“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” — Psalm 23:1-2 (NKJV)
I Shall Not Want
I want to focus on the first words David wrote in Psalm 23. He gave us the blueprint to live like sheep and to trust a shepherd. I do not want the life of a goat, I want to learn how to trust the Good Shepherd.
“The Lord is my Shepherd…” You must make a willful decision to follow Jesus. For those who make the decision to follow Him, He promises to lead your life in the right direction. He does not demand to be your Shepherd, He invites you to follow Him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and He is a shepherd worth following. Sheep are dependent on the shepherd to provide everything they need: food, shelter, protection and guidance.
“I shall not want…” This should be a continual confession for Christ-followers. God knows what we want, but He is more interested in the things we need. “Green pastures” speak of provision. We shouldn’t want for anything because the Lord will provide everything we need. It’s not poisonous bushes or dry ground. He knows exactly how to lead and where to lead — to a land flowing with milk and honey. “Still waters” speak of peace. Peace is also provided with our Shepherd (“He makes me lie down”).
We can rest in Christ (Matthew 11:28) because of what He did for us on the cross.
— LaMorris Crawford, Cincinnati Bengals chaplain
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