I Shall Not Want

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

I'm a wanting person.  One of several dysfunctional ways I handle stress is to shop, and I can find a lot of things that I want.  Put me at Fry's or Kohl's and I have a problem.  This is the most superficial kind of wanting.  There are more important or more significant wants in life -- like wanting good health, or your kids to be well and happy, or even the reverse of wanting is still wanting -- for example, not wanting to get old.  THEN, there are so many other things that might cross from wanting over into needing -- like the rent money, or car payment.  These are wants, as well, from a larger vantage point.

The question attacked me: if we are wanting "stuff" are we really allowing the Lord to be our shepherd?  I don't think the Lord shepherds us to want. Perhaps the greatest counter to our shopaholic ways would be when we're being overrun with the desires to go shopping or something we want is driving us nuts we can remember to ask ourselves where is my shepherd?  I've been trying this and it works!  It seems to quiet that "gotta have it" craving, even better than the overloaded credit card balance. Trusting the Lord is my shepherd really does cause me to not want.

There is even a hymn on point: Trust Him When Thy Wants Are Many. 

Prayer:
Gracious Lord, help us trust You for the grace to conquer all.  Amen