Be Thankful in All Things
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Who is our shepherd? The Lord, the Lord God of Israel. This is the same Lord who came to earth, took on human flesh, and declared, “I am the good shepherd”! What does a good shepherd do?
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:11, 14-18, emphases added)
Be thankful for this One who loves you, cares for you, and provides you with everything you need.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
Sheep don’t really like to lay down. Phillip Keller offers four circumstances that must be true before a sheep will feel safe enough to lay down:
- They must be free of all fear;
- They must be free of friction with other sheep;
- They must be free from pests like flies or parasites;
- They must be free of hunger.[1]
And it is the shepherd, our Good Shepherd, who ensures that the sheep under His care feel safe enough to lay down. In 1 Peter 5:7 He invites us to “Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you” (ERV[2]).
Be thankful for this One who provides the peace and safety you need to lie down, to rest, in His presence.
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
In his Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald says of this verse:
“I shall not lack vitality because He restores my soul. I shall not lack moral direction because He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”[3]
There is no doubt that it is important to God for us to obey His commands. His name is glorified when those around us see us living in conformity to His Word. But our gracious God has not left us to figure out how to walk this path on our own. We have His precious promise in John 14 where He tells us:
“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. … But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:23-24, 26)
Be thankful for this One who not only explains what we ought to do, but gives us everything we need to be able to carry out God’s plans for us.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
This past year many of us and our loved ones have become far too familiar with the “valley of the shadow of death,” whether through a health concern, a natural disaster, or some other cause. Be assured that none of this has come as a surprise to God. He knows, He cares, and He is right there beside you as you walk through that dark valley. David describes this precious truth in Psalm 139:
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” (Psalm 139:7-12)
Be thankful for this One who has promised, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20)
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
In his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller describes how sheep are extremely bothered and, on occasion, driven to near madness and self-destructive behavior because of various insects that constantly pester them. Then he explains how the shepherd will cover the sheep’s nose and head with ointment as protection against those pests. He goes on to explain:
“Once the oil had been applied to the sheep’s head, there was an immediate change in behavior. Gone was the aggravation, gone the frenzy, gone the irritability and the restlessness. Instead, the sheep would start to feed quietly again, then soon lie down in peaceful contentment.”[4]
Isn’t that a beautiful picture of how our Good Shepherd cares for us? Keller says, the “daily anointing of God’s gracious Spirit upon my mind,… produces in my life such personality traits as joy, contentment, love, patience, gentleness, and peace.”[5]
Be thankful for this One who helps you to endure hardships and soothes you with the daily application of His Holy Spirit.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
A song made popular by Jim Reeves many years ago proclaims,
“This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”[6]
Indeed, as Hebrews 11:13 tells us, we are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” We were not meant to “feel at home,” here on earth. Instead, God has prepared for us a place “somewhere beyond the blue” where God will dwell with us. “They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).
Anyone whose name is found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 21:27) will enter heaven as a blood-bought child of God, to live there in the house of the Lord forever! Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? If not, now is the time to take the steps necessary to receive God’s gracious gift of salvation. Romans 10:13 explains, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” If you are uncertain how to go about that, please talk to your pastor, or visit our webpage, jashow.org, and click on the link How Can You Become a Christian? “
Be thankful to the One who is seated on the throne and who declares, “I am making everything new!… Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:5).
“…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
- W. Phillip Keller, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23: Discovering God’s Love for You (Timeless Faith Classics) (Zondervan. Kindle Edition), p. 24. ↑
- Easy-to-Read Version. ↑
- William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2016 by William MacDonald. Accessed at biblegateway.com. ↑
- Keller, p. 103. ↑
- Ibid, p. 105. ↑
- Anonymous, “I Can’t Feel At Home Any More,” public domain. ↑
