“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1 KJV).
Many of us memorized those words as children. And some of us may have thought, “Wow! That means God will give me whatever I want!”
So we prayed for new bicycles, the latest gadgets, and swimming pools in our backyards—absolutely certain that if God gave us these hearts’ desires, we’d be truly satisfied.
Some of our prayers were answered affirmatively. A new bicycle with sparkling spokes actually materialized by the Christmas tree. Or Aunt Kate heard the pleas for Mattell’s Magical Music Thing, and sent it as a birthday gift.
But as the years went by, the wise and introspective among us realized:
1. When one desire is fulfilled, another quickly takes its place.
Years ago I heard that a famous actress had accumulated seven houses, each one a different style from the others. Why? Because moving from one to another eased her boredom. (I wonder how long it took to become discontented with House #4, or #5, or #6, before she hired an architect to start the next?)
2. God isn’t in the business of making wishes come true.
Psalm 23:1 doesn’t mean: “I’m one of God’s flock! I’m gonna live on Easy Street!”
If he did grant every whim, we’d soon become self-centered and spoiled.
Perhaps a clarifying interpretation of the opening scripture would be: “God is my loving Care-Giver. All that I enjoy in my relationship with him far outweighs anything this world has to offer. I really don’t need another single thing.”
Ah, to be as soul-satisfied as King David, the author of this psalm! How can we become that contented?
One place to begin is with gratitude and praise.
Think of all we enjoy as a result of our relationship with God. Peace, joy, and provision quickly come to mind.
Here are a few more:
- Companionship with a perfect Friend—every moment of every day–into eternity. He is always listening, always watchful, always diligent.
- Hope. No situation is beyond the control of our Almighty God.
- Settledness, because he is in control, and “makes good things even out of hard times” (Erica Hale).
- Truth. We don’t have to muddle through life like a do-it-yourselfer with no instruction manual. “The unfolding of [God’s] words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).
The bottom-line is this: No possession or position, no place or person on earth can fill our hearts with contentment.
3. True satisfaction flourishes when we affirm that in God we have all we need.
Remember Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28?
Are you weary of the dissatisfaction that results from striving for the next desire? Are you burdened by unfulfilled wishes and dreams?
Come to Jesus. Count the scores of blessings he’s already provided in the past, is currently providing this very moment, and has already prepared in the glory of heaven yet to come.
Cultivate true satisfaction in your heart with gratitude and praise!
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What helps you cultivate true satisfaction? Please share in the Comments section below!
Art & photo credits: http://www.canva.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.rawpixel.com; http://www.wikimedia.org.
(Revised and reblogged from 7-10-14 while we enjoy house guests.)
I love your rephrasing “God is my loving Care-Giver. All that I enjoy in my relationship with him far outweighs anything this world has to offer. I really don’t need another single thing.”
It’s so true. too bad it takes most of us a long time to really understand and agree.
I was a slow learner, that’s for sure! I can remember experiencing serious coveting issues into my 30s and 40s. Praise God he’s continued to work on me (Philippians 1:6)!
As soon as I saw the image up top, I felt peace. Thank you for taking us there this evening, friend …
Praise God this post brought you peace, Linda. I know you’re journeying through a rough patch right now, so the privilege of ministering peace to you is especially sweet!
A few years ago, we downsized to a much smaller house, and I couldn’t be happier. Just the thought of being responsible for all those houses makes me tired! You’re right, Nancy, having the companionship of the Lord Himself is the greatest blessing we could ever want – and it’s ours for the asking! ❤
Good for you, Annie–the discontentment bug can’t bite you and make you itch for things! You’ve brought up an important point: If we foster companionship with the Lord by spending time in his word, in prayer, in praise and worship, we soon discover that he IS “the greatest blessing we could ever want!” Thank you for sharing your insight!
When we commit ourselves to God, we realize that He is the only one we need to live a full and contented life. May we be ever thankful for all HIs blessings.
Thanks for this reflection, Nancy!
You’re welcome, Martha. To those who don’t know Jesus, the contentment he offers–just within himself–seems nonsensical. But once experienced, it becomes clear that nothing or no one else satisfies like he does! With you I want to be ever thankful for all the blessings of his personhood that he bestows!
Love this post! Psalm 23 is among my favorites and is a favorite of many people. I just love the way you present it here. Especially “God is my loving care-giver.” I can sit here all day and reflect on the many ways He has been and continues to be that loving care-giver in my own life. Thank you, Nancy, for giving me something so precious to meditate upon today!
You are so welcome, Kathy. I’m praising God for his inspiration HERE that gave you something precious to meditate upon THERE! With you I could reflect for hours on the many ways he’s been my faithful care-giver–especially since I’ve lived a long time!
I heard the Audrey Assad (sp.) the other morning and have thought of “I shall not want so much more accurately.” I believe the song’s title is “Shall Not Want” not sure. It’s lyrics remind us to ask God to free us from desires of anything other than His and Him.
I’ll have to check out that song. Thank you for the recommendation, Lisa Anne! Think of the peace and joy that awaits when we’re completely free from desires of anything other than God and his desires for us!
This is an encouraging and much needed post. I fear many of us are never truly content. Living in our world, where so many things are at our fingertips, should satisfy us. But it only makes us long for more and more. May we learn to pursue God alone and be grateful for all the blessings He showers upon us. Thank you for this, Nancy! 🦋
You’re welcome, Bridget. And as I just said to Kathy O’Brien above, praise God for his inspiration! I’m so glad you found encouragement here. As for your closing prayer about pursuing God alone and being grateful for all his blessings–AMEN!
