“The Lord is my Shepherd, and that’s all I need to know.”

All You Need to Know in the Coming Year

January 9th, 2013 John Grant

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” Psalm 23, NLT

A Sunday school teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible – Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter.

Little Rick was excited about the task – but he just couldn’t remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line. On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, “The Lord is my Shepherd, and that’s all I need to know.”

Little Rick hit the nail right on the head. We live in a confused, anxiety burdened society. Some fear the future; they’re anxious about what’s going to happen. Others fear the past and they’re anxious about what has happened. And still others fear even the present, and they cannot imagine how they can cope with the ugliness of present circumstances in their lives. Thousands of people each day wake up with untold burdens to bear and anxiety with which they must deal. Are you one of these? Bearing secretly a heavy burden?

Well, like all the great questions of life, Scripture affords us an answer. This time it comes from the life of David. In Psalm 23, David says there is a constructive, God-honoring way to respond to worldly challenges in our lives.

The New Year is upon us and many will be making resolutions as they decide how to manage their lives, condition their bodies and the like. But I suggest the question be: How does God want me to respond to the challenges in my life during the coming year? How shall I then live?

David says that we should trust God as the good and faithful Shepherd and rejoice in His grace. Now, it must be said that responding to God in this way will not necessarily solve your problems, but God will provide confidence as to what He is doing in your life.

He will convince you, as He did David, that it is He who is leading your life, He is the One who is in control of all the details and circumstances. This will lead to greater peace and knowledge that we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

So, as we celebrate this New Year, let us do so with the confidence that God is in control. He is our Sheppard and that is all we need to know.