Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (KJV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. (NLT)
If we were to flip this verse around it would say “I am the Lord’s sheep; I shall not want”. But sheep are weak, defenceless and sometimes thought to be foolish..!
Wouldn’t we rather be the Lord’s stallion, or tiger or eagle?
David fully knew about sheep – and he deliberately chose this metaphor. He wasn’t too proud to realise that he was dependant on his Shepherd for everything. How about us? I know it’s something I need to continually remember.
Does this verse mean that we will never be in tough times, never be in a position where our staples are under threat? Do God’s people never suffer famine, loneliness or pain?
The famous preacher Charles Spurgeon provides some valuable insights:
It is not only “I do not want,” but “I shall not want.” Come what may, if famine should devastate the land, or calamity destroy the city, “I shall not want.” Old age with its feebleness shall not bring me any lack, and even death with its gloom shall not find me destitute. I have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because “The Lord is my shepherd.” The wicked always want, but the righteous never; a sinner’s heart is far from satisfaction, but a gracious spirit dwells in the palace of content.
This verse is a challenge to me to forsake my self-dependance and seek contentedness from the One who knows how best to look after me.
How about you? Leave a comment below if you’d like!
2 Comments
October 7, 2007 at 8:09 am
Talking about dependency on God, my mind thinks of a verse found in Matt 18:2,3 which Jesus said “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”.
I see the similarities like being a sheep. Take a child for instance, a child is fully dependent on his/her parents for survival. So as the sheep to the shepherd.
So, here God wants to be a parent/shepherd to us so why should we depend on our own. No wonder why we live stressful, unhappy lives!
October 13, 2007 at 7:17 am
Thanks for that Delna – that verse is a good one for this discussion.
Maybe another question in response. As parents would we want our own children to always remain as children or to grow up into independent adults?
Is this different to what God wants for us?