I think you have pinpointed the problem the world has today. Advertising is geared to make us “want” so we will buy. I have begun deleting emails that are primarily advertisements and concentrate only on the ones that are from friends or necessary business. But one does not have to look far to be inundated with “you need this, don’t you want that, oh you need MORE!”
Thank you for your post! It’s kind of funny, but all the years I grew up hearing this, and the “I shall not want” struck me more as “you don’t need the “things “ of this world, you need me.” Glad I heard His call.
Good for you, Shauna–understanding the true meaning of Psalm 23:1 from childhood. Couldn’t agree more with your last statement, “Glad I heard his call.” I am too! And as I’ve said before, I can’t imagine doing life without him!
You hit the nail on the head, Nancy. We’re inundated with the desire for “stuff” of all sorts today. I follow a FB page about home decorating and also follow a friend’s mission ministry in Africa. I see the huge amount of money and time spent on all sorts of decorating compared to the utter joy of an African woman who finally has a “house” that you and I would probably not even want to use for camping. “Striving for the next desire,” as you said, truly brings on all sorts of opportunity for sin in our lives. Thank you so much for putting all of this into such a powerful post. Blessings!
Thank you for adding your wise insight, Patty. Your illustration of the African woman’s joy of having a home points out the importance of adjusting our perspective and expressing gratitude for what God has already given–frequently!
Thank you for the reminder that in Him we have all that we need. I love the reference to ‘Settledness’. This world is more unsettled than I could ever have imagined, but with Jesus we have peace because He is in control, and “makes good things even out of hard times”. Such a peaceful and reassuring post, Nancy. Thank you.
Oh yes, praise God he makes good things out of hard times! I’ve been listening to a podcast series on the book of Daniel and have been impressed anew how he lived in the idol-worshiping, sinful, even evil culture of Babylon and THRIVED because of his faith in God. If the world of today continues to move toward wickedness, we can still thrive in our spirits as Daniel did. I pray for his grace and strength to do so!
Amen! I love the reminders you listed of the many things we have to enjoy.
God is so good ..may we be satisfied in His blessings, believing all that He offers is the perfect timing and amount, whatever it may be.
And now it’s my turn to say AMEN to what YOU said! We do well to reaffirm every day that God’s choices for us and his timing are always perfect. Hallelujah!
Now that you mention it, Nancy, it’s interesting I’ve never interpreted the 23rd Psalm as addressing wants, even with a literal interpretation of the first verse. For me, it’s always been about the constant companionship of the Lord no matter the circumstance. That belief in itself should not just remove, but fulfill any perceived “wants”.
AMEN, Dave! There is much reassurance to glean from Psalm 23, as we trust in our Shepherd for his loving care, guidance, and the blessings of his “table” he chooses to serve us–all with our best interest at heart. One of those blessings is his constant companionship as you mentioned. I can’t imagine trying to live this life without him!
Amen! In God’s Word, we find the truthfulness of His plan. There is no greater blessing.
I too love the Bible, where I can become better acquainted with my Heavenly Father and learn from the wisdom, life-lessons, and encouragement within the pages. His plan for our lives IS the best plan–indeed. Thank you for stopping by, Big Sky Buckeye!
“Psalm 23:1 doesn’t mean: “I’m one of God’s flock! I’m gonna live on Easy Street!” That made me chuckle joyfully. What a refreshing post full of life-giving truth. Thank you, Nancy!
You’re welcome, Jennifer. So glad to give you a chuckle!
So good, Nancy! In this HGTV world we live in we’ve become dissatisfied with “the best and most up to date” before we come to the end of the episode we’re watching. I love your words “The bottom-line is this: No possession or position, no place or person on earth can fill our hearts with contentment.” So very very true. Only Jesus. He is enough. Blessings to you and thanks for this post.
Thank you, Benita. We may soon face circumstances that test our level of contentment more so than ever. To know that Jesus is enough–no matter what–offers solid comfort and reassurance! (You may need to remind me!!)
Nancy,
It’s in the little powerful things that God works.
Thanks,”’ Gary
AMEN, Gary. God often works in small ways to accomplish big things. The five little barley loaves and two fish come to mind (Luke 9:10-17)!
I am reminded of several verses that say as we grow closer to God, that our desires become what he desires for us. Thanks Nancy!! Oh, I finally got a new computer to type on. Yea!
I think I know at least two verses that came to your mind: Psalm 37:4-5. Wonderful affirmation in those words! And hurray for your purchase of a new computer! Hope the learning curve isn’t too steep! (Or is it like your old one?)
Good Evening, Well, the good news about the computer is: They have made it so much easier to set it up. Almost magic compared to the ones 5 and 11 years ago. 🙂 Really no learning curve this time. There probably will be with Windows 11. How is yours holding up?
So far, so good–after 8 years!! I did have to purchase a new battery and the latest Microsoft Word, since the old program couldn’t handle any of the recent updates. Glad your setup was so easy!
The Lord is my Shepherd, BECAUSE of that fact I shall not want or lack for anything I need! I love Sister Nancy’s teaching!! 👍💗📖😇
That’s a helpful paraphrase, Roland. And thank you for your kind encouragement. Praise God for his inspiration!