I Shall Not Want

by Christi-Anna Boyer

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my heat with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

Last year, I experienced some of the most challenging months of my life. Over the course of 8 months, I gave birth to our fourth child in May right after my mom’s double-bypass heart surgery, began sharing a home with my parents in July, welcomed my grandparents to Lynchburg in August, and moved into a new home in November after a 6 month renovation process all while serving on the Women’s Ministry Leadership Team, homeschooling my children, being a wife and a mom. That sentence alone is exhausting! There have been many moments of feeling overwhelmed and overcome with anxiety and stress. But one thing has remained true: God’s presence in my life.

Psalm 23 is a very familiar Psalm to most of us. It is one that many of us have grown up in the church hearing, reading, or memorizing and has the potential to become monotone due to its familiarity; yet, I find that Psalm 23 is one of those passages that resonate deeply with every season of life if we allow the truth of the words to penetrate our hearts. The NIV says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing…He restores my soul.” My mind has always trusted in the truth of these words, but now my soul has experienced this truth. He, like a shepherd, never leaves us alone. Instead, He is guiding, teaching, and speaking to us through the times of silence, pain, or struggle. Through Him, there is nothing we lack. Our God will meet all our needs. He will sustain us in every sense of the word and satisfy all our desires with His presence.

It is so easy to resent the struggles of life. We feel alone, abandoned, and are desperate to hear the voice of God or sense His presence; yet, many times, some of the most impactful moments of our Christian journey take place during those painful seasons. Without the silence of God, how would we experience the yearning for more of Him that drives us to seek Him? Without pain or struggle, how would we know the God of comfort? Without anxiety or fear, how would we know the God of peace?

I want to encourage you today that God never leaves you alone. He equips you with everything you need to exist in this world and live victoriously. He walks beside you, restores you, and is working all things for your good to glorify Himself. Ask the Lord today to fill your cup with His peace, goodness, and mercy as you are made complete in Him.

~ Christi-Anna Boyer, GCCR Woman’s Ministry Leader