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What I Was Looking For: Part Three

Posted on 12.26.2011

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Psalm 23. I have read it over the years with some understanding of what it means. Over the years, I have learned more and more about how powerful that psalm is. Recently, at the funeral of my beloved Godfather, Rev. E.L. Swillis, the Bishop who did the eulogy, spoke on that passage. When he read the first line of Psalm 23, chills went up and down and throughout my entire body.

The first line is “The Lord is my Shepherd…” I cannot begin to discuss from any level of theological perspective the depth of that one line in this forum, but I will say that I was moved deeply by just that line. I cannot begin to discuss this now, but I have a feeling that this line will one day be a topic of much discourse in this forum in the future. At any rate, I do want to point out only a little of what this psalm means to all that I have been looking for.

Simply put, as a human being, I look for guidance every day. I want to go down the right path in decisions I make, and I do not want to make any “wrong turns” or say the wrong things or do the wrong thing in all the quests of my day. I want peace and rest. I want to be healed, emotionally and physically. I want to do the right things. I want to feel that I am not walking alone through anything. I would like for the needs of my family and for my physical needs (food, clothing and shelter) to be met. I would like to be sanctified to do the work of God—that is the decision I made when I gave Christ my life! I would like to be the beneficiary of goodness, mercy and love every day when I wake up even in the midst of a tough world or tough crowd. I think many human beings would like some of the same things I just named. There is nothing wrong with desiring those things.

Many years ago, one of my favorite Bible teachers taught on Psalm 23, and I learned then that the names of God are included in that passage and that God is what He does! He is the treasure! Now if you read Psalm 23, His names are there. As I seek Him, I find everything that I need because He is it!

He is Jehovah Rohi (Shepherd), Jehovah Shalom (Peace), Jehovah Rophe (Healer), Jehovah Tsidkenu (Righteousness), Jehovah Shammah (There), Jehovah Jireh (Provider), Jehovah M’Kaddesh (Sanctifier), Jehovah Nissi (Banner). What I seek, He is. He is everything I need in my marriage, as a mother, and as I practice medicine. I cannot do any of this without seeking Him first and foremost. He is the Treasure that makes my life work and have meaning.

Each day, I am rewarded priceless treasures by looking for the God of the Universe. He continues to keep His promise to me as I seek Him diligently daily. I find Him when I seek Him and I am never disappointed even when my day has not been the greatest. I trust that everything will turn out for the best because He said it would. He provides all that I need, and as someone has already said so beautifully, “I was looking for peace and I found the Prince of Peace” and His Name is Jesus.

I have found what I was looking for. I will never stop looking for it because as long as I look, I will find it (Matthew 7:7). I will keep looking for Him every day, early in the morning, diligently.