I Am His Sheep
No portion of Scripture is as universally celebrated as Psalm 23. You probably could recite it by heart. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…”
Have you ever asked yourself what it means to say, “I shall not want”? I shall not want what? What is it that is satisfied?
First, when the Lord is your shepherd, I shall not want definitely means you don’t need to be anxious about food, shelter, and clothing, since God has promised repeatedly that He will supply those needs.
Second, “I shall not want…” also means, I shall not want…another shepherd! I shall not want another master. The expert care of my master Jesus is all that I want. Though life isn’t perfect, He has never failed me. I have never sought Him but that I have found in Him all that I need Him to be. The Lord is my shepherd and I “shall not want” another shepherd. Isn’t that true?
Third, I shall not want is also a statement about self control. Think about all the pain and aggravation in life caused by wanting what we don’t have. “I want this” and “I want to go there” and “I want to do that”. Now let the fresh air of God’s Word blow across your heart, I shall not want. What would it take to come to the place in your life where if someone were to say to you, “Wouldn’t your life be a little better if you had more of…?” you would be able to answer, “Listen-I have the Lord! He is all I need. And when I need something more, I’ll get more of Him!”
The Lord is my shepherd; I don’t want anything more-not another shepherd, not another thing. He is enough. No wonder we love Psalm 23-it reminds us that the Lord our shepherd satisfies every heart that rests in Him.
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. Psalm 23:1-4
—> You are enough, my Shepherd. I don’t want anyone else or anything more. Lead me today in paths of righteousness. I fix my eyes on You. Amen.
I Am His Sheep written by James MacDonald http://www.walkintheword.com
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