The idea that I get whatever I need may sound arrogant. It may come off a bit brash or even against the nice Christian attitude that we should have.
But, in fact, it is exactly what we are to believe. As a child of God, I am entitled to everything I need from the time I am born to the time I die. This is the life of faith.
How often do we think we don’t deserve the things we need. After all, we haven't lived up to the standard. Why would God keep supplying when we keep failing? But the provisions of God are not attached to our performance.
Psalm 23 says “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” This used to disturb me. I want all kinds of stuff. I was sure this meant that if the Lord was my Shepherd then I should be satisfied with what I have and not want anything else. I felt guilty when I wanted a car or a greater income or a pair of shoes. Instead, the verse simply means that if God looks after me then I will have everything I need.
Imagine your five-year-old son has a friend over to your house and shares his opinion about the living conditions. They are in the living room, leaning back in your personal recliner, feet propped up on your footstool. You happen to overhear. "Yeah, I've got the life here. Everything I need, Fruitloops, orange soda, squirt guns, you name it. Not a worry in the world." Doesn't that just make you swell up with pride?
But what if your son came crawling into your office, "Oh Father, could I trouble you for a bowl of rice? I promise I'll be good. I'll scrape the sidewalk with a chisel, whatever you say. And if I could sleep inside tonight that would be great. They are calling for rain."
Yet this is the attitude we approach God with so many times. "Oh God please provide me with enough food and the rent money. I promise not to cuss and I will be nice to my neighbor who is an idiot." Completely unrelated. As a child of God, the everyday needs of life are just part of the package.
So what do we need? Certainly food, shelter, and clothing but we have many other needs as well. We need direction, encouragement, and hope. Sometimes we need someone to talk to. We need transportation and insurance. We need purpose and a sense of accomplishment. "I shall not want," means that I shall not be in want. I will not lack anything I truly need.
The Bible says that “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights." Imagine that. If there is anything good at all, if there is a gift that is perfect, it comes directly from God. How then can we imagine that He will not give us the very things we truly need?
Let’s examine what it does not say.
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall have whatever I want.
The Lord is my Shepherd I can have what you have.
These are attitudes that take us away from the mind of Christ and into the mind of the self. A child demands what he wants and cries when he can't have the toy the other child is playing with. We must grow out of that kind of thinking and into a maturity in the Spirit. And it is actually more fun to know that God will come through for us. It's the right attitude to have and it pleases God that we have such a confidence in Him. "For without faith, it is impossible to please Him."
As with anyone who has been in business for twenty years, there have been times I have looked at my income and wondered how we were going to get by. With simple math and a calculator, I could see that the month extended far beyond the money. Yet somehow, when it was all over, everything was paid and no one missed a meal. I don't want to try and figure it out. I just want to know that when I come face to face with obstacles in life that are greater than I am, when I see deficits, when I feel threatened, I do not have to rely on my own strength or intellect. And I thank God for that. I can look to Him who is infinitely greater than I am and just say, "Thank you God for taking care of this," and by faith know that, as always, He will come through.