Scripture: Psalm 23: 1-6
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Consider:
This psalm opens with a bold declaration: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” Nothing? Really? I can rattle off at least 10 things today I wish I had more of…
But David does not make this claim because life is easy or because he has everything he ever desired, he makes it because he has realized that God’s very nature is that of abundance. A shepherd does not merely keep sheep alive—he ensures they are fed, rested, protected, and guided. When the Lord shepherds us, lack is not our defining story. The problem is, however, WHAT is it we are seeking in abundance?
Scarcity thinking tells us there is never enough: not enough time, not enough resources for both me AND my neighbor to live well, not enough love for me to share with those I don’t understand, or with whom I don’t agree…
Scarcity thinking builds from the base emotion of fear. It hits at the very thing that can help us survive, but can also paralyze us in any sort of forward motion. It’s the thing that drives most poor decisions in life, I would venture to claim. Psalm 23 calls us to a different posture—trust. When we believe abundance is part of who God is, we stop living defensively and start living confidently. We dare to trust God is providing the next step in our path, and we dare to live out our calling to love our neighbor more openly and honestly.
The psalm ends with assurance: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” God’s abundance is not momentary—it is consistent. When we let go of scarcity-driven fear and trust our Shepherd, we discover that we are not chasing provision; goodness is chasing us. After all, when God’s goodness and love guide us along the way, we have an awful lot of abundance to share, do we not?
Respond:
Name out loud one thing you have a scarcity mentality around (ex… not enough food your kids WANT to eat in the pantry, not enough in your 401K to travel overseas when you retire, not enough left on that gift card to buy the really GOOD pair of jeans.) Keep it small and simple for now. Take note of how it feels to say that thing out loud…does it lessen the sense of fear around it? Does it make it less daunting to say it aloud? Now that you’ve said it out loud, say the following prayer:
Pray:
Lord, help me release a scarcity mindset and trust Your abundant nature. Teach me to rest in Your provision, even when circumstances suggest lack. I choose to believe You are enough, and that in You, my cup overflows. Amen.
