“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Psalm 23:1 KJV
We can read in 1 Samuel 16:11 that David was “keeping the sheep” and therefore not called in alongside his brothers to greet Samuel. It is important to note King David’s understanding of the role of a shepherd, for David was a shepherd before he was anointed king. David’s unique perspective meant that he understood the way of the wilderness and also the way of the palace.
If the Lord is my shepherd, then I must be a sheep. Sheep are timid animals that scare easily. They require a shepherd to guide them to food, water, and places to rest. It is the shepherd’s responsibility to lead the sheep well, and it’s the sheep’s responsibility to follow.
“I shall not want” in this scripture means “to lack, to be without, to decrease, to be in need.”
If I make God my shepherd, I can trust that I will be led safely through life. I will never go without, and will never be in need. This does not mean my life will always overflow with material things such as wealth, status, and authority. It simply means I will never lack what I need for the day.
John 10:11 reads, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
We can trust our Good Shepherd today. Where He leads, we can follow. It may not always be the path that we would choose, but because I trust Him, I also trust where He leads.
Take some today to meditate on His Word today. The path may be new and uncertain, but you can rest knowing that His ways are higher and that He has good plans for you.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 ESV
