April 13, 2008 Fourth Sunday of Easter
Sermon Title: “That’s All I Want”
Series: None
Text: Psalm 23
Dr.
Delivered on April 13, 2008
“The Lord is my
shepherd, I shall not want”
Psalm 23:1
That’s All I Want
A children’s Sunday school teacher asked her class if any of them could quote the entire twenty-third psalm. A cute little golden-haired, 4½ year-old girl was among those who raised their hands. A bit skeptical, the teacher asked if she could really say the entire psalm. The little girl stood up, faced the class, made a little bow, and said: "The Lord is my shepherd, that's all I want." She then bowed again and sat down. That little girl may have overlooked a few verses, but she certainly captured the message of Psalm 23.
For 3000 years this psalm has been one of the most beloved passages in the whole Bible. It contains only 110 words in the New Revised Standard Version, but there is enough meaning and truth packed into those 110 words to last a lifetime. It’s like the ‘Gettysburg Address of the Bible’ – short, but chock full of meaning.
Sadly, many people think mainly of the psalm in the context of death or dying, probably because of the line “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” that appears in the old King James version of the psalm. Don’t get me wrong, Psalm 23 is definitely comforting, and I read it at every funeral I officiate. But in addition to being a wonderful word of comfort from the Lord in times of great stress or sorrow, there’s also a sense in which the Psalm is a challenging word as well. At least that’s how I read it this week. And so what I’d like us to do this morning is to look at this famous psalm in a different light. I’d like us to pause for a moment to ask ourselves if we truly see this psalm the same way as that little girl did: “The Lord is my shepherd, that’s all I want.”
Viewing the Psalm that way is certainly acceptable, exegetically speaking. If you look at it closely, even though the psalm contains six verses, you can actually divide it up as one verse, verse 1, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” followed by five verses of commentary that explain exactly how the Lord keeps us from wanting. He leads, guides, restores, protects feeds, anoints, and provides a dwelling place for us.
The reason I’d like us to think of this psalm as a challenge instead merely words of comfort is because, to be honest with you, I feel like I personally spend a lot more time “wanting” in my life than I probably should in view of the fact that I’m a Christian (and a pastor!), and I suspect others here today may feel that way as well.
I could be feeling that way because we took a few days off last week and took a mini-vacation. As I often do when getting away I found myself reflecting and evaluating my life. Am I content? What do I like about my life, and what don’t I like? What needs to change? I found myself thinking how when “this” happens, or “that,” then things will be different and I’ll be more content. Even there in a beautiful mountain setting I found myself thinking, “Wow, it sure would be prettier here today if the leaves were changing,” or “I wish I’d brought my fishing pole or my golf clubs,” or “Why couldn’t that restaurant have been open?” Does anyone else find themselves doing that?
To be honest with you, it could be argued we live in an age of discontent. Listen to the words of this poem by Jason Lehman[i]
It was Spring. But it was Summer I wanted,
The warm days and the great outdoors.
It was Summer. But it was Fall I wanted,
The colorful leaves, and the cool, dry air.
It was Fall. But it was Winter I wanted,
The beautiful snow, and the joy of the holiday season.
It was Winter. But it was Spring I wanted,
The warmth, and the blossoming of nature.
I was a Child. But it was Adulthood I wanted,
The freedom, and the respect.
I was Twenty. But it was Thirty I wanted,
To be mature, and sophisticated.
I was Middle-aged. But it was Twenty I wanted,
The youth, and the free spirit.
I was Retired. But it was Middle-age I wanted,
The presence of mind, without limitations.
My life was over. But I never got
what I wanted.
“My life was over, but I never got what I wanted…” How sad is that? There is nothing wrong with having plans, hopes, dreams, or even wants for that matter. The problem comes when we discover we can't find contentment because our personal peace always has an “if” or a “when” attached to it. You can write this down: If your personal peace hinges on an “if” or a “when” you are never going to find it.
