How many know the 23rd Psalm? Many can recite it by heart. Yet, how often have we stopped and truly thought about the words of the first verse. It sums up all the rest of the Psalm.
There are many translations, but most say, "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not be in want." or "...I shall not want." Today, while I was reading this something hit me about the verbiage. I mean seriously, how many times have I read this? I have got to have the I.Q. of a rock to have just seen it, just now.
I have read this Psalm at least a hundred times. I have clung tightly to, "Even though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil." Screamed it at the top of my lungs at times of extreme attack from the enemy. Oh yeah, I have been standing fast on this scripture. Scared to death, but repeating, "If God is for me, who can be against me?" a paraphrase from Romans 8:31.
Think about this though, if I truly believe that first verse of the 23rd Psalm, what am I so afraid of? My fear was stemming from what fear always stems from. Truth being twisted into something other than what it truly is. Fear is the opposite of truth. Fear binds, truth frees.
What is the truth of this verse? David says I shall NOT BE IN WANT, not I shall NOT BE IN NEED... This is very important. The difference between these two phrases is universal. First, let's look at what the two words that make the difference actually mean.
Want means to "feel" a need or desire for, something wished for.
Need means a requirement, destitution, or poverty.
There is a huge difference here. I shall have no wants because God is my Shepherd. the definition for this is a person who protects, guides, or watches over a person or a group of people. My needs are already handled because He is my protector and guardian. The necessities are being handled, I don't have to fret myself with them. So what's left? Wants of course.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Need is a well known theory in the Psychological field. Perhaps, this being my major, is why this has become so clear. It is a pyramid theory, much like the food pyramid of good nutrition. According to this theory a person's largest and most fundamental needs are at the bottom, each need supports the need that is on top of it. Unless the first need is met, the others cannot be addressed by the person.
The first level is Physiological - breathing, food and water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, and excretion. (Homeostasis is the bodies ability to adapt to its environment.) Once this is achieved we move to the next level Safety - which is security of body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health, and property.
This continues with Love/Belonging; Esteem, and finally Self-Actualization. According to the 23rd Psalm God takes care of the base automatically. Think about it, we breath...when is the last time you had to "think" about breathing? Food and water are supplied, in America to the point that obesity is an epidemic.
Sex has been thrown so out of whack from God's original intent it is frightening. Things ranging from pedophilia to ritual calling for defecating on another person for sexual gratification. The number of "allowable" sexual partners is now infinite. However, sex was meant to stay within the bounds of marriage. Sex was not to be engaged in until after one was married. Wow, if we had stuck with this there would be NO STD's! Every single one is caused by multiple partners, so where would we be if each person only had one? Okay, my mind is now officially boggling at the prospect of what the world would look like if we followed God's rules. Moving on...
Sleep, the bible says that He gives His beloved sleep. When we do not rest in Him, when we toss and turn at night, why is this happening? Because we are not trusting in Him, as Proverbs 3 tells us to do. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." When we adhere to our own concepts of anything, of any circumstance we are not trusting Him. The result is usually unrest.
The two that are left homeostasis (body regulation to the environment), and excretion. These are things that like breathing we don't have to think about. Seriously, when you have to "think" about excretion it is never a pleasant experience, now is it?
All this brings us back to the first verse, because He is my Shepherd I shall have no wants, because my needs are being handled. If we trust Him for this, let us let go and trust Him for the rest. Without these basic needs being dealt with nothing else that follows will have any real meaning.
Not to be gross, but how appetizing and exciting would a gourmet meal in a resort-like venue, with attendants waiting on you hand and foot be if you were either constipated or suffering from diarrhea? Or if you were say, vomiting uncontrollably. If you were freezing cold or burning up?
We take so much of what He supplies for granted. So, let us go back to this scripture and heartily say, The Lord IS my Shepherd. I shall NOT want. He has it under control, just like everything else.
Next blog, I'll dive into the next verse of this Psalm. What a powerful word for a hurting world this is. For the next 24 hours meditate on this 1st verse, and see that you will not want. He challenges to trust Him to do as His word says He will do.
Holy Father,
Thank You for taking care of our every need and even more so for giving us the things that we want. We forget sometimes how blessed we are to have You looking out for us. Although, we don't always see Your hand at work in our lives as a blessing, we know we need You more than the very air that You give us to breath. Thank You for knowing us better than we know ourselves, and taking care of us as a loving Shepherd takes care of His flock always does. We praise and worship You in full humility of our dependence on You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
