Like the Psalmist David, I believe with my whole heart that the Lord is my shepherd. I pray to Him for safety, guidance, and direction. I go to Him with questions and try my best to listen intently for answers. I know God is sovereign and all-knowing, and I crave wisdom and have a deep desire to live my life according to His ways.
For many years, our relationship was defined in this way—me approaching Him humbly, but always with a reason and an expectation that He would guide and provide according to His will.
All of this is biblical. God tells us to cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). He tells us to present our requests to him (Philippians 4:6). He was pleased when Solomon asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:10), and He promises to make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:6). Looking to God for provision and even for answers is not wrong. However, all we need to do is look at the second half of verse 1 of this Psalm 23 to see that perhaps God has already provided all that we need:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”
In other words, when we are in God’s care, David reminds us that we have everything we need. What if instead of seeking answers, wisdom, and even provision, I decided to seek God and God alone. What would happen if I approached Him simply to spend time with Him, not expecting anything in return?
The next two verses of the Psalm tell us exactly what would happen:
“He makes us lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still waters,
he restores my soul.”
So often, I think my soul needs answers when really all it needs is time with God. It is against our human nature to approach God without an agenda, but I am learning that I need to carve out time to simply be in God’s presence. As verses 3-6 go on to tell us, His provision is a given, and we can rest in that knowledge. If our love for God is genuine, we need to be sure we are practicing unconditional love with Him.
Psalm 23 teaches us that one way to do this is to spend our prayer time praising and worshipping God for who He is. As David does so eloquently in these six familiar verses, we can use our prayer time to remind ourselves of God’s character so we can trust that He is, in fact, enough. With Him, we can find rest, safety, and comfort to the point where our cup overflows.
Do you find yourself in want? Are you seeking answers and having a hard time hearing God’s voice? Perhaps what your soul is really seeking is time with God.
Go to Him with empty hands. Spend time in His presence. Take the time to dwell in His House, and surely goodness and love will follow you all the days of your life.