant gratification in all aspects of our lives. We falsely believe that we can guide our own lives. We desire anything and everything under the sun, and sin runs rampant because we are so focused on the proverbial me, myself and I. Slow down and spend time in the Lord’s presence and you will begin to grasp the understanding that David had. The focus is not about us and our selfish desires. It is about the Lord’s plans and what is best for us.

I believe that it is time for us to reexamine what we truly want! What do you truly want?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you do what God hates?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the LORD.
(Zechariah 8:16-17 (NIV))

Based on this, what does God think of our society and our world today?

I know that the world is in great need of Jesus, but what about His body? What about the church?

Do we speak the truth to each other or do we tell each other lies because it is easier to lie and then move on? Truth requires work. It requires commitment. Do we, as the people who profess a faith in Jesus, commit ourselves to the task of being truthful in all circumstances?

Is there such a thing as true and sound judgment anymore? Our laws and our courts are in a pitiful state when they are more concerned with the perpetrator instead of the victim, and the letter of the law instead of the intent. Do we, as the Body of Christ, live up to God’s expectations or do we fall to humanity’s expectations? Do we accept the fact that we are to be held to a higher standard than the world’s standards?

Do we plot against our neighbors like the world plots, or do we love our neighbor as ourselves? Sometimes this is a difficult thing to do, but regardless, we must seek to do what God has called us to do. Can you imagine if the Body of Christ did as we are instructed?

Do we swear falsely? Perhaps I should ask if we lie and curse. Do we take the Lord’s name in vain? Do we say things with an angry heart?

I want you to think about these questions and be honest with yourself. If you are like me, you are guilty of most of these on a regular basis. What makes us different from the world?

Grace!

It has been freely given. We have freely accepted it. We strive to live according to it. We will falter. We will fail, but it is by the grace that is ours through the shed blood of Jesus that we are different. We have a hope that is eternal. We have a faith that our hope is not wrongly placed. We have a light that has been shared with us, and now it is our turn to share it with others. We will not be trusted by others if we don’t speak the truth. We won’t be trusted if we show faulty judgment. We will not be trusted if we plot evil, and we will not be trusted if we swear falsely. Not only does God hate this, but it also makes our witness unbelievable.

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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