shall not want | Thoughts About God

In His Presence

Thoughts_About_God — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 09:01:16 +0000

Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”

When our feet hit the floor in the morning and the day rushes in, it can be easy to forget that the very presence of God is with us!

The presence of the Lord is with each believer in Jesus. His presence is also IN each believer by the power of the Holy Spirit. As we embrace His presence it will change our day.

As I’ve pondered just what it looks like, on a busy morning, to embrace the presence of the Lord in me and with me, the familiar words of Psalm 23 took on a fresh depth. God is so practical. His presence with us is so real and so powerful in us. As we embrace His presence we will begin to engage in His presence and enjoy our walk with Him in a fresh way.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
In His presence I am supplied with all I need for today.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
In His presence I am quieted from the turmoil in and around me.

He restores my soul.
In His presence I am built up, forgiven, refreshed.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
In His presence I am guided along the right paths for me, paths that will honor His name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me;
In His presence I can be fearless in trusting Him even with destruction and death are all around me.

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
In His presence I am comforted because I know He is equipped to watch over for me.

You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies.
In His presence I am nourished and protected even when I’m in unfriendly territory.

You anoint my head with oil;
In His presence He anoints me with healing and with love.

My cup overflows.
In His presence I am filled to overflowing regardless of outer circumstances.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
I am pursued by His mercy and His goodness every day.
His presence calls me.

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
In His presence I am secure for today and forever.

What treasures await you today in His presence!

Lord God, Before my feet hit the floor in the morning please wake me up a few minutes early to ponder Your presence with me and in me. Please help me to embrace Your presence for the day. Please help me to engage in Your presence and lean into all You have for me as I go. Help me to enjoy Your presence as I go through my day. Remind me of Your wonderful Psalm of complete care and may I rest in You. In the strong name of Jesus I pray, amen.

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

Draw Your Focus Back

Devotionals — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 08:01:56 +0000

“The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

Amidst the details and lists clamoring for my attention, I found Psalm 23 running through my mind. So, I pushed aside the lists for a few minutes and wrote myself a prayer for my day based on Psalm 23. It made a difference in my attitude and in my sense of peace as I focused on God’s impact on my day.

Life is full and good. Even so, I need to be aware of choosing my focus or I can get bogged down with details and concerns and end up being unproductive and unfruitful. Writing helps me keep my focus.

What is it that draws your focus back to the Lord in the midst of busy days? Is it a walk in the calm of nature? A visit with a friend who shares your faith? Playing music that washes the dust off your soul? Listening to an inspiring podcast?

Where we focus, we follow. Keep heading toward the Lord in your focus today and you won’t find yourself in the ditch of worry or unfruitfulness. Follow Him as your Guide!

Oh Lord, You are my constant guide; my spirit receives from You all I need. You remind me to rest so I can find spiritual nourishment from You. You lead me to drink the refreshing water of Your Spirit by reading Your Word and letting it sink into my heart and mind. When I do, my thoughts and emotions are quieted. I am lifted above the fray of countless details and concerns to find renewed strength and joy as I re-focus on You.

You lead me along the path that is right, the path that draws praise to You and Your name. Even as the enemies of fear and worry, distraction and dread skirt around my path, You prepare a feast for me; You invite me to sit and be refreshed as You watch defensively over me. My heart overflows as You tend to me.

With You as my constant guide, I can count on Your goodness and mercy to be at my heels, every step of the way. Thank You for Your strength and Your refreshing presence that anchors me both today and forever! Amen.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

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The post Draw Your Focus Back appeared first on Thoughts About God.

The Prison of Want

Devotionals — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 09:03:32 +0000

Come with me to the most populated prison in the world. The facility has more inmates than bunks. More prisoners than plates. More residents than resources.

Come with me to the world’s most oppressive prison. Just ask the inmates; they will tell you. They are overworked and underfed. Their walls are bare and bunks are hard.

No prison is so populated, no prison so oppressive, and, what’s more, no prison is so permanent. Most inmates never leave. They never escape. They never get released. They serve a life sentence in this overcrowded, under-provisioned facility.

The name of the prison? You’ll see it over the entrance. Rainbowed over the gate are four cast-iron letters that spell out its name:

W-A-N-T

The prison of want. You’ve seen her prisoners. They are “in want.” They want something. They want something bigger. Nicer. Faster. Thinner. They want.

They don’t want much, mind you. They want just one thing. One new job. One new car. One new house. One new spouse. They don’t want much. They want just one.

And when they have “one,” they will be happy. And they are right — they will be happy. When they have “one,” they will leave the prison. But then it happens. The new-car smell passes. The new job gets old. The neighbors buy a larger television set. The new spouse has bad habits. The sizzle fizzles, and before you know it, another ex-con breaks parole and returns to jail.

Are you in prison? You are if you feel better when you have more and worse when you have less. You are if joy is one delivery away, one transfer away, one award away, or one makeover away. If your happiness comes from something you deposit, drive, drink, or digest, then face it — you are in prison, the prison of want.

Paul says that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6 NIV). When we surrender to God the cumbersome sack of discontent, we don’t just give up something; we gain something. God replaces it with a lightweight, tailor-made, sorrow-resistant attaché? of gratitude.

What will you gain with contentment? You may gain your marriage. You may gain precious hours with your children. You may gain your self-respect. You may gain joy. You may gain the faith to say, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Try saying it slowly. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”

Again, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Again, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Shhhhhhh. Did you hear something? I think I did. I’m not sure … but I think I heard the opening of a jail door.

By Max Lucado
From: Next Door Savior
Used by Permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about/

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