I Shall Not Be in Want

Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want

The older I get the less I want, at least on Christmas. My wife always asks me, “What do you want?” And I always say, “I don’t want anything other than for ya’ll to be happy because I have everything I need.

The older you get the more you are able to distinguish between needs and wants. It’s nothing wrong with wanting things but the peace comes when you know that the Lord is your Shepherd and he gives you everything you need. There is this blessed contentment when you learn how to appreciate what God has already given you and you are not anxious about the things that other people have. When the Lord is your shepherd you realize that you have everything you need.

David knew firsthand what it meant to be a shepherd and to take care of his sheep. He had been a shepherd since he was a boy and had often saved his sheep from lions and bears. Many of us are not scared of Lions and Tigers and Bears, but we’re scared of Loving God and trusting in him to supply all your needs.

David had to trust God because there was a period in his life where he was stuck between persecution and promise. He was anointed to be King but he was living in a cave. His boss was trying to kill him and he was economically devastated. He was so hungry that he took the bread from the altar of the church and fed his men for dinner. But somewhere between the time that David was on the run and on his way to becoming leader over his people and writing a new stimulus plan for Israel, he wrote this 23 Psalm, The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.

When we put out rust in Jesus as our Shepherd, David said he does the following things:

1. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He lets us rest in places that are full of what we need. He lets us rest in Green eco-friendly environments. Green is the color for life and prosperity. He makes us lie down. He gives us rest while everybody else is worried.

2. He leads us beside still waters. If a sheep tried to drink from raging waters there was the danger of being swept away by the current. God is not going to let you get what you need and put you in harm’s way. That ain’t God.

3. He restores my soul. Sometimes life depletes your hope and your joy. God is the only one who can restore your inner fortitude.

4. He leads me in paths of Righteousness for his names sake. He’s not going to let me embarrass his reputation.

5. He comforts me and protects me in scary places.

6. He will feed me and promote me in the presence of people who wanted to kill me.

7. He anoints my head with oil. He soothes me, heals me, and empowers me.

8. He allows goodness and mercy to follow me all the days of my life and in the end I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Dear God thank you for giving me everything I need and some of what I want. I’m in a good place. You have provided for me over and over. I shall not want. Thank you for keeping me and my family in your care. Lead us into green pastures and grow us up to be devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Name,

Amen