I Shall Not Want
Recently, as I was in an extended time with the Lord on Cru’s Global Day of Prayer, I lingered in Psalm 23.
The first phrase is astounding: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” In The New Living Bible, that last phrase reads “I have all that I need.”
I started thinking about all that I need, all that you might need. In almost no time, I made a list of 20 needs—big and small, urgent and ongoing, physical and emotional and more. You could name that many and more just as easily. How can all those needs be met?
Yet David—King and Psalmist—assures us that, because the Lord is our shepherd, we lack nothing, we have all that we need, we shall not want.
It’s a short psalm—let’s take a look at some of the needs our Shepherd takes care of.
He lets me rest in green meadows:
The Hebrew word for green meadows or pastures means house or home. The Shepherd invites us into his home, providing family, security, food, shelter. Who knew there was so much in a green meadow.
He leads me beside peaceful streams:
Are you weary? Overwhelmed? Even exhausted? He offers rest.
He renews my strength:
Do you have health challenges? Life demands? Relationship struggles? Financial constraints? Prodigal difficulties? The strength of the shepherd is ours as well.
He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name:
He gives wisdom and courage to make right choices, for ourselves and those he has entrusted to us.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me:
When you love a prodigal, you live in a dark valley. When you face serious health issues or lose a loved one, you recognize the valley of death. His presence banishes fear.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me:
The rod and the staff are the shepherd’s tools: to ward off predators, to nudge the sheep in the right direction, to rescue them when they wander off or slip and fall. Our Shepherd does the same for us.
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies:
I believe, because He is with us, we are safe and well provided for, even when our enemies are nearby.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil:
Pouring oil on a sheep or on us brings many benefits: healing, gladness, comfort and spiritual nourishment. He is so generous.
My cup overflows with blessings:
Our Shepherd—our God—loves to bless us—more than we can ask or imagine. I find it’s good to look for and focus on the blessings.
Surely your goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life:
God has pursued us, and the evil one keeps on pursuing us, but our Shepherd says we have goodness and mercy for the rest of our lives.
I will live in the house of the Lord forever:
What a promise!
I hope you will linger in this psalm as I did, asking our Shepherd to confirm all these needs he meets, and more.
Then I would encourage you to listen to this song—I Shall Not Want—sung by Chandler Moore just days after he lost almost everything in an apartment fire. You will be blessed. I Shall Not Want: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duLKCOmxbJs
What about you? When has God met a need—an ordinary need, or a beyond-your-hope need?
C2021 Judy Douglass
Photo by biegun-wschodni-vD3L-rN_qNw-unsplash