The Lord Is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want

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by Ann Pace

The Psalms are a source of comfort when we are hurt or fearful. The 23rd Psalm is one that is often read at funerals to offer comfort to the family members left behind. I want to dive deeply into the first verse because without understanding this verse, the psalm can be relegated to simply words to recite at funerals.

Verse 1 begins with the word “The.” Not just any lord is our lord…Our comfort comes from THE Lord - the triune God who created the universe, who offered himself as a sacrifice for our sin and who daily leads and guides us as we go through this life. Is there any better Lord to have than THE Lord?

The second word is “LORD.” In most Bibles, when this word is in all capital letters it means the divine name of God, Yahweh – in Hebrew. This is the most holy of God’s names and encompasses His entire nature from friend to judge. How comforting to know that this infinite, divine being cares for us, personally.

Next, we have “is.” Not was, not will be, but IS. The Lord is present, always with us, never past tense. The fourth word is “my.” This lord is MY shepherd. My is a possessive pronoun; it shows ownership. Not only am I his, but He also belongs to me as well. I can claim the promises of God, if I belong to Jesus. Finally in the first phrase, we have the word shepherd. A shepherd leads, guides, protects, and will willingly give his life for the flock in his care. There is no greater example than our Good Shepherd, Jesus, as He gave His life on the cross for our salvation!

Let’s look at the next phrase, beginning with the word “I.” This is a personal pronoun and denotes a very personal relationship to the shepherd. The Psalmist indicates he has an intimate knowledge and relationship with the shepherd, because he knows the shepherd. The words “shall not want” denotes the opposite of something. So, if the psalmist is lacking something, the shepherd will make sure that the psalmist has what is needed. This is an indication of love and care by the shepherd. To want is to be without…our psalmist is saying that he will never want because the shepherd provides all that is needed. Notice that the shepherd provides needs, not always wants! How much better our lives would be if we could focus on needs vs wants, when we are looking for provision…

The remainder of the 23rd Psalm focuses on how people are like sheep and the Good Shepherd, Jesus, cares for us as a shepherd cares for a flock of sheep. Sheep won’t drink from running water, so the shepherd finds still water sources. Sheep need green pastures, not scrub grass and the knowledgeable shepherd knows where those pastures are. Sheep need to be lead, not driven and sheep are fearful. They need comfort just as we do at times.

We can rest in the knowledge that if we follow our Good Shepherd, goodness and mercy will be our rewards and we can rest in the knowledge that we WILL dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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