IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD - SERMON I – NO WANT!
Picture yourself walking along a winding dirt road from Jericho to Jerusalem; as you approach the city, you walk alongside a field, and you come upon a group of shepherds as they herd their sheep from the grazing fields of Judea toward their home in Bethany.
They had paused to rest before they completed the last leg of their homeward journey. One shepherd strummed upon a homemade guitar; the others sang in a slow tempo with tones that reflected fatigue and yearning for home.
One of the shepherds stood beside his donkey. He had laid saddlebags across the donkey’s back. Into these saddlebags he had crammed little lambs until heads and legs stuck out in all directions; but there was no kind of resistance or complaint; they were perfectly quiet and still, perfectly trustful of the shepherd’s care.
He held one of the lambs in his arms so that the little fella rested in the fold of the shepherd’s cloak, where the shepherd had pressed it down between his arm and his body. Such a scene as this was the one the prophet Isaiah had in mind when he wrote of the coming Messiah, saying:
“He (the messiah) will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom” (Isaiah 40:11)
. We want to keep such a picture in our minds as we meditate on the twenty-third Psalm with its imagery of the tender loving care provided by the shepherd for his sheep; and let us remember that, anytime we conjure up an image of a shepherd, the One we look to for our spiritual care is the One named Jesus who said, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11).
As we ponder these lessons from the twenty-third Psalm, think of them as a string of jewels attached to a gold chain.
The gold chain may be thought of as a symbol of “the house of the Lord” because the word “house” as used in this psalm does not describe a house made with hands; rather it refers to the PRESENCE of the Lord; and oftentimes the presence of the Lord in biblical imagery is associated with gold, i.e., “streets of gold” in Revelation depicts not just the presence of God, but the omnipresence of God.
So, as we focus on the symbolism of a string of six jewels attached to a gold chain, each jewel represents one of the lessons to be learned from living in God’s presence, which is symbolized by the gold chain. Keep in mind that the gold chain represents God’s presence, and the His presence is spoken of in the 23rd Psalm as “the house of the Lord.”
The first jewel of truth is that, in the house of the Lord – in the eternal omnipresence of the Lord God – there is NO WANT. The first verse of the Psalm says this: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
The Psalmist says, “The Lord” is my shepherd.
Not just any lord – The Lord. Those two words taken together is the best the English language can do to give a name to the higher being who really has no name in the sense that you and I have names.
People of Old Testament times thought of the spiritual higher power as a heavenly visitor who revealed Himself to believers, who spoke to them through prophets, who made the covenants with them, who watched over them night and day in order to fulfill His promises to them.
He to them was the God of all gods, the Lord of all lords, the King of all kings. He was the divine creator of heaven and earth. He was to them as a shepherd was to a flock of sheep.
Therefore, the word “Lord” is capitalized so as to make sure folks understand the supremacy and the superiority of the One who visited them in so many ways and who manifested His presence to them. Also, the definite article “The” is put with the word “Lord” to say that this divine person is the one and only true God!
Our shepherd is not just any shepherd. Our caregiver is not just any caregiver. Our protector is not just any protector. Our helper in time of trouble is not just any helper. Our comforter in time of sorrow is not just any comforter. Our provider in time of need is not just any provider.
The Lord is the shepherd of all shepherds. The Lord is the caregiver of all caregivers. The Lord is the protector of all protectors. The Lord is the helper of all helpers. The Lord is the comforter of all comforters. The Lord is the provider of all providers.
The Lord is MY shepherd. The Lord is YOUR shepherd. The Lord is OUR shepherd. I shall not want. You shall not want. We shall not want.
The word “want” in this verse has to do with unmet need, not desire.
There is a big difference between what we might need and what desire.
Need speaks to the basics of life. Desire speaks to the extras or the luxuries of life.
There are people I know who need to have their “wanter” fixed. They want this, they want that, they want the other. They want all the gadgets and whatever else they can think of that everybody else has - in the sense that there are a lot of “things” they desire to have for the sake of competition or image or jealousy. We used to call it “keeping up with the Joneses.”
When some of us were children, we did not know we were “poor” as measured by the standards of the world. We were content with three meals a day, clothes on our backs, and a roof over our heads.
Not until we got older did we realize that some folks “on the other side of the tracks” enjoyed finer food, more expensive clothing, and the luxury of running water and indoor bathrooms. Yet, we were happy as we grew up because we had each other and our basic needs were met. It might have required hard work, but nonetheless our needs were met.
In no sense of the word is the Psalmist suggesting that if we belong to the Lord, we can have all our selfish cravings met and our appetites for the so-called finer things of life satisfied.
One of the harsh realities of the real world is that material wealth has nothing to do with spiritual health. This is not to say that if you belong to the Lord you cannot or will not enjoy the so-called finer things of life. However, one of the commandments that we learn and take seriously as children of God is the one that says, “Thou shalt not covet.”
The Psalmist is reassuring us that The Lord will provide every good thing, everything necessary to the life of the one who is His.
What this means to me is that, even if I do not live in a mansion, or drive the newest car, or eat at the finest restaurants – although I like to do so every chance I get – I have learned, as did the apostle Paul that, by the grace of God – grace that is sufficient for every need - and because of the love of God toward me, I have learned “in whatsoever state (i.e., circumstance or situation) I find myself, therein to be content.” Mama used to say that she was as contented as a cow! Now that’s what I call real contentment.
You know, I feel as content as the little lamb cradled in the arms of the shepherd. The contentment I feel is as simple as that of a little child who knows that his father will provide whatever he needs. My contentment is due to my close relationship to God our Father.
In my Father’s house – in the house of The Lord – in His presence – there is no want. Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving in our hearts and let us praise Him with our lips and our lives for His goodness and mercy which shall follow us all the days of our lives! Selah.
