“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1
January 26, 2023
We are all full of desires. But the problem is that we are like sheep. Sheep easily go astray (Isa. 53:6) and are most vulnerable when separated from the shepherd. When separated from good pasture, sheep are easily attracted to poor pasturage. The four words, “I shall not want,” are the keynote of Psalm 23. The rest of the psalm explains to us what we shall not lack. Too often “not want” is thought to mean that God will give us all of our wants. This is the wrong pasturage. David is not saying that the child of God will never experience lack or need. David experienced poverty, hunger, hardships, and betrayal by friends. There will be deprivations in our lives. The matter of concern in “not want” is one of contentedness. The Lord is sufficient. Because we belong to the Shepherd, we will be cared for. This is not a promise that we will not experience pain and suffering. It is rather that in the midst of adversity Christ, the Good Shepherd, makes it possible not only to have life but to have it more abundantly. The desires for physical and material things, relationships, power, status, pleasure, and accomplishments should never replace the primacy of the desire to know God and enjoy Him forevermore.
H
“O Lord, I know that outside of Christ there is no real contentment and that Satan is a terrible master. I want what only you can give, spiritual nourishment and a life filled with satisfaction in you.”