“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (vs. 1).
The first verse of this psalm gives us the all-sufficiency of Christ. No matter what the need or pressure, spiritual or physical, He is enough. We are learning this day by day. In Luke 22:3535And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. (Luke 22:35) He “said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said, Nothing.” In that coming day of glory, when we are in His presence, I believe He will ask us the same, “Lacked ye anything?” Our answer will be the overflow of our hearts as we exclaim, “Nothing!” As He sent the disciples in Luke, at times He sends us “without purse, and scrip, and shoes” so that He can show us His own fullness and love for us.
And it is more than “I do not want”; it is, “I shall not want.” This is His personal commitment to us for the path of faith! This gives rest from every fear, worry and “fret” (Psa. 37).
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures” (vs. 2).
Conquered by His divine love, confident of His divine, never-failing supply, all our searching and wanderings are over. Mary who sat at the blessed Saviour’s feet (Luke 10:3939And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. (Luke 10:39)) had found what she sought for. She was a captive of His love. The pastures are His, what He chooses, and thus all is well. It is not the green pastures that meet my need; it is Himself. We need not to seek to do anything to make ourselves happy. The Lord will do (and He alone can) that for us.
“He leadeth me beside the still waters” (vs. 2).
The sheep, thus happy and confident, is “led.” There is no question of “Where are we going?” only, “Who is leading?” Abraham went out “not knowing whither he went” (Heb. 11:88By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. (Hebrews 11:8)). The Lord Jesus says that Abraham “rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad” ( John 8:5656Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. (John 8:56)). We, too, will see and be glad! “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
(to be continued)
W. M. Warr