Sunday Devotional: Psalm 23:1
1 A psalm of David. Yahweh is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
In this Psalm, David uses an analogy where he likens the Lord to a shepherd who causes him to lie down in verdant pastures, leads him to still water, restores his soul, and guides him in paths of righteousness. The theme of the psalm is God’s care, protection, and provision. Those who know the Lord are in His loving hands and, therefore, truly need nothing else.
Psalm 23 is without doubt the most famous psalm in the Bible. Many of you probably know it by heart, at least the first verse, which would explain why you may have done a double-take at my translation. The verb I’ve translated as “lack” is the Hebrew chāsēr in the imperfect tense. Hebrew imperfect verbs normally convey an “incomplete” action, that is, an action that has a beginning either now or in the future, but it’s often uncertain when it will end. It may end very soon, or it may last a long time, perhaps forever. Hopefully, you can see why this is important as we consider this verse. David does not lack anything, and, as far as he can tell, will continue to lack nothing. The Lord’s generosity toward him has no expiration date.
And the reason why David has this assurance that all of his needs are, and will be, met is “Yahweh is my shepherd.” David more than likely chose the shepherd analogy because he had first-hand experience with shepherding. When we first meet David, youngest son of Jesse, in 1 Samuel 16, we are told he is “keeping the sheep” (1 Samuel 16:11). Scripture describes the young David as ruddy and handsome with beautiful eyes. It was this young man that the Lord chose to succeed Saul as King of Israel over his older brothers. The Lord chose the boy who tended the sheep, taking them to verdant pastures for food and rest, leading them to still water to drink, and guarding them against wild animals, to tend His people.
David’s life, especially in the service of jealous Saul, was turbulent and fraught with danger. He faced many enemies, including the giant Goliath and the Philistines. More than once Saul attempted to take David’s life. Throughout all of this, David no doubt reflected on his past life as a shepherd and drew comfort from considering the ways the Lord provided for him, just as he would provide for his sheep.
If you know the Lord, this verse is as true for you as it was for David. Yahweh is your shepherd, and because He is your shepherd, all of your fundamental needs are supplied in Him. You don’t have to worry about the things of this life that could hurt you or bring suffering, because He has your life in His hand. He will not let you endure anything that will not be for your good. As long as your loving shepherd wants you to be on earth, He will provide for you, leading you to where you will find your life’s needs met. And when your time comes to leave this world, a time that He alone knows and ordains, He will take you into His presence forever.
As those who are in Christ, do we live in this reality? Do we live our lives resting in the fact that Yahweh is our shepherd, that in Him we already have everything we need? I pray we will take this verse to heart and allow it to speak comfort and courage to us as we face the challenges this world throws at us.
