What are the first and most important things in life that we should acknowledge? Psalm 23: 1 says:
The Lord is my shepherd; (Psalm 23:1a)
Too often our shallow understanding or misapplying of the Scripture leads to bypassing the first and essential things. When the foremost is neglected all other things start to become a burden and unfruitful.
Psalm 23: 1 is a verse about Who is in control. David, the king of Israel, knew that the LORD is in control. The LORD created man and the world. Without His knowledge nothing exists or moves. He is without beginning and end. All within the world are created for His purpose. He is the LORD; all the time; everywhere; and in all situations.
Our first and foremost thing to do is to praise the name of the LORD and acknowledge Him with all our heart and strength. David, while running from King Saul for his life in the wilderness, writes a beautiful Psalm praising the Lord. In Psalm 34 verse 1 it says “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Honestly, the natural tendency while faced with difficult circumstances is to seek out solutions or freeze or fight first. But we must learn to acknowledge the Lord and praise first His name in all situations. That is how we demonstrate our trust in the Lord. We don’t need to know the details of the situation or the game plan we need to undertake in order to trust the Lord. And the same applies to praising the Lord. Our fears, insecurities, and wantings lose their grip on us when we hold on to the LORD.
Whatever the season of life, God’s word is just a second away seeking your attention. What you and I will need now foremost is a heartfelt acknowledgment that “the LORD is my shepherd.” When that thought sinks in our souls truly, our wants start to go away. Whatever the situation in our life, I shall not lack anything when the Lord who is almighty and the Self-existent One is the Shepherd of my life. Nothing stays out of God’s reach and ownership. He doesn’t need us nor our worship to be God. Here is the good news: the Lord is willing to be the shepherd of wandering, wanting, and weak people like you and me.
Accept the Lord as the Lord of your life if you haven’t yet.
Allow Him to shepherd your life in any season of life.
There will be dark times, uncertain times, and beautiful times. The LORD knows your need of the hour, and He can fill it and He knows better how to take you to the place you should go. He can guide you to a place of lacking nothing. If the LORD is not in your life: you could have everything else in life but still be the greatest loser.
- What areas of my life am I not letting the LORD take control?
- How can I be intentional in letting the Lord be the Shepherd of my life in good times and tough times?