The Lord is my shepherd
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” (KJV) Psalm 23:1
During my primary school days, one of the bible chapters we recited during morning assembly was Psalm 23. I memorized the chapter without paying particular attention to the words. Not too long ago, I revisited Psalm 23 but the first verse prompted some thought provoking questions. Why does the verse reads “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” instead of “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in need”? Does it mean we want so many things because we have not allowed the Lord to be our shepherd?
To answer the above questions, we have to clearly draw the fine line between need and want. A need is necessary for survival while a want makes life comfortable. Examples of needs are food, water, shelter, guidance, health care and protection. Human wants may include expensive cuisines, designer clothes, mansions and luxury cars. These wants are not necessary but they are often desired for.
As you may be aware, a shepherd is one who looks after sheep. The sheep listens to their shepherd only and the shepherd provides all the needs of the sheep. Therefore, for the Lord to be our shepherd, we must be His sheep and nothing else (Matt. 9:36, Heb. 13:20). Furthermore, we must listen to Him and no one else (John 10:1-5). And He will judiciously provide all our needs according to the riches of His glory (Phil. 4:19). Based on this understanding, we clearly do not have needs when the Lord is our shepherd.
Christians, like all humans, have infinite wants, so why does the bible say we will not be in want? The answer lies in the assurance and the spirit of contentment the Lord puts in us when we accept Him as our shepherd. He gives us the deeper understanding of His grace and love for us which quenches our desire for worldly things – wants. When we ask of these wants and we do not receive, His words assure us of the good plans He has for us, therefore we do not become miserable like those without Christ (Jer. 29:11). We are always joyous and not in want because we have the good shepherd and the great provider on our side (Matthew 6:25-32, Luke 12:15).
Beloved, lets allow the Lord to be our shepherd, listen only to His voice and we will never be in want. Be vigilant and stand firm because the sheep that strays away always gets into trouble. If you are not a Christian and desire to be one, please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for assistance. God bless you.