“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Psalm 23:1
Let’s be honest. This is a tough verse. There is plenty that I want. As someone who lives in the United States, it is far too easy to want. Some wants are good, some are bad. Often, wants are just a manifestation of our own covetousness.
That paragraph just drove some people crazy, because they know that “want” in this context is not referring to what we desire. Some translations say, “I shall not lack.” That makes more sense. God as our Shepard is our protector and provider.
This verse can also fit neatly with the prosperity-focused distortion of faith that is all too common in the United States. Many people believe that if we are faithful, we will prosper. I’m sure some immediately envisioned prosperity gospel preachers, but these ideas are much broader. One common theme within evangelicalism is to view poverty as a sign of blessing from God, with the presumption that those with less haven’t worked hard enough or followed God closely enough. And a verse like Psalm 23:1 seems to support this notion.
I think, though, that maybe we should consider this verse from a different perspective. The Hebrew word chaser , translated ‘want’, also means “decrease” or “lessen.” Maybe a better way to translate this verse is “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not diminish.”
Psalm 23 famously describes David leaning on God through hard times–really hard times, such as “the valley of the shadow of death.” But David, in the end, dwells in the house of the Lord.
I do not believe that this verse is about getting all we want or not lacking anything if we follow God. I believe it reminds us that the hard times in life do not determine our value. If we lose a job or experience a personal setback, our value does not diminish.
A Quote To Consider:
“Once you have the right relationship with God through salvation and sanctification, remember that whatever your circumstances may be, you have been placed there by God. And God uses the reaction of your life to your circumstances to fulfill His purpose, as long as you continue to ‘walk in the light as He is in the light.”
–Oswald Chambers
For the last couple of years, when I taught at a Christian institution, I started some of my senior classes with a quote to prompt a devotional discussion. When I shared this quote last year, there was some significant pushback. The students were uncomfortable with the idea of all difficult circumstances being placed before us by God.
Honestly, I share their discomfort with that idea.
I do not adhere to the conception of a micromanaging God who tightly orchestrates everything in my life or the lives of others. However, I do believe in a brilliant God who designed the universe in a way that would accomplish his purposes. That does not mean that I do not think God ever intervenes in our reality.
I’m a Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ. His life was the ultimate intervention. I also believe in miracles and that God can intervene in our universe at any point He desires. I believe He is smart enough to have designed our universe in such a way that it does not require His constant intervention.
Looking at this quote again from that perspective, I think it makes perfect sense. If we are in the right relationship with God, He has designed the universe so that His will and purposes will be accomplished by our reactions to the circumstances of life.
We are the light of God that the world sees, and that is a sobering responsibility. Faith on View shares Christian news and essays on practical theology; often, those articles and essays look at how we as the Church have failed to properly show God’s light to the world.
One of the saddest sayings I have heard over the last few years is, “There is no hate like Christian love.” How convicting! Jesus said that we would be known by our love, but we have distorted that love to more closely resemble hate.
It is not God’s purpose for the world to see His people as hateful. Could this mean that we are not walking in the light, as He is in the light?
Prayer:
Lord,
True Shepherd of my soul, free me from the fear of being diminished and anchor my worth in You. Let every valley become a witness to Your light and love.
Amen.
Image: Pamela Reynoso
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