The Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want.… The Lord is our shepherd… the joy available to all who place the weight of life on our heavenly father is beyond what we can hope for or imagine. That being said, most of us have had seasons that seem to lead us to believe otherwise.

Maybe it’s a health issue or financial burden. Maybe you have experienced uncertainty in your job or a relationship. Sometimes it’s just the winter blues or continuous rainy or cloudy days in the summer. The reasons are endless for us to feel like there is no joy in our lives. This is the greatest part of our faith in the one true God, He is still our shepherd even when we doubt.

The same person that wrote Psalm 23 (King David) also wrote Psalm 13:1 “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” Life is not neat and tidy even for those who put their trust in the creator of the universe. Joy is not always the first thing that comes to mind when we think of our current situation and happiness can often seem to be something that disappeared or was taken from us somewhere between childhood and middle age.

For us as individuals and as a collective of Christ followers, there are times when there is no question; the Lord is our shepherd and we feel we want for nothing then there are other times when we ask how long will you hide your face from me/us?

As we look at our blueprint for our lives and our church let’s remember that during the storms and the beautiful sunny days of life, the footings of everything we are must be God.

The same God we praise for taking care of us is available to address our doubts and fears.

The same God who we sing songs of joy and adoration on a Sunday morning is willing to hear our words of sorrow, hurt and anger.

God is calling us to build our church and our lives on Him, the only footing that can be trusted no matter how bad the storm becomes.