I Shall Not Want

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want. – Psalm 23:1

If I don’t ever understand another thing about God the rest of my life, I can only hope that I can grasp this single verse and live it.

“The Lord”, recognizing that there doesn’t exist “death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing” (Roman 8:38), that is my God, my Lord.  This is the concept presented by the first four words of the Bible: “In the beginning God …”  This is the recognition that everything will begin and end with the Lord.

“Is my shepherd”, mine, He is my shepherd.  Nothing else can or will be my shepherd.  He leads me, I do not lead myself nor does another thing or person.  He alone leads me.  I put my trust in Him and Him alone.  If trust exists, I trust in Him.  If faith exists, my faith is in Him.  My fate is in His hands.  I do not want to lead myself, but to follow my shepherd in whom I place my complete trust for my direction, strength, future, and for each added second to my life.

“I shall not want.”  I wonder often if this is an impossible concept.  I shall not want “death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing”.  I shall want only what the Lord my shepherd leads me to, guides me to, directs me to, and purposes for me to do.  Everything else, that is, all else in the created universe, is vanity.  I shall want nothing apart from my Lord in whom I put my complete faith in being. 

This means I shall not want another person to be different for my benefit.  I shall not want a situation to be different for my benefit.  I shall want circumstances to be different for my benefit.  I shall only want what God wants for that other person, for that situation, for that circumstance.  I shall not want my life to be easier or harder.  I shall not want to be a different person.  I shall not want to change my past or present.  I shall only want the life God intends for me to live, to be the person He wants me to become, to embrace where I’ve been and where He’s leading me to go. 

I … Shall … Not … Want!