“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”-Psalms 23:1

I absolutely love this verse because it’s simple. I personally tend to overthink everything, so to have a verse that is short, sweet, and complete is a true treasure. Yet even while it’s only nine words, I still struggle sometimes with remembering it. 

The 23 chapter of psalms starts by declaring who God is and who He needs to be from our side of the relationship–our shepherd. But, life isn’t always perfect, and we don’t always have Him as our one guide. Why do we let that happen, and why is it that we fail to remember a nine worded verse? 

The simple answer would be the devil distracts us with shiny, new worldly items and promises us that they will make us more accepted…but we know that is a colossal lie.

It will always be a struggle to put God first if we allow the devil to distract us with these things. It could be as innocent as a ten-minute TV break, which turns into a thirty-minute break, into a three-episode break, which then turns into a binge-watch. The devil uses unintentional actions towards the Lord to intentionally mess us up. The truth is, it’s a struggle to put God first sometimes because we have to deny our fleshly desires and do the will of the Father. But putting God first doesn’t always have to be a struggle. 

So, start small.  Instead of checking the socials first thing in the morning, read the bible for five minutes. Instead of grooving to that song with some raunchy lyrics and a great beat, listen to some fun worship music. (Maverick City Music is a great one for that). 

Creating a habit of putting God first won’t happen overnight, so be patient with it. If you don’t know what to do to place God in the throne room of your heart, just do the next right thing that has Him involved. 

After the psalmist declares who God is, he orders himself to find every want and need in Christ. 

He points out to us that if God is our shepherd, not only does he guide us, but he provides for our needs. Why should we want anything but the Lord? He created us and cares for us. If we want something more than we want HIm, we should check our hearts to see who’s really on its throne. 

I’ve failed countless times at putting Him first, but the beauty of the gospel is that God is not only patient but forgiving too. He is gracious when helping us out of our troubles and forgives us when we fall short. While we are at the bottom of the ocean, He comes to us to save us. 

I encourage those of you, who like myself, find it difficult to remember the importance of those nine words to take the first step towards putting God first. He’s patient with us, so be honest with Him. If you’re struggling, tell Him so, and in return, He’ll help. Start small, and over time with practice, it will be easier to put God first. 

After all, He is our Shepherd. What more could we want?