But is this even biblical, or am I talking some kind of psycho-babble this morning? Rest assured it is biblical. According to the Bible God wants and expects his followers to be a contented, happy, fulfilled people. We shouldn’t be constantly restless and jealous, always chafing about what we don’t have, always wanting something different or something more. There should be a spirit of joy, hope, and gratitude that identifies us to the rest of the world as believers. But speaking for myself, so often I don’t feel that way.
Want some verses for that? Look at 1 Timothy 6:6-7: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.” What that verse says to me is that life, just as it is, is filled with millions of reasons to be content if you are a child of God. And listen to Philippians 4:11-12 where Paul declares, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” And, of course there’s the Psalm of the day, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
All these verses speak of a sense of fulfillment and contentment that you and I
should be experiencing as believers. So if you, like me, often don’t, what are
we to do about it? Well, I prayed about this and I believe there are some
concrete steps we can take to help us say with confidence that “The Lord is
my shepherd, that’s all I want.” Let me share them with you this morning.
“Wants” versus
“needs”
The first thing we need to do so that we can truly say “The Lord is my shepherd, that’s all I want” is to recognize the difference in “wants” versus “needs.” That sounds pretty basic doesn’t it? In fact it sounds like one of the questions from that TV show, “Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?” But what is the difference between a “want” and a “need?”
A need is something you have to have, something you can't do without. Examples of needs would be basic things like food, shelter, and clothing. A want on the other hand, is something you would like to have but it isn’t absolutely necessary for your survival. Restated, the difference between a want and a need is the difference between what we desire versus what we require.
The difficulty arises for us because so many of us are notorious rationalizers. Speaking as one who just returned from a few days of vacation where I rationalized everything from eating a whole bag of jelly beans because they were on sale to buying expensive birding supplies when I have stuff I bought last year at home that I’ve never put out in my yard, let me assure you, we’re great at rationalizing! You know what I’m talking about don’t you? You’ve probably done it. We need basic protein in our diet, but why get it with hamburger meat when filet mignon tastes so much better? We need calcium for our bones, but who wants to drink a glass of milk, when you can eat Moose Tracks ice cream (like I did last night).
But notice what the Bible says. God promises in this psalm and elsewhere to provide all our needs, all that we require not necessarily all that we desire. And God has a fantastic track record of providing our needs.
For instance in the book of Exodus, God provided for the needs of Moses and the Israelites as they wandered in the desert for forty years. If God can provide water, manna, quail, and shoes that don’t wear out for a million or so people over a period of 40 years, then surely he can provide everything you and I need!
And over in the New Testament Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” What a promise – “fully satisfy every need!” Not just “most” of our needs, but “every” need. He won’t “partially” satisfy our needs, the Bible says he’ll “fully” satisfy them. That’s his part. Our part is to recognize the difference between a need and a want.
By the way, the failure
to recognize the difference in wants versus needs produces more than spiritual
problems in our lives too. It’s the main reason almost 50% of American
households annually spend more than they make. It also explains the fact that
the average credit card debt in
What’s really
important?
A second thing we need to do so that we can truly say “The Lord is my shepherd, that’s all I want” is to realize what’s really important.
What really matters to you? I read recently that the average American is bombarded with 3000 messages a day from various media to help him or her decide what is really important in life. Is it having the right car? Is it having whiter teeth or a shinier hair? Is it attending the right school or, heaven forbid, even the right church?
In his book I Love You Forever, Robert Munsch shares a few carefully selected and touchingly illustrated lessons about what’s really important. He says it’s important to…
• Take care of each other;
• Walk away from trouble
• Use your time wisely
• Make sure you think before you speak
• Always ask for help.
• Always eat the best part first.
Personally I believe the most important things in life are outlined in this psalm: to have rest and restoration for your soul, to walk on right paths without fear, to be able to hold your head up in the midst of your enemies, and to be confident that God has prepared a home for you now, and one in heaven for later on.
What’s really
important to you? Can you separate the important from the trivial? I remember
watching an interview when basketball player Michael Jordan retired from the NBA.
