“THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; THERE IS NOTHING I SHALL WANT” (Ps 23:1)

⏰Wednesday of the First Week of Advent (06 Dec. 2017)

????Isa 25:6-10a; Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (R.v.6cd); Matt 15:29-37

My dear, our journey of hope continues with the prophet Isaiah in a setting on the mountain of God (cf. Isa 25:6-10). Remember that the mountain is a place of encounter with God. Isaiah gives us a picture of what comes out of that encounter: our hunger is satisfied, our thirst quenched, and our tears wiped away.

Does that not fit into the attitude of the Shepherd as the psalmist depicts in Psalm 23? Notice that the psalmist stated from the onset that because “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Ps 23:1). Only after then did he begin to list the different ways the Lord has been sustaining him.

That means, all that matters is being in the presence of the Lord with the Lord and everything that troubles us would be taken care of.

Come to think of it! Is that not what Jesus asked of us in Matt 11:28, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The crowd that followed Jesus could bear testimony to this when they followed him to the mountain where he healed their ailments and fed them to their fill (Matt 15:29-37).

You too can be part of that testimony. There is really no special qualification for it. See that for yourself! Isaiah said the banquet is prepared for all peoples (Isa 25:7) and Jesus proved him right when he told his disciples to make everyone sit, and fed all of them to their fill (Matt 15:35, 37).

You only need to be in the presence of Jesus to get filled too. Sin drives us away from his presence but righteousness keeps us with him.

As we await his second coming in glory, may God enable us with the grace to live in righteousness so that we may not lose out by not being part of that great banquet in heaven. Amen.

Have a fulfilling and happy day. Peace be with you.