Skip to main content

I Shall Not Want


          The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1 KJV)

          There’s something about this verse, and maybe about the whole Psalm that demands to be shared in the King James Version. The explanation is probably simple. Because I learned it that way as a kid, it’s comfort food for the soul in a way that the more modern translations can’t quite touch. Another bit of housekeeping: there is an excellent book on shepherds, sheep, and their relationship called A Shepherd Looks At The Twenty-Third Psalm, by W. Phillip Keller. It looks like it’s available in PDF format online. I don’t plan to plagiarize it by telling you what he says. If you don’t have it, you might find it useful to get and read.
           The Wuhan virus has us all on edge. Some are on the precipice of fear, some of frustration, others of anger, and still others of grief. This means we feel in want of, or in need of something. We might say we need health, safety, freedom, control, comfort, faith, joy, hope, strength, something to do, a job… Feel free to add to the list.
            One of the things about sheep that Mr. Keller mentions is that they can be sheep-headed. They want what they want, and the grass over there looks better than the grass where they are. We also tend to be sheep-headed. In fact, we tend to be bull-headed about being sheep-headed.
          Sometimes, our sheep-headedness leads us to believe that this verse promises us riches beyond the wildest dreams of avarice and absolute protection from everything we consider harmful. But that’s not how this works. A good part of the time, we exclaim, “I need that!” and God’s answer is, “The Lord is your Shepherd.” We cry, “I need!” and He answers, “No, you don’t. You have Me.”
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” may not always be only a promise of provision. It can also be a challenge to ourselves. It is “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” but it is also, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  How often do we permit ourselves to want what we do not need? This is not to say that wanting something is wrong. It may be a desire God has placed on our hearts, but wanting something (lacking something) is not the same as wanting something (desiring something), and that is not the same as wanting something (making it the focus of our lives.) How often do our wants become the focus of our attention? The Lord is my shepherd. He guides, directs, provides, and cares for. That thing we want won’t fulfill us as He can.
Say it aloud, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Change the emphasis. See which focus feels the hardest to declare to yourself. That’s the focus of your prayer today.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more