Everything I Need
“I shall not want.” —Psalm 23:1
Read Luke 15:1-7
Who does not dream of becoming rich, with all the opportunities wealth affords? Who does not want to live life to the fullest? But that life is not the one implied by the words of our text. It speaks of riches far deeper than material goods. Our text speaks of a totally different type of riches than we can imagine. It speaks of the Good Shepherd upholding His sheep so that they lack nothing. It tells us that God takes care of His children so that they have no needs.
If you want to become truly rich you must become a child of God. Of course, in saying this, we have a different meaning for the term “rich” than is commonly meant. When God takes care of His children in His way, it does not necessarily mean that they have a large bank balance. They may be poor as paupers and yet be able to say, “I shall not want.” Because they are satisfied with God’s nearness in their life, they are rich.
In thinking about the goodness of God, His children become unspeakably rich. For then the Lord is their Shepherd and they lack nothing at all. He takes care of them in their sorrow, enabling them to unburden their grief onto Him. He helps them through all kinds of difficulties.
Do you understand this from experience? Or can you look after yourself and deliver yourself of your sorrow? Then you are still so poor! You may, humanly speaking, try to sort it out yourself, but the Lord has a far better way laid out for you. Today, He knocks at the door of your heart.
What does the expression “I shall not want” mean?
This devotional was taken from “The Time of Your Life” a daily devotional published by the Youth & Educational Committee of the FRC. To order a printed copy of this book, contact: bookorders@frcna.org.