"The Lord is............I shall not want."

We all know it well - maybe too well. What do I
mean by that? From Sunday School's early years
on, we have read, recited, memorized, and become
very familiar with the 23rd Psalm - the "Shepherd's
Psalm" as many know it.
What is my point? How is it, if it is, possible to
become "too familiar" with God's word?
Methinks that the recitation of a standard passage
of Scripture may have lost our Father's intended
import and impact. Bear with me, please.

Can you quote the verses right now? What do they
do for you or mean to you as you vocalize the
words? Is there emotion or feeling as you say them
by rote? Is it a reality that every time you hear,
say or think of these verses that "warm, fuzzy feelings"
come over you? Or are these statements just a
ritual of childhood learning that have lost their
meanings with time and our aging?

For a minute or two, hear me out as I attempt to
make a point of just a small part of this "foundation" of
our Christian faith and lives.
Is God your shepherd? What exactly does a "shepherd"
do? Basically, he PROVIDES the essentials of existence
for his charges, right? What are those essentials?
Food. Housing. Health. Safety. Relationship.

Do you find yourself the possessor of these basic
ingredients of life, especially your spiritual life?
Physical and spiritual food - are they yours daily?
Housing - is there a roof over your head at night?
Health - do you give thanks for health, strength,
and healing?
Safety - particularly spiritual, but physical, too!
Relationship - are you on a personal, conversational
basis with your Heavenly Father?
ALL of these are yours, whether you presently possess
them all or not. They're promised to you! They're
offered to you! They're available to you!

WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
My concern is that some of us seem to feel that we and
our children "have to have" so much of what "life" (the
world) is offering, that we feel like second-class citizens
if we aren't "keeping up" with our friends and neighbors.
TRUE? Hey? Isn't it?!

WHY must we have all of the latest electronic gadgets
and games?
WHY are our children preoccupied with entertainment?
WHY do we think that we ought to have or deserve the
"toys" and "playthings" that worldlings possess?
Do the "X-Boxes" and "Playstations", and "Wii's" and
"Gameboys", etc. please God? Do they glorify Him?
OR......are they taking us away from Him?
WHERE DOES A CHRISTIAN "DRAW THE LINE, or has
God already drawn it for us?

"The LORD is my shepherd,", and He sees to it that I
have all that I need!! My fear, Friend, is that "the games
people play" are taking us away from the sheepfold and
from the Shepherd's ideal for us. Ideal. Look it up.
You'll find that the word describes the ultimate experience
and life that God the Father and Jesus the Son has planned
and intended for you!!

Will our attractions and involvements with the things of
the world separate us from "God's best", and even worse,
take our children and the generations to come, should
Jesus tarry, even further away from "the Shepherd"?
The apostle Paul, writer of much of the New Testament,
through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, put it this
way, "I have learned in whatever state (condition,
situation, mindset) I find myself, TO BE CONTENT".

Are you "content" with what God has given you, offered
you, made available to you, blessed you with? Do the
blessings of your spirituality and walk with God over-
shadow the "things" of the world? Or are you "wanting"
possessions, activities, involvements, and relationships
that would deter you and interfere with a closer walk
with your Heavenly Father, and Jesus, the Son?

P.S. Please don't misunderstand me - Christians may
and do have "fun" in life! Despite what the unsaved
may think or use as an excuse not to accept Jesus as
Saviour, Christians do smile, laugh, enjoy a "good"
joke or story, play games and sports, participate in
"board" (not 'bored') games, etc. The Christian life
is FAR from unexciting and uneventful - quite to the
contrary - everyday is filled with insights, pleasure,
quality friendhips, spiritual growth and learning, and
MUCH, MUCH MORE!