Even in a place of darkness and struggle, where he felt the threat of death and the imposing onslaught of enemies, David still affirmed the Lord’s goodness upon him. But what about when life turns dark? What about when the pathways the Lord leads us upon enter valleys of the shadow of death? What is our response?įor David, his response was the same. When life is full of satisfaction and tranquility, it is easy to say that we lack no good thing. Of course, such sentiments are easy to make when everything is ideal and blissful. David found the fountain of living water to refresh and restore his thirsty soul. David need not come to the waters, only beside them. Isaiah later echoed this sentiment: “Come, all who are thirsty, come to the waters” ( Isaiah 55:1). David wrote that the shepherd “ leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” Instead of drinking the waters deeply to quench an inner thirst, David described his life as walking beside the waters. Similarly, sheep only walk beside the quiet waters, which are cool and refreshing. They do so because they don’t need to feed. If a sheep is fully satisfied, then the sheep will lie down. Instead, they graze, feast, and nourish their hungry stomachs. Every line and image of this Psalm communicates this fundamental truth.ĭavid wrote, “ He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Has it ever occurred to you that the lamb is lying down in their dinner? Lush pastures are a smorgasbord for hungry sheep. With the Lord as his Shepherd, David had everything he needed. Thus, David recognized no lack in his life with the Lord. Being “in want” describes insufficiency, a recognition that our lives do not contain the necessary survival resources. Why were we praying about a Shepherd that we reject? I am embarrassed to admit how many years later, I learned what this verse means! In the context of Psalm 23, Want speaks not of desire but of need. I couldn’t understand why we didn’t want the Lord. The opening verse, “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want,” made no sense. When I was a boy, I could never understand Psalm 23. “God my Shepherd, I don’t need a thing” ( Psalm 23:1, The Message)
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