Jump Start # 3308

Psalms 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

Our verse today opens that well known and much loved shepherd Psalm. Within these short six sentences, there are thirteen references to God and seventeen references to the writer. This is a very personal Psalm. Because of the Lord, we are not in want. The Lord provides.

God created us to want. We are created to want food. We are created to want a purpose and meaning. We are created to want a relationship with others. Physically, socially, and spiritually, man craves for substance and fulfillment. Ever since the garden, Satan has been trying to redirect our wants and to fill our needs with the inferior, the temporary and the cheap. And, what we find is that those things do not last nor do they satisfy.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

First, I shall not be in want for guidance and love. God is there. God cares. God provides. His word is a light in a dark world. His love lifts up the broken hearted. When no one else cares, God does. When no one else has time, God does. When no one else understands, God does. When no one else listens, God does. Now, God is not the divine counselor’s couch in Heaven. He is the Lord of Heaven and Earth. His will ought to be our will. But to think that some one so important, so busy, and has so many tasks to complete as our God does, but still has time, all the time for you. Simply amazing!

Second, God knows what we need, often more than we do. We think we need rest, and God knows that we need to push through and keep going. We think we need a break, and God puts great challenges before us. We think we can’t carry any more, and God knows that we can. We think a little wrong won’t hurt anyone. God knows better.

Jesus said that even before we pray, God knows what we need. We need salvation. We need fellowship. We need to help others. And, when we think all we want to do is sit in a nice chair and watch a movie, God knows we need to drop to our knees and pray. When we feel like sleeping in, God knows that we need to get to worship.

Third, God gives much more than just a little. Because of our Heavenly Shepherd, we will not want. The needs are fulfilled and taken care of. It’s not just a little bit, there no longer is a need or a want. When Jesus fed the five thousand, not only was everyone satisfied, but there were twelve baskets of leftovers. God provided more than just enough. God is like that. He will bless you in ways you cannot imagine. He will help you greater than you expected.

Fourth, the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep is that of trust. The shepherd knows where the green pastures are. The shepherd knows where the quiet waters are. Do we try to venture out and find them ourselves or do we simply follow the Shepherd?

God knows how to restore broken relationships. Do we trust Him or do we try to fix things on our own? God knows how to raise children. Do we trust Him or do we listen to what the “experts” tell us? God knows the value of fellowship? Do we? God knows the need to feed our souls? Do we?

It’s easy to pick out the passages and principles from the Bible like we are at a buffet table. We just take the items that we like. And, with that, we can pick out just wonderful stories about Jesus and ignore the hard truths about doctrine, fellowship, and, discipline. Just eating our favorites over and over doesn’t give us the complete picture. God knows what we need and it’s all the Bible. It’s the parts that are hard. It’s the parts that some call boring. It’s the parts that are not familiar to us. Man shall live on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is what our Lord said. Every word.

I shall not be in want. A child trying to say Psalm 23 from memory, stated, “God is my shepherd and that’s all that I need.” Well said!

Roger