I Shall Not Want

[Continued]

One of the misconceptions that is common among Christians today is the assertion that if a man or woman is prospering materially it is a significant mark of the blessing of God upon their lives. This simply is not so. Based on the teachings of the Bible we can only conclude that David was not referring to material or physical poverty when he made the statement, "I shall not want."

To grasp the inner significance of this simple statement it is necessary to understand the difference between belonging to one master or another - to the Good Shepherd or to an imposter. Jesus made it quite clear that it is impossible to serve two masters. One either belonged to Him or to another.

"The tenant sheepman on the farm next to my first ranch was the most indifferent manager I had ever met. He was not concerned about the condition of his sheep. They fell prey to dogs, cougars and wolves. Every year these poor creatures were forced to gnaw away at bare brown fields and impoverished pastures. They only had polluted, muddy water to drink. I can still see them standing at the fence, huddled sadly in little knots, staring wistfully through the wires at the rich pastures on the other side. I never looked at those poor sheep without an acute awareness that this was a precise picture of those wretched old imposters, Sin and Satan - scoffing at the plight of those within their power."

Contrast that with the Shepherd to whom no trouble is too great as He cares for His flock. He is the rancher who is outstanding because of His fondness for sheep - who loves them for their own sake as well as his personal pleasure in them. He will, if necessary, be on the job twenty-four hours per day to see that they are properly provided for in every detail. Above all, He is very jealous of His name and high reputation as "The Good Shepherd." This is a perfect picture of the care given to those whose lives are under Christ's control. He knows all about their lives from morning to night.

In spite of having a perfect Master and Owner, the fact remains that some Christians are still not content with His control. They are somewhat dissatisfied, always feeling that somehow the grass beyond the protective fence must be a little greener. These are "fence crawlers" who want the best of both worlds.

"I once owned a sheep whose conduct exactly typified this sort of person. She was one of the most attractive sheep that ever belonged to me. Her body was beautifully proportioned. She had a strong constitution and an excellent coat of wool. Her head was clean, alert, well-set with bright eyes. She bore sturdy lambs that matured rapidly. But in spite of all these attractive attributes she had one pronounced fault. She was restless - discontented - a fence crawler. This one ewe produced more problems for me than almost all the rest of the flock combined.

No matter what field or pasture the sheep were in, she would search all along the fences looking for a loophole she could crawl through and start to feed on the other side. It was not that she lacked pasturage. My fields were my joy and delight. No sheep in the district had better grazing. But with this sheep it was an ingrained habit. She never learned her lesson, despite the bare, brown, burned-up pasturage on the other side of the fence. Even worse was the example she set for the other sheep. In a short time she began to lead others through the same holes and over the same dangerous paths down by the sea. 

After putting up with her perverseness for a summer I finally came to the conclusion that to save the rest of the flock from becoming unsettled, she would have to go. I could not allow one obstinate, discontented ewe to ruin the whole ranch operation. It was a difficult decision to make, for I loved her in the same way I loved the rest. Her strength and beauty and alertness were a delight to the eyes.

But one morning I took the killing knife in hand and butchered her. Her career of fence crawling was cut short. It was the only solution to the dilemma. She was a sheep, who in spite of all that I had done to give her the very best care - still wanted something else."

What a vivid reminder. No field is more lush, more green, more safe, more abundant than the field owned by the Good Shepherd. We can stop running. We can stop striving. We can sleep well, confident in His protection and provision.

Knowing this gives me a richness of spirit - a serene confidence and quiet joy. Contentment. Peace.

The Lord is my Shepherd - I shall not want.