Gas prices are rising. Paychecks are shrinking. You may wonder, Where’s God in this economic mess? Where’s God when you can’t buy what you want?

Like new tires for the car.

Or a Starbucks’ caffe mocha.

Or cute shoes.

Doesn’t the beloved Psalm 23 say, “I shall not be in want”?  Hmm. It doesn’t seem to jibe with the messy economy.

When I attended seminary a few years ago to get my training in pastoral care to women, I took a class called Hermeneutics, or in plain English, properly interpreting the Bible. To understand what “I shall not be in want” means I need to understand the grammar and the meaning of the words — easy peasy — and also the context. Not so easy-peasy.

The context is a shepherd in his pasture caring for his sheep in the Middle East thousands of years ago. The shepherd isn’t any shepherd: The LORD is the shepherd.

The author-psalmist David says that not only he shall not be in want but also get to snooze and munch in green grass and drink delicious water better than bottled. Oh yes. The shepherd in Psalm 23 provides expert care.

Here are the words of  W. Phillip Keller in his classic A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23:

One of the fallacies that is common among Christians today is the assertion that if a man or woman is prospering materially it is a significant mark of the blessing of God upon his or her life. This simply is not so. . . .

David was not referring to material or physical poverty when he made the statement, “I shall not be in want”. . . .The Christian has to recognize that. . .he may be called to experience lack of wealth or material benefits. 

Yet amid such hardship he can still boast, “I shall not lack the expert care and management of my Master.” 

Do you see this, beautiful warriors of the Shepherd? God may call you to a time of physical poverty (or money troubles) — just as He called my new friend Faith Bogdan and her family — but as you depend of the wealth of the Almighty God, you’ll become spiritually rich like she did. Heaven is home.

Now is time for the Shepherd to conform us into the image of Jesus.

And sometimes

He takes from out grasp

cute shoes

to give us something better.

Someone better: Jesus, your Shepherd.

Question: Did you spend less money or more money in 2010?

P.S. In case you missed it, here’s a free podcast on how a family handled long-term unemployment. They didn’t go on welfare or food stamps. God provided all their needs.

You Are Blessed!