1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm 23 is a psalm in which David expresses his personal faith in the LORD. So he said with absolute conviction, “The LORD is my shepherd”. No doubt the LORD is the Shepherd of Israel (cf. Psalm 80:1). However, here David was affirming his own faith and conviction that the LORD is also his shepherd.
David trusted in the great name of his God with total assurance of heart. The name “the LORD” refers to the great Jehovah, the great I AM that I AM (Exodus 3:14). David’s faith in the LORD brought him into a personal relationship with God, so he could boldly say that “The LORD is my shepherd”.
Every genuine believer is given the conviction by the Holy Spirit to say such words of deep love, signifying a close relationship with the LORD. Believers are constrained to say, “O God, Thou art my God.” Let us make our confessions about our God and Redeemer with perfect joy and assurance. Affirming our faith in such a confession like that of David will be a means of great comfort and courage in the midst of life’s trials.
Oh, how wonderful it is to know that He who controls the affairs of the universe attends to our individual needs! Like the shepherd who knows and calls each sheep of the flock by its name, so the LORD knows each of us and gives Himself to lead us with His whole affection and power.
Oh, how wonderful it is to remember that there exists between the LORD and ourselves a distinct personal relationship! We may be weak, obscure and despised, but He thinks of us with special love and care, and devotes Himself to lead us all the way.
Because the LORD is our Shepherd, we can say, “I shall not want.” David’s contentment arose from discovering that his sufficiency was in God. The LORD was more to him than the manna or the stream in the wilderness. He is more than sufficient for all our needs.
The LORD will make all needful provision for His flock. He will provide everything we need, whether temporal or spiritual, whether pertaining to the body or to the soul. In Psalm 34:9, we are told that “there is no want to them that fear him.” The LORD, as the Shepherd of His people, will see to it that all their real wants shall be supplied.