Each Saturday evening at the church, we have what I call, Bible Application Class. The goal of the class is to provide the opportunity and the tools to help people understand the Bible better and to apply it to their lives. We want to create an environment where people can listen to, discuss, and then practice the lesson for the week.
The material we are using is the video teachings from Walking the Text. Brad Gray, the founder, and teacher does an excellent job of presenting passages of Scripture in their context. He helps us look through the cultural, linguistic, historical, geographic, and literary lenses, then discusses how it would apply to us today. I have posted a link to the website below and encourage you to check them out.
Recently, we have been listening to Brad’s teaching on the 23rd Psalm. In the first verse, Brad discusses what it would have been like to have been a shepherd in the time of David. He describes how rocky, hilly, and treacherous the terrain is. He mentions that the shepherd needed to know just where the good pastures and places of fresh water were. He also discusses the predators, poisonous plants, and annoying insects the shepherd had to be watchful for. In short, the shepherd had to be knowledgeable and skillful in order to take good care of his sheep.
David, having been a shepherd himself, would have understood all this and thus would have easily applied this to God and His care for us. God knows exactly what we need and knows best how to provide for our needs. He is such a knowledgeable and skillful Shepherd that we can realize that, through Him, we shall not want. Other translators say, “I have all that I need”, “I will not be in need”, or “I lack nothing”. We can learn to be content in any situation because we know that our Good Shepherd is in control. He knows what He is doing and will always ensure we have what we need.
As I was listening to this teaching, something else “hit” me about this verse. When I really understand that God is the source of all my needs and that He will provide for everything I need so that I will lack nothing, then why would I want anything else? If God can care for me better than anyone else, why would I seek anyone else? If God can fill the emptiness in my heart, provide the love that I am seeking, and give me hope better than anything the world has to offer, why would I want what the world is offering? If I can come to the realization that God is the only One who can truly meet every need I have in every area of my life: body, soul, and spirit, then what reason would I have to look elsewhere? Absolutely none!
Looking at this verse in this new way has helped further stabilize my relationship with God. I am better able to keep my mind and heart focused on Him. Whenever I am tempted to look elsewhere for a solution when problems arise, I can say, “No!” because I know my Good Shepherd is the only One who can help me through difficult situations. Or, when the world tries to seduce or entice me away from God with offers of pleasure, wealth, or power, I can resist because I know that only God can truly fulfill those desires. He is the only One I want.
So, from now on, whenever I read or hear this Psalm, I will look at it differently. While everyone else may be saying, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”, I will be thinking, “The Lord is such a Good, Knowledgeable, and Skillful Shepherd that I don’t want anyone else”.
Check out the Walking the Text teaching on Psalm 23 at: