Psalm 23:1b-2 I shall not Want

Yesterday, I mentioned the humility needed to think of yourself as a sheep. A sheep cannot provide for himself and must rely upon the charity of the shepherd to guide him to where he needs to go. Once we relinquish our authority over our own life and surrender to Jesus as our Lord and Shepherd, we are at His mercy for our provision.

If we can no longer provide for ourselves, we are left asking: will I have enough? Will I have everything I need to survive? Or will I perish of want?

The Good Shepherd answers all of these concerns, as David says in Psalm 23:1-2. Please read those verses now (and the whole Psalm as well, as you work on memorizing it).

The second phrase of this Psalm is so important: because the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; because the Lord is my shepherd, He is able to supply all of my needs. I may not have everything that I desire, but I will not want for my necessities. God will graciously give me all that I need and leave me satisfied.

The sinner will constantly chase satisfaction through material means, but the one who surrenders to Christ will receive the true satisfaction that only comes from Him. “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”

A shallow understanding of this verse seems to imply that God will provide the food and water that I need to survive. But dive deeper. Look at the verbs: “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” A sheep does not lie down to eat! “He leads me beside still waters.” Fresh water comes from a running stream! This verse is not about eating and drinking at all! Rather, it is about the two different elements of the Christian life: rest and action.

On the one hand, Jesus makes me ‘lie down.’ When I take the time to rest, I look around and see that I am in a green pasture. Some have equated these green pastures to the Word of God and suggested that we must rest in His Word. This is possible, but I prefer to think of it as the entirety of God’s provision. Far too often do we find ourselves working tirelessly to provide for our needs, when our greatest need is simply to rest in God. When we take the time to be still and know that He is God, we will be amazed at all that He truly provides for us! Why do I constantly think the grass is greener on the other side? If I would just like down, I would see that I am already in a green pasture! Praise God for making me lie down!

On the other hand, there are times when we need to get up! There is a time for rest, but there are also times when God is calling us to action. What action should we take? Which path should we follow? Often we try to answer these questions ourselves and in our own power. We need to remember that the Lord is my shepherd. When there is action that must be taken, “He leads me.” Jesus will lead me where I need to go, whether its in the green pasture or to the still waters. He will not drive me as a cattle driver mercilessly drives his cattle; He will walk in front of me and lead me in the path I should go.

Whether we are resting in Him or following in His footsteps, praise God that He is our Shepherd, providing for our every need!