FINDING
TRUE CONTENTMENT
In the 23 Psalm,
David refers to Jesus as our Good Shepherd. We are the Lord’s
beloved sheep (John 10:14), and as such
we are to live our spiritual lives totally dependent on Him. In
verses 1-3 we learn that as the Lord’s own, He desires us to
be completely content and satisfied. David writes” …He
leads me beside the still waters.” (vs. 2). In the
natural world, any animal is made aware of water lack by thirst.
Thirst indicates the need of the body to have its water supply
replenished from a source outside itself. Now, just as the physical
body has a capacity and need for water, so Scripture points out to us
clearly that the human personality, the human soul has a capacity and
need for the Spiritual water provided by our Lord that leads to life
everlasting. (John 4:14).
When sheep are
thirsty they become restless and set out in search of water. If not
led to the good water supplies that are pure and clean, they will
often end up drinking from polluted pot holes where they pick up
parasites and disease. And in precisely the same manner, our Good
Shepherd, made it clear that thirsty souls can only be fully
satisfied when their great need is fully quenched by drawing on the
living water found in Him. Jesus stated in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they
SHALL be filled (satisfied).” At the great feast in
Jerusalem He stated boldly: “If any man thirst, let him come
unto me and drink.” (John 6:35). “To
drink” in spiritual terminology simply means to “take in”
or “to accept.” This implies that a person assimilates the life
of God in Christ to the point where it becomes a part of him. The
Word of God is pure (Proverbs 30:5) and fills all our deepest
needs.
Our Lord loves to
see His children contented, quiet, and at rest. If we find
ourselves becoming restless, anxious or in Spiritual need, He is
waiting and watching by the still waters.