Psalm 23 - The Lord, Our Shepherd (part 1)

Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Message: My Shepherd, So I don't have a want

Time:  The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I have never, personally, studied this Psalm. It is one of those passages of scripture that I think is overused, but maybe that is not possible. I feel at times people know it or use it without really understanding it. It is interesting how it has become the funeral psalm.

It is just 6 verses.


The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Because the Lord is my shepherd, he takes care of me, guides, and directs me. He knows my needs and he satisfies them, so therefore, I shall not want. Isn't that sort of incredible, that I could trust God and then not want. That I would find my sustenance in Him. 

I was talking to someone recently about the Christian walk. We were talking about the fact that when God saves us, by grace through faith, we have everything we need and we spend most of our life trying to convince ourselves that this is really true. Church is interesting because every week we gather together to basically be told the same thing: Christ is sufficient to meet our needs. Each week, I leave work and pretty much start this tug of war relationship with God. I serve him, I serve him not. I serve him, I serve him not. I sin. I trust. I sin. I trust. In Christ I have everything I need, but I often just don't live in this manner. Instead, I want to make my own moves, do my own thing, but in the end, and generally at church, I am confronted with the same gospel message, the same truth, the same realization that without Christ being my anchor, I fail. 

Psalm 48:15 - And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day." 

Isaiah 40:11 - He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

John 10:27-28 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

That John verse is incredible. I have been talking to this atheist now for several years. We talk back and forth. He's always asking Christian questions, but never really interested in the answers and really can't understand my perspective. He just doesn't get it. He thinks I'm a bright guy, but he can't understand me believing in the Bible. He isn't a sheep. He is a wolf. He can't hear God's voice.  

Psalm 34:9 - Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!

This idea of not wanting is so prevalent in the scripture. It is so opposite of how we live in the World. I just think God knows what I need and his timing is perfect. Therefore, can I really make the effort to see Him as my shepherd and then not want? 

The whole idea behind the 10 commandments, specifically the relational ones beginning with no. 5 is to not want. It's when our desire becomes so great that we get into trouble. Honor your parents. Trust them. Do not murder. Like people. Do not steal. Believe that God can meet your needs. Do not lie. Accept that the truth is what you need. Do not commit adultery. Again, trust that God can take care of your needs. Do not covet. Again, God can take care of your needs.  

Promise:  The Lord is My Shepherd and so therefore I do not have to want