Reporters kept trying to put his basketball career on par with Jonas Salk
inventing the polio vaccine, or with Martin Luther King, Jr.’s advances in
civil rights. But thankfully,
Are you being challenged by this psalm yet? I’m sorry, I’m probably one of the few preachers in America that could take one of the most comforting passages in all of Scripture and make you feel bad with it, but I’m sharing my own struggles with you here as much as anything else. Why can’t we be satisfied with Jesus as our shepherd? Is Jesus enough? Why do we always want something more? I’ve said one problem is we haven’t learned to differentiate between our needs and our wants. I also said we must learn to sort out what’s really important in life. And I want to share one more with you.
Who and Whose
You Are
And that third thing is to remember who, and whose you are. Of course in the example of this psalm who we are is the sheep and whose we are is God’s, the shepherd. He’s the one doing the providing, protecting, and guiding. But speaking as one who frequently does so, how often do we wrestle the shepherd’s staff from the good shepherd and start trying to do it all on our own? God knows we do, that’s why, in addition to the fact that sheep and shepherds were easily recognizable metaphors for his day, I believe the psalmist chose to use this metaphor. Sheep are stupid animals. They’re also stubborn. They also have a herd mentality – all it takes is for one fool sheep to start running away and the whole bunch will stampede over a cliff. God knows that – and so do you and I. And as much as we may not like being characterized as stupid, stinky, stubborn animals, it’s actually a pretty accurate metaphor.
But when I was praying about this third point, I wasn’t doing so to bash myself or you with it. When I say remember who you and whose you are I actually mean it in a positive vein. You see, you and I are children of God, princes and princesses of the King of Glory.
Look further down with me, if you will in your scripture hand-outs to the reading from 1 Peter, the last verse on the first page. Peter writes, “For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls” 1 Peter 2:25. You were, but now you’re not. Yes, unfortunately we do still have a tendency to wander, to lose focus as we forage and ever so imperceptibly we ease away from the flock. And yes, sometimes we do look across the fence and think how much greener the grass looks on the other side. But truth is, most of us here today at some point in our lives made the decision that we want to follow the shepherd, that we are the sheep of his pasture. And so when we start questioning, “Is Jesus enough?” We can remember who we are and whose we are and things come back into focus for us.
And speaking of whose we are, turn your scripture hand-outs over to the back to the gospel reading from John. Look at verse 7 and following. There Jesus says, “I am the gate for the sheep…and whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” John 10:7-10.
Remembering who and whose we are may be the best weapon we have in our arsenal to counter the human tendency to always want more, or new, or better. That tendency we have as “sheep” to gaze across the fence in our pasture and not see those fences as protection from predators, but instead as fences that keep us from the good stuff. Instead God says he came to bring us life – abundant life!
How about you this morning? Can you declare with the psalmist and the little girl that the “Lord is my shepherd, that’s all I want?” If not, don’t beat yourself up too badly. Instead find a quiet place to be alone and try to recognize the difference between the wants and needs in your life. And realize what’s really important – have you ever made a list of what’s really important in your life? And finally, remember who and whose you are. You a child of God, chosen before time began to be loved by him.
Let me close with this. I want you to notice one more thing about the 23rd Psalm. You may have never noticed this before, but I want you to see how as the psalm unfolds it moves from declaration to prayer. Did you notice? Verse 1, “The Lord is” – that’s a declaration for whoever will hear it. Verse 2, “He makes me…he leads me…he restores me….” Those are all statements about God, not statements to God. But then look right there in the middle of verse 4, suddenly the “he” becomes “you,” did you notice? “You are with me….you prepare a table before me…you anoint my head…” That is no accident. What it tells me is sometimes I can talk about God on an intellectual level, but sometimes what I need to do most is to have a little talk with Jesus myself in prayer to counter this innate desire in me to always want something more than God or in addition to God.
He’s enough – Jesus is more than enough – he’s all you and I need. Let’s pray.