I have felt really challenged this morning during my quiet time. Let me tell you about it.
So, I have started using a book by the wonderful Jeannie Kendall as part of my quiet time. It is based on Psalm 23 and is called “He Refreshes My Soul.”
To be honest, I don’t know why I picked this book up (no disrespect to Jeannie). Let’s face it, I know Psalm 23. I have preached on it numerous times throughout the years. I have preached on it in Church services and funerals. I have quoted it numerous times. Oh, I appreciate that it is a beloved Psalm but, is there anything new I can glean from it?
The answer to that question turned out to be a very loud YES!
It came in verse 1;
The Lord is my shepherd,
I lack nothing
(Psalm 23 vs. 1)
In truth, I can list a thousand things that I lack in my life, and that’s before I have had my second cup of tea of the morning. If only I had more, I would be content.
- If I had more money, I could feel more at peace and worry less
- If I had more holidays, I could relax more and feel refreshed
- If I had more people in my congregation, I could achieve more
- If I had more hours in the day, I could complete my work and have some time for me
And that was where my challenge came. I was buying into the myth of more.
This is what the Apostle Paul wrote;
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.
(Philippians 4 vs. 12)
The amazing thing is, he wrote these words from prison! If ever there was a place of lack Paul was in it, and yet, he writes of being content.
I think, every human heart is naturally drawn toward “more.” More certainty. More comfort. More recognition. More control. Yet the more we chase these things, the more elusive peace can become. Contentment begins when we loosen our grip on what we think we need and rest in the hands of the One who already knows.
This does not mean pretending that pain does not exist or suppressing honest longing. God never asks us to ignore our tears. Throughout the Psalms we find faithful people bringing their questions, grief, and hopes before Him. Contentment is not the absence of desire; it is the presence of trust. It is choosing to believe that even when life does not unfold as we imagined, God’s goodness remains unchanged.
When we pause long enough to notice, we see His fingerprints everywhere: the quiet strength to face another day, the kindness of a friend, the beauty of creation, the comfort found in His Word, the assurance that His mercies are new every morning. These are not small gifts. They are reminders that we are held by a faithful Father.
Perhaps contentment is less about finding satisfaction in our circumstances and more about finding our home in God’s presence. Circumstances change. Health changes. Relationships change. Dreams sometimes change. But the character of God does not.
As we walk with Christ, each day, He gently reshapes our hearts. Our prayers slowly move from “Lord, give me what I want,” to “Lord, make me who you want me to be.” In that quiet surrender, we discover a freedom the world cannot offer. A peace that is not built on possessions, or what we view as certainty, but on the unchanging love of God.
I have been challenged in my thinking to find treasure, not in what I hold but, in the one who holds me. As I discover that, then I discover I really do lack nothing