It felt good to own a pair of new boots. Funny how something on your feet gets you a good feeling way up in your head.”
–D.C. Adkisson (The True and Unbiased Life of Elias Butler)
“My God will supply all that you need from his glorious resources in Christ Jesus.”
–Philippians 4:19(Phillips)
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I want to draw your attention to one of the most familiar verses of all Scripture–Psalm 23:1. We live in a day when we want, we want, and we want some more. Either that or we live in wishful thinking and Amazon and other places help us by providing a place for wish lists. However…we do not have to want or wish, we have the certainty that God will supply. I have memorized most of my verses from the King James so I want to use that as it does give a different perspective.
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (KJV)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in need.” (NASB)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” (NIV)
“The LORD is my shepherd, there is nothing I lack.” (HCSB)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (ESV)
Notice that the KJV and ESV are the same. The second phrase of the verse places the emphasis on “I shall not.” It is up to me, my choice, my prerogative with what I do. It has to do with attitude and perspective. Because He is my shepherd, I do not lack anything. He satisfies my needs. There is a difference between “needs,” “wants,” and “wishes.”
This verse is so familiar that we often do not take the time to see what it really means. Far too many Christians read and quote this verse, yet they continually “want.” If the Lord is my shepherd, then I shall not want; but if I am in want, then it is obvious that the Lord is not my shepherd. Stop and ponder!
What or who is shepherding you? If we find frustration, anxiety, despair, and emptiness in our lives then the Lord surely is not our shepherd. If someone else, or things, or desires guide us, we will never be satisfied and, therefore, the Lord is not our shepherd. Whenever someone or something else guides us we will constantly be looking and wanting more and better.
One problem we have is that we are seldom satisfied with just our needs being met. If we are provided with beans for the table, we want cornbread to go with it. If we have cornbread, then we want a hunk of ham, and on it goes. There is a scene from “Northwest Passage” in which the men are starving. One of the younger recruits, upon having only a few kernels of corn to eat, asked an old grizzled veteran if he doesn’t want ham, roast beef, and sausages to which he replies, “No. Now if I was promised ham, roast beef, and sausages then I would not be satisfied with these bits of corn.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” my needs are satisfied, there is nothing that I need that I lack. If our career is our shepherd, then we will always be striving for a higher position, more money, more benefits, and the result will be stress, anxiety, restlessness, and frustration. Go, do more, faster, better, and then there might even be the temptation of taking shortcuts, and breaking the rules of the game. If anything or anyone besides the Lord is our shepherd, we will be disappointed, disillusioned and left wanting.
Check yourself whenever you think, “I want that.” Why? Do you need it? Will it help or hinder you? Are you not satisfied with what you have and if not, why? If wanting more than the Lord not enough? Am I being too self-centered, self-absorbed, and self-seeking? Hmmm, ponder our attitudes, our wants, and our choices. See if the Lord is not good. Know that He gives us all that we need for eternity. George Wood put it this way, “I live in a universe where God is. But He is not the remote regent, the unmoved mover, or a disinterested deity. He personally interfaces with my life in the occupational role of a shepherd: provider, guider, protector, healer, keeper, shearer, searcher, nurturer, and defender.”
“The king of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I lack nothing if I am his
And he is mine forever.”
–Henry W. Baker
————————————
I want to draw your attention to one of the most familiar verses of all Scripture–Psalm 23:1. We live in a day when we want, we want, and we want some more. Either that or we live in wishful thinking and Amazon and other places help us by providing a place for wish lists. However…we do not have to want or wish, we have the certainty that God will supply. I have memorized most of my verses from the King James so I want to use that as it does give a different perspective.
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (KJV)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in need.” (NASB)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” (NIV)
“The LORD is my shepherd, there is nothing I lack.” (HCSB)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (ESV)
Notice that the KJV and ESV are the same. The second phrase of the verse places the emphasis on “I shall not.” It is up to me, my choice, my prerogative with what I do. It has to do with attitude and perspective. Because He is my shepherd, I do not lack anything. He satisfies my needs. There is a difference between “needs,” “wants,” and “wishes.”
This verse is so familiar that we often do not take the time to see what it really means. Far too many Christians read and quote this verse, yet they continually “want.” If the Lord is my shepherd, then I shall not want; but if I am in want, then it is obvious that the Lord is not my shepherd. Stop and ponder!
What or who is shepherding you? If we find frustration, anxiety, despair, and emptiness in our lives then the Lord surely is not our shepherd. If someone else, or things, or desires guide us, we will never be satisfied and, therefore, the Lord is not our shepherd. Whenever someone or something else guides us we will constantly be looking and wanting more and better.
One problem we have is that we are seldom satisfied with just our needs being met. If we are provided with beans for the table, we want cornbread to go with it. If we have cornbread, then we want a hunk of ham, and on it goes. There is a scene from “Northwest Passage” in which the men are starving. One of the younger recruits, upon having only a few kernels of corn to eat, asked an old grizzled veteran if he doesn’t want ham, roast beef, and sausages to which he replies, “No. Now if I was promised ham, roast beef, and sausages then I would not be satisfied with these bits of corn.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” my needs are satisfied, there is nothing that I need that I lack. If our career is our shepherd, then we will always be striving for a higher position, more money, more benefits, and the result will be stress, anxiety, restlessness, and frustration. Go, do more, faster, better, and then there might even be the temptation of taking shortcuts, and breaking the rules of the game. If anything or anyone besides the Lord is our shepherd, we will be disappointed, disillusioned and left wanting.
Check yourself whenever you think, “I want that.” Why? Do you need it? Will it help or hinder you? Are you not satisfied with what you have and if not, why? If wanting more than the Lord not enough? Am I being too self-centered, self-absorbed, and self-seeking? Hmmm, ponder our attitudes, our wants, and our choices. See if the Lord is not good. Know that He gives us all that we need for eternity. George Wood put it this way, “I live in a universe where God is. But He is not the remote regent, the unmoved mover, or a disinterested deity. He personally interfaces with my life in the occupational role of a shepherd: provider, guider, protector, healer, keeper, shearer, searcher, nurturer, and defender.”
“The king of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I lack nothing if I am his
And he is mine forever.”
–Henry W. Baker