The Lord Is My Shepherd
By Pastor Jerry A. Burns
Five words open this psalm, and yet a lifetime of comfort rests within them. David does not say the Lord is a shepherd, or even the shepherd, but my shepherd. Everything hangs on that little word. A sheep does not benefit from shepherds in general; it benefits from the one whose voice it knows, whose rod guards it, and whose hand leads it to pasture. Salvation is personal or it is nothing at all.
Notice also what follows from that relationship: “I shall not want.” David does not say he shall have everything he desires, but that he shall lack nothing he truly needs. The sheep does not carry a map, a weapon, or a plan for tomorrow. It carries nothing. Its whole security is the character of the shepherd. So it is with us. Our confidence does not rest in our circumstances, our savings, or our strength, but in the One who has promised, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee(Hebrews 13:5).
Perhaps today you feel the pinch of want, whether of provision, of direction, or of peace. Let this verse turn your eyes from the emptiness of your hands to the fullness of your Shepherd. He knows your need before you ask. He has already walked ahead of you into this day.
Can you say "my" shepherd, or only "a" shepherd? The difference is everything.
"Who is among you that feareth the LORD, That obeyeth the voice of his servant, That walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, And stay upon his God." — Isaiah 50:10
Daily Scripture Reading
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This Week's Radio Program
Week Eighteen • May 3, 2026
Trusting God With Tomorrow (Pt. 3)
In this final part of the message, “Trusting God with Tomorrow,” we are brought face to face with a powerful truth from Scripture—while we often plan our days and assume the future, the Bible teaches us that life is fragile, uncertain, and completely in God’s hands. As James reminds us, our life is “even a vapour” that appears for a little time and then vanishes away . The issue is not planning, but planning without God—living as though we are in control of what only God knows.
This message walks through the heart of biblical trust: having a proper perspective of tomorrow, a humble posture before God today, and a surrendered plan that says, “If the Lord will.” Whether facing uncertainty, fear, or the illusion of control, we are called to draw near to God, rest in His care, and trust that His will is good, even when tomorrow is unknown. Because Christ has risen, our future is secure—not in our plans, but in His perfect hands.
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