There is a glorious statement made in the Bible:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” Psalms 23:1 (NLT)
“I have all that I need”, has that been your experience lately, or have you been struggling?
Let me share with you my recent struggles………When I started my Diploma of Ministry in 2018, I had no idea it would take so many years to complete. Each semester I seriously doubted I would be able to finish. I wrestled with limited concentration and ability which hindered my capacity to watch or attend lectures and hampered my research ability and thus the submission of assignments. Another factor that dragged it out was an 18-month break for health reasons. But the big challenge was my final semester (early 2022) when on top of lectures and assignments I battled fatigue to get out the door to complete my work placement. It was hard to get out of bed, it was difficult to complete each shift and it was impossible to cook tea afterward. I’d drive to the carpark near my workplace and sit in my car for a few minutes before I could contemplate getting out, some days there were tears but every day there was a desperate plea for God’s assistance. Most days I’d arrive home completely exhausted and often I’d be dizzy and need to sit down or lie down for a rest. The day after my shift I would frequently need to spend it in bed to recover.
Did I feel that I had all that I needed? Most defiantly not.
More than enough?
The Passion Translation declares: “I always have more than enough.” Psalms 23:1b (TPT) and the footnotes explain that this is a wonderful declaration to make over our lives – that we always possess more than enough because God meets our emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. Even though at the time I didn’t feel that I had more than enough, it was a time where I HAD to completely rely upon God and I see now that God did indeed assist me and bring me through that trying time. Even though I didn’t feel capable of completing my shifts each and every time I made it through, by the grace of God.
As I reflect upon that I am reminded of James’ words reminding us that the testing of our faith produces endurance and that leads to spiritual maturity and inner peace. AND If we allow endurance to do a thorough work in our lives we become completely and perfectly developed in our faith, resulting in us arriving at the place of lacking in nothing (see James 1:2-4).
Are you struggling at the moment?
If so then I encourage you to spend a few moments pouring out ALL of your cares and concerns to the Lord and as you do I pray that you encounter God meeting your emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. Remember breakthrough can look very different to what we expect or long for because it can be God’s grace extended to us to endure, His strength released to us to keep pressing on.
Breakthrough can be Endurance doing its thorough work in our lives, moulding and shaping us, taking us to the place where we eventually lack NO good thing!
I pray that you come to the place where you can declare: “The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want.” Psalms, 23:1 (AMP)
Many blessings,
Keona