How long would we last without faith?
Text: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3. Probably the best-known Psalm is the 23rd in which David portrays the good Lord as a providing and protecting shepherd. Please compare this passage with John 10:1-18. Let David’s confidence in the Lord inspire us to be as thankful and grateful as he was for all the divine blessings.
The important and escalating gifts of God.
We shall keep in mind that one of the greatest kings of the Jews was David and he had started his career as a shepherd, 1 Samuel 16:19. The observations he had made while tending the sheep remained deep-rooted in his mind.
As one who had to watch over the flocks David knew what was vital for the animals and he listed the three most important necessities in the first three verses of the 23rd Psalm: green pastures to feed on, still waters to drink from; and paths of righteousness the way to a safe and peaceful future.
Please notice the escalating nature of David’s praise; he is thankful for the green pasture that is the food, for the still waters that is the drink, and for the paths of righteousness, that is the peace and prosperity during the years to come.
Following David’s example, we can also make a list of vital necessities and arrange them according to their immediate importance.
How long can you exist without: OXYGEN? About ten minutes. Without WATER? About a week or ten days. Without FOOD? About six weeks. Without VITAMINS? About two years. Without SUNSHINE? A couple of years.
As you can see, sunshine is eventually as important as oxygen since whatever was mentioned; oxygen, water, food, vitamins, sunshine will cause death if we suffer from the lack of it, however, the only question is; which one is needed constantly without interruption and which one can we live without for a longer period?
If we extend our list from the physical life into the spiritual one we can add other vital spiritual “commodities” without which we just cannot live a full and satisfying human life. In a long run, it is as impossible to exist without vitamins or sunshine, as we just cannot live spiritually without faith, hope and love. See Revelation 3:1.
While wars have been waged over food, water supply and possession of a given territory, we were willing to starve ourselves spiritually although we have known and said: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
The human carelessness, indifference and negligence in spiritual matters angered God so much that he chastised his people through the words of prophet Amos: “The time is surely coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land; not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.” Amos 8:1l-12.
Comparing the promise of the Lord with the prophecy of Amos, how reassuring, encouraging and uplifting is the good news brought and declared by Jesus: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.” John 6:54-55. “For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed” or as King David had spelled it out, spiritual “green pastures” and “still waters.”
The Rev. Alexander Jalso is a retired United Presbyterian minister living in Brownsville.