Are You Like Tommy or David?

Standing in the grocery store check out line, I noticed the child from the corner of my eye. You couldn’t help but notice. He was throwing a temper tantrum. “I want it!” he wailed at the top of his lungs.  The bedraggled mother tried her best to wrestle the package of M & Ms from his hands, while struggling at the same time to apologize to the cashier. She didn’t dare look at the customers in line behind her. Tommy “wanted” the M & M’s. That was clear. But, his mother knew full well that her child wasn’t “lacking” for food. His temper tantrum wasn’t unfamiliar to me. Although I don’t like to admit it, I’m a lot like Tommy. I may not lay on the floor and kick and scream. But when I get my mind around what I want and I don’t get it, I’m rather like him. I may complain. I may whine in my spirit.  What makes me different from Tommy? Height and weight. There’s something else, though, that can and should make believers different from Tommy.  The renown shepherd, David, points us to the key to being calm and trusting rather than demanding and complaining.  “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  Psalm 23:1 David had a grasp on something I sometimes forget. There’s a difference between what I “want” and what I “lack.” Psalm 23:1 is best interpreted, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack for nothing.” In other words, David was keenly award that the Lord was watching over him, leading him, and protecting him. He was mindful of his Shepherd’s provision.  If there are more times you focus on what you want rather than on God’s provision and you want to develop more of an attitude of gratitude, join me in daily journaling your gratitudes in  Prayers of My Heart prayer journal.  Discover the  7 Benefits of Journaling.  Our Heavenly Father wants us to grow closer to the image of Christ and less like Tommy. Will you begin today?