Lack Nothing

There is nothing I will need of.

Throughout the past week, I have found myself in provoking circumstances that leave me rather silent, to say the least. Circumstances that don't make sense no matter how you try to word them or view them, and to anyone it would be easy to be put into some kind of panic or unease. Yet, in the midst of it all, there were four words that came from the depth of my soul and surrounded me in each circumstance... I will lack nothing.

These four words emanate such peace, such rest, and such power in faith. They put my soul and mind at ease believing in the greater FACT. Yes, you read that right... fact. That fact is knowing that God will provide all and more. And by the time we all probably read that last sentence, we get into the attitude of knowing it but not living it, because if you truly live it out then there would be peace instead of overwhelming worry or stress in making ends meet, finding an open opportunity or settling an agreement.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and became radiant, and their faces are not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints; for the ones who fear Him will not be in need. The young lions are in want and suffer hunger, but the ones who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves a long life in order to see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against the ones doing evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the contrite of spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. A righteous one keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of His servants, and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished. Psalm 34

The beautiful passage of Psalm 34 is a reminder of this fact. Written by a shepherd boy waiting to be king, as he has hidden in a cave fleeing for his life. He writes and sings this psalm of peace. In a moment where anyone would be frustrated, tired, worried, or desperate in need, he writes in full satisfaction of belief in knowing that He will lack nothing. He writes in verse 6, "this poor man cried." He is that poor man and so are we. That cry be one of bitterness, sorrow, a sense of defeat, and anguish, which I imagine can be all the feelings he is confronting in that cave. Those are all feelings that we ourselves can relate to and yet, while he awaits to come out from hiding he finishes writing the psalm with victory before he sees it manifested in the physical.

Many of us may be reading this and asking then why do I lack here or there, doesn't the Lord know my need? Of course, he knows your need, but have you called out to him? Do you fear the Lord? Do you seek him? One of the greatest reasons we see lack is because we ourselves lack faith, trust, and fear of the Lord.

In order for us to say we lack nothing, we need to understand where we lack spiritually.

Those who fear and those who seek the Lord will lack no good thing. So what does that mean; what does that look like? It looks like constant pursuit and surrender. It looks like trust and faith in God. We have the tendency to trust the capabilities of our hands more than the one who gave us the grace and strength to be capable. We trust our own knowledge and experiences in the world more than the creator of the world. We live a life firmly built on our own expectations and goals when in reality it's nothing compared to what he has in store for us and what he can do through us.

What we lack is surrender. Surrender looks like trusting that He is your shepherd. He will guide you, he will feed you, he will protect you, and he hears your cry... for that is what a shepherd does. And because you trust and know He is who he is, you surrender. You surrender your doubt, unbelief, stress, worry, and anxiety. And when you do just as David in Psalm 34, where there was no opportunity suddenly there is, where there was no home, now there is. Where there was no hope, now there is.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. - Psalm 23:1

I want to encourage you to take a moment this week to define what you are in need of and define the areas you lack. Trust and know that the Shepherd hears you and He will provide for you. Keep your praise and enlarge your faith because YOU WILL LACK NOTHING.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I am beyond grateful for the work of your hand over and in my life. Thank you for all that you have already provided. Today, I choose to surrender and remind myself that you are my Shepherd. You will and can provide for my every need. Bring back to memory the times you did supply for me and revive my faith in you. I surrender my will, my unbelief, and my worries and I put my trust in you. I declare over my life and believe in your mighty name, Jesus, that I will lack nothing. Thank you, Jesus, for all you are providing for. Amen.