It Starts Small

I love Sunday mornings! I find I wake up the earliest on sundays. I am so excited to grab my coffee and just sit with Jesus and my Heavenly Father. Most of my morning prayer is spent in thanksgiving. Thanking God for all he is continually doing. The greatest blessing in my journey has been found in being content with what the Lord has given me.

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

These last 5 months have been a wonderful test. Do I really have faith? DO I really believe in His promises? Do I really rely upon Him? Am I seeking my will or His will?

I love the beginning of this Psalms as this entire chapter is the cornerstone of my rock in which my Heavenly Father has rebuilt His house in me.

The Lord IS my Shepherd.

Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I do not lack anything.

Having contentment for what He has given you is the greatest peace you will ever find!

The Hebrew word for “want,” is chacer. I means a primitive root; to lack; by implication, to fail, want, lessen:–be abated, bereave, decrease, (cause to) fail, (have) lack, make lower, want.

The scripture and Psalmist is declaring that because God is his shepherd, he will not lack or have want of anything. He is not going to be decreased or become bereaved. God is not going to fail him as the Good Shepherd. God will uphold him and keep him from diminishing to a lowly state. It declares God is faithful. The Good Shepherd will and is providing all he needs or ever wants because he trusts in God. God will never fail him.

We have three basic needs that are deep within us: providing and protection, purpose, and relationships. I suppose you could make that four, but two are similar.

We have a need to be taken care of or to be able to provide and protect ourselves. This is a basic need in our lives. We have physical needs: food, protection and shelter. We have emotional needs: joy, peace, and love. We have spiritual needs: a purpose for our lives and meaning.

All of these deep needs were created by our Heavenly Father. This was done for the sole purpose that we would seek Him to fill these needs. There is NOTHING in this world that can meet these needs. There is no satisfaction or filling by anything in the world. The world is only a temporary fix to these needs. When we fill these needs with something of the world, it leaves us unsatisfied.

³⁵ “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again. John 6:35

Desire is that deep hunger and thirst inside of us to get these needs filled. Until they are filled we are left with three huge holes in our heart and we are desperate to fill them! When we choose to not allow Christ to fill them, we seek fleshly things to fill them and they are like eating potato chips. It satisfies for a moment, but then leaves us hungry. Jesus says, when we give Him the space and put Him on the thrones of our hearts, we will never experience this deep desire to fill these needs because he fills them.

Sounds good in theory, right? But what does it look like?

First I believe you have to determine if God’s Word is true.

DO you fully believe that God is sovereign?
Do you wholeheartedly believe in His promises to provide and protect, to never leave you, and that there he has purpose for your life?
DO you believe that God Created you?
DO you believe that God loves you?
Do you believe He has purpose and a Will for your life?
Do you believe that God provides everything you have?
DO you believe God is faithful?
Do you believe God is with you and will never leave you?

DO you honestly believe that Christ is all you will ever need because He fills everything you need?

When I write “believe,” I do not mean head knowledge. DO you believe deep down in the core of your heart. Do you trust your Heavenly Father that you give complete control of your life over to Him?

DO not be ashamed if any of these questions are an honest “no.” Introspection is moving in the right direction with Him. God does not admonish those who are honest before Him. When we spot a no above it is opportunity to come before Him, confess ourselves and our unbelief and ask for His help. Discontentment comes from an unwillingness to admit and confess our unbelief before our Heavenly Father. Because we are prideful, we choose to think we can hide our unbelief.

A not to anything above, is an opportunity to open a door and seek Him. God has never been found guilty of neglecting us. God has never lied. God has never not been faithful. WHat we are guilty of is doing it alone. Trying to fill these needs in our own way and in our own strength with our own understanding. We think just because we have a job, it us providing. We think because we are married, it is the job of the other person to fill our deepest need for love. We think because we know a few verses we can protect ourselves from evil temptations and paths. In the end it leaves empty, hungry, and thirsty.

The truth is, we are sheep. We are deaf, dumb, and blind. We need a Good Shepherd to lead us. Guide us. Provide for us. Protect us. It is only through our Good Shepherd, Christ, can we finally be satisfied in our hunger and thirst, but we have to want and desire a relationship with Him more than anything else in our life. He has to be the priority.

I pray today that you take the time to really ponder these questions. Who do you fully rely on? There are only two answers. You can not half rely on yourself and half on God. It is always one or the other. It is ok if you are struggling. Go to your Heavenly Father and be honest. Ask for His help, and seek Him.

⁹ For he has satisfied the thirsty
and filled the hungry with good things.
Psalms 107:9

²⁶ The humble will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him.
May your hearts live forever!
Psalms 22:26

¹¹ You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Psalms 16:11