Day 7: Not Want
Paul discovered that God’s presence was greater than the thing he requested.
Day 7: Not Want
Psalm 23:1 — “I shall not want.”
This may be the most misunderstood phrase in the entire psalm.
The Hebrew word is chaser. It means “to lack,” “to be deficient,” or “to come up short.”
David is not promising luxury. He is not saying believers will become wealthy. He is not even saying every desire will be fulfilled.
Here’s what he is saying: Because the LORD is my Shepherd, I will never lack anything necessary for His will.
That is a very different promise. A shepherd gives sheep what they need, not everything they want. Sometimes the Shepherd’s greatest gifts are the things He refuses to give us.
There are times when protection comes through closed doors and provision comes through hardship.
Sometimes, the Shepherd’s wisdom says “no.”
The Apostle Paul learned this lesson. After pleading for God to remove his thorn in the flesh, God responded:
“My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Paul discovered that God’s presence was greater than the thing he requested.
Suppose a small child desperately wants to play in traffic. A loving father says no while the child cries that they are being deprived.
Years later the child comes to understand that God’s provision works the same way.
Psalms 34:10
“The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.”
Philippians 4:19
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Contentment begins when we trust the Shepherd’s wisdom more than our own desires. Perhaps the greatest blessing in Psalm 23:1 is not that we have everything we want, but that we have the Shepherd Himself. And if we truly have Him, we already possess the greatest treasure in the universe.
Matthew 6:33